Skift Take

One of the underlying motivations for JetBlue’s decision to pursue a merger with Spirit Airlines? Think Florida, where the two have closely overlapping route networks.

Meghna Maharishi and Jay Shabat, Skift

When JetBlue first announced it would acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in April 2022, it seemed like an unlikely marriage.

JetBlue had started positioning itself as more of a competitor to the Big Four airlines — American, Delta, United and Southwest. Spirit held the title as the largest ultra-low-cost carrier in the U.S., known for charging fares as low as $21. 

The two carriers’ ambitions couldn’t hav