LCC Spirit Airlines has filed to block the proposed JetBlue Airways and United Airlines partnership, citing competition concerns.
It filed an objection to the ‘Blue Sky’ partnership claiming it is anticompetitive and will only force other carriers to collaborate in similar deals.
The United – JetBlue pact would enable customers to book through flights on both carriers’ websites, and offer reciprocal loyalty benefits.
Spirit said the deal would turn JetBlue into a ‘de facto vassal unit of United Airlines.’
‘This anti-competitive tie-up involving a dominant legacy carrier will neutralize the competitive benefit of an existing low-fare competitor’ Spirit said in its objection.
JetBlue hit back, saying Spirit’s filing ‘twists the facts about how JetBlue and United plan to deliver for customers.’
JetBlue pointed out that deal does not encompass coordinating schedules or revenue sharing on routes.
JetBlue and United will still be competitors operating their own flights and setting their own fares independently without any coordination, it said.
