Jan 22 (Reuters) - Alaska Air Group ( ALK ) on Wednesday

topped Wall Street estimates for fourth-quarter profit and

forecast a smaller-than-expected loss for the current quarter,

driven by strong holiday and corporate travel demand as well as

improved pricing power.

U.S. airlines are reaping the benefits of a significant

reduction in domestic seat capacity, which has driven up ticket

prices.

Alaska, which completed the acquisition of peer Hawaiian in

September, cited sustained leisure demand, an uptick in

corporate travel, and mild winter weather, for its higher

revenue during the holiday quarter.

"Overall revenue trends continued to be really, really

strong across pretty much the entire network," Chief Financial

Officer Shane Tackett said in an interview.

The company, however, expects an adjusted loss of 50 to 70

cents per share in the first quarter, compared with Wall

Street's estimates of a loss of 72 cents per share.

Tackett said Alaska has traditionally lost money in the

first quarter, but earned all of the profits over the balance of

the year. The carrier's Hawaiian network is also expected to

lose money in the March quarter, with a slight profit expected

for the balance of the year, he said.

The company still expects to deliver a profit per share of

more than $5.75 in 2025.

Alaska last month said it aims to generate $1 billion in

additional profits by 2027 by leveraging its $1.9 billion

acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and booming demand for premium

travel.

Alaska Air ( ALK ) has been ramping up the share of premium seats on

its flights and plans to launch a premium credit card as it

revamps its loyalty program.

"There's much more upside to come for us," said Tackett.

The Seattle, Washington-based company reported an adjusted

profit of 97 cents per share in the fourth quarter compared with

analysts' estimate of 44 cents, according to data compiled by

LSEG.

Total operating revenue rose 38% to $3.53 billion. Analysts

had estimated revenue of $3.43 billion.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago and Aatreyee

Dasgupta in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)