Why Did JetBlue Want to Acquire Spirit? Look to Florida
Photo Credit: JetBlue made an unsolicited offer for Spirit, potentially derailing the proposed Spirit-Frontier merger. Flickr / vic_206
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.
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
