Spirit Airlines hits back at JetBlue and United with DoT complaint

United and JetBlue recently revealed plans to partner.

Jun 25, 2025 - 21:32

At the end of May, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and United Airlines (UAL) put months of swirling rumors to rest by sharing their intent to launch a partnership that allows travelers to book flights on each other's websites and transfer miles from one airline to the other.

While not an official merger (chief executives for both airlines have repeatedly denied that this will ever be in the cards), such a partnership creates a stronger link between some of the country's largest airlines.

It also opens the door for travelers on low-cost JetBlue to access many of the same perks that only a mainstream airline can offer — the potentially anticompetitive nature of which immediately raised alarms with fellow low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE) .

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Spirit Airlines says JetBlue-United collaboration 'raises serious competition' questions

"JetBlue, enticed by the benefit to its customers of United's far larger global network, will become a de facto vassal of United," the Miramar, Florida-based carrier wrote in a complaint filed with the Department of Transportation (DoT) on June 24 that further alleges the deal "raises serious competition and public interest questions."

The complaint also requests that the DoT extend the period during which it evaluates the partnership as well as offer a period for public comment when all details of the deal are made public.

Under the terms currently proposed, the alliance would also grant United access to JetBlue's gate slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), from which the carrier has not run flights since 2022.

United would most benefit from the airport access, while JetBlue would be able to offer passengers with elite status access to United's lounges (the airline has a significantly larger network of its Club, Club Fly, and Polaris lounges).

United Airlines stands to gain airport access through the proposed partnership with JetBlue.
Image source: Shutterstock

Spirit Airlines claims partnership will 'raise fares' and 'weaken other value airlines'

"This anti-competitive tie-up involving a dominant legacy carrier will neutralize the competitive benefit of an existing low-fare competitor (JetBlue), will raise fares, and will tend to weaken other value airlines, such as Spirit and others, by siphoning off customers attracted by access to the United loyalty program," Spirit's complaint reads further.

After a federal judge definitively blocked JetBlue's plans to acquire Spirit for $3.6 billion in March 2024, both airlines have had to craft a new path in a challenging environment.

Spirit filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 and emerged from it by converting $795 million of debt into equity and ultimately going private by handing over control to a group of its biggest bondholders.

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At the start of June, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty sent airline staff a note saying that "the path back to profitability will take longer than we'd hoped" and even "a recovery won't fully offset the ground we've lost this year."

The airline last reported a profitable quarter in 2019 and recently made a series of route cuts and market exits in order to bring down expenses. The United partnership gives it significant leverage to expand with the help of another carrier's resources.

In its response on Spirit, JetBlue said the complaint "misrepresents Blue Sky and twists the facts about how JetBlue and United plan to deliver for customers," while United Airlines declined to comment.