The proposal would bring together two very similar airlines - both tempt travelers with rock-bottom fares but tack on fees for some things that bigger carriers include with most tickets, from soft drinks to room for a bag in the overhead bin.

7, saying they would create a huge discount airline that would save consumers $1 billion a year in airfares by creating a powerful new competitor to American, United, Delta and Southwest. Still, the JetBlue deal did appear more problematic, in part because the Justice Department was already suing to break up a regional partnership in the Northeast between JetBlue and American Airlines.įrontier and Spirit announced their deal on Feb.

Some analysts said that the small size of Frontier and Spirit would have earned them a pass from antitrust regulators in previous administrations, but not any more. The president and his top antitrust official in the Justice Department have both indicated a dislike for corporate mergers. The Biden administration was always likely to take a close look at either deal. If shareholders reject the Frontier bid it would push Spirit to reach an agreement with JetBlue Airways, which made an all-cash offer of about $3.7 billion.Įither combination is expected to create the nation’s fifth-largest airline, although still quite a bit smaller than American, United, Delta and Southwest.Ĭompeting with JetBlue’s richer cash offer, the Spirit board and Frontier argue that antitrust regulators will block JetBlue from buying Spirit, making the JetBlue bid an illusory one. Four previous votes have been postponed for lack of support. Shareholders appear to be leaning against the bid preferred by Spirit’s board, a merger offer from Frontier Airlines that is currently worth more than $2.6 billion. Spirit Airlines shareholders could pick a preferred buyer for their airline Wednesday, when they are scheduled to vote on one of the offers for the budget carrier.

Spirit flight status