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Why is Spirit Airlines being bought out?

The New York-based airline argues that buying Spirit will make it bigger and a stronger competitor to the biggest U.S. carriers.



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The U.S. Justice Department is suing to block JetBlue's proposed $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit, arguing that it will hurt competition and raise prices by eliminating Spirit, the nation's biggest discount airline. A trial is scheduled to start next month in federal court in Boston.

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New York-based JetBlue's acquisition of Spirit faced a high hurdle with regulators from the start, and the airline on Monday said it expected DOJ action this week.

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Low-cost carrier JetBlue Airlines (JBLU) on Monday agreed to sell off Spirt Airlines' (SAVE) assets at Newark Liberty and Boston Logan airports, as the airline seeks to win regulators' approval for a merger with Spirit.

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As with any airline, there are plenty of reasons a Spirit flight might be canceled, including: Bad weather. Flight delays. Mechanical problems.

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Despite comedians' digs, Spirit has improved its reliability in recent years — and is faring better than JetBlue by some measures. JetBlue came in last among 10 airlines in on-time arrivals this year through May, while Spirit ranked seventh, according to the Transportation Department's latest available data.

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In some sense, Spirit's bad reputation is not without merit. The airline is rightly criticized for its misleading fee system, which shows you a low price — called a “bare fare” — but has a substantial catch: The price you see frequently includes only a small personal item and the flight ticket.

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Fitch Ratings - New York - 12 Sep 2023: Fitch Ratings has revised the Rating Outlook for Spirit Airlines to Negative from Stable and affirmed Spirit's Long-term Issuer Default Rating at 'B+'. Fitch has also affirmed Spirit IP Cayman Ltd.'s and Spirit Loyalty Cayman Ltd.'s senior secured debt at 'BB+'/'RR1'.

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From a cost perspective, Spirit is hands-down the best value. In most cases, you'll save money flying Spirit even if you pick the Big Front Seat for both legs of your flight. On the other hand, pick Delta if you want more space and feel safer on an airline that takes more COVID-19 precautions.

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Hawaiian Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the United States, which should come as no surprise given its sterling crash-free record. The airline has a fleet comprised entirely of Boeing aircraft and an average age of 12.8 years, the third-highest in North America.

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Those familiar with Spirit's seating configurations will know that its Big Front Seats offer more than just extra legroom. While this is indeed the case, with a standard seat pitch of 36 inches rather than the usual 28, they are also wider, at 18.5 inches across.

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If your Spirit flight was delayed, canceled, or overbooked within the last 3 years, the compensation amount for which you are eligible is up to $670 (600).

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For the first quarter 2023, Spirit reported a net loss of $103.9 million, or a net loss of $0.95 per diluted share. Excluding special items, adjusted net loss for the first quarter 2023 was $89.4 million1, or an adjusted net loss of $0.82 per diluted share1.

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Can I get a refund? If Spirit Airlines cancels the flight, they must refund the price of ticket to passengers. But if you decide to voluntarily cancel your scheduled flight, you are not entitled to a refund.

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Choosing between Spirit vs JetBlue for your next flight? The quick answer is that Spirit is an ultra-low-cost airline with limited comforts and questionable customer service. JetBlue is a low-cost airline known for its quality in customer service and comfortable cabins.

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