Four months after starting the conversations, and just a few hours after the Frontier Airlines bid was formally rejected, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue announced a definitive agreement to merge.
Spirit Airlines
Thales FlytLIVE gets boost with SES-17 activation
The official launch of the FlytLIVE in-flight WiFi service on Spirit Airlines earlier this month, after a year of trial operations irepresents a strong return to the in-flight connectivity market for Thales. But the company is not slowing down now that the gear is live; quite the opposite, in fact.
Spirit officially activates WiFi, launches new pricing options
Since Spirit Airlines announced plans to add in-flight Wi-Fi services four years ago, the carrier has planned to market its offering differently than other airlines. Now, two months after completing the A320/A321 installs and after a year of active testing, the service is out of beta and Spirit is kicking off a major marketing push.
Spirit wins Newark slots, with conditions to keep them
pirit Airlines led the legal charge to ensure the slots Southwest Airlines abandoned at Newark would be reallocated. Now, after much legal wrangling, the carrier won the rights to those 16 slots.
Spirit Airlines completes A320 WiFi installs
The Spirit Airlines A320 fleet is now fully fitted with in-flight WiFi. With both the A321 and now the A320 fleets completed, Spirit’s fleet can deliver in-flight internet service on more than 82% of its departures and 87% of its available seat miles.
Spirit takes a pass on JetBlue’s buyout offer
Spirit Airlines sees a merger with JetBlue as unattainable. Not for lack of interest, mind you. JetBlue’s cash offer of $3.6 billion still stands. But doubts around the likelihood of regulatory approval have Spirit’s Board of Directors recommending that it continue to move forward with the previously planned Frontier merger instead. Assuming even that can get past regulators.
A JetBlue-Spirit merger almost certainly means higher fares
JetBlue’s arrival in a new market typically sees fares charged by other carriers drop. Where JetBlue and Spirit overlap, however, it is inevitable that fares will rise. They have to in order for JetBlue to realize the net benefits it proposes.
JetBlue proposes a Spirit buyout, besting Frontier’s bid
JetBlue finally formally announced its long-anticipated service between Boston and London to launch this summer. And, in a twist no one really expected, that turns out to be the smaller news item for the carrier this week. The New York Times reports that JetBlue made a $3.6bn stock offer for Spirit Airlines, besting the deal announced by Frontier in February.
Another Spirit Airlines WiFi turning point
Spirit Airlines hit another milestone in its in-flight WiFi service rollout earlier this month. And, while it may be a tad premature, it gives the carrier an opportunity to focus more on marketing the on-board internet offering to passengers.
Frontier, Spirit announce plans to merge
Frontier Airlines and Sprit Airlines intend to merge, creating a new 5th largest airline in the US.