

market," JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in a statement.


"We believe the DOJ has got it wrong on the law here and misses the point that this merger will create a national low-fare, high-quality competitor to the Big Four carriers which – thanks to their own DOJ-approved mergers – control about 80% of the U.S. JetBlue and Spirit said in a joint statement Tuesday that they will "continue to advance our plan to create a compelling national challenger to the Big Four airlines." The deal would also give JetBlue access to more Airbus jetliners and pilots, which are both in short supply as travel demand remains strong. JetBlue has argued the combination would allow it to better compete with large airlines that dominate the U.S. The DOJ cited Spirit's own internal documents that show that when the airline starts flying a route, average fares fall by 17%. "Spirit itself put it simply: 'A JetBlue acquisition of Spirit will have lasting negative impacts on consumers.'"Īt a Tuesday press conference, Attorney General Merrick Garland underscored that the merger would be particularly harmful for "working and middle class Americans who travel for personal rather than business reasons and must pay their own way." "JetBlue's plan would eliminate the unique competition that Spirit provides-and about half of all ultra-low-cost airline seats in the industry-and leave tens of millions of travelers to face higher fares and fewer options," the Justice Department said in its complaint, filed in a Massachusetts court on Tuesday. JetBlue's takeover of Spirit would create the fifth-largest airline in the country and also eliminate Florida-based Spirit, with its business model of rock-bottom fares and fees for everything from carry-on baggage to seat assignments. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower A statement from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA says there isn't one.Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit On Twitter, word of staff, including pilots, "walking out" at certain airports has mounted speculation of an employee strike. The disruptions come many airlines are ill-prepared for the wave of returning passengers eager to travel once again. "Most of our flights currently remain scheduled as planned." "In responding to these challenges, Spirit has implemented some proactive cancellations again today to reset our operations," Spirit spokesperson Field Sutton wrote in a statement to NPR.

E176h8KHjN- Spirit Airlines August 2, 2021Ī spokesperson from Spirit attributed the disruptions to weather, system outages, and staffing shortages in certain areas of operation. The fastest way to receive assistance is to visit our webchat. Before going to the airport, check your email and current flight status here. We are experiencing operational challenges in some areas of our network. Our team members are working around the clock to care for our customers." "The nine-hour weather event resulted in flight delays, cancellations and nearly 100 diversions. "A prolonged severe weather event in Dallas Fort-Worth on Sunday night into Monday morning brought sustained heavy rain, strong winds, lightning, microbursts and hail to our largest hub," American Airlines spokesperson Laura Masvidal said in a statement to NPR. American canceled 300 Sunday flights and 563 Monday flights.Īmerican Airlines has attributed its cancellations and delays to severe weather happening in Dallas Fort Worth. According to flight tracker FlightAware, Spirit canceled 19% of its Sunday flights and 40% of its flights on Monday. By comparison, American Airlines had canceled around 300 flights - about 10% of the day's total, by mid-afternoon on Tuesday.īoth airlines have experienced flight disruptions for the past three days. Half of Spirit's Tuesday flights were canceled: a total of 347 flights, according to the Associated Press. Spirit and American Airlines canceled hundreds of their flights on Tuesday, exasperating passengers in airports throughout the country, and in some cases, leaving them stranded. A Spirit Airlines jet seen approaching Philadelphia International Airport earlier this year.
