JetBlue Airways has raised its bid to takeover Spirit Airlines in the latest volley in an escalating proxy war with Frontier Airlines.

JetBlue upped its reverse break-up fee on Monday to $350 million — $100 million more than Frontier — and offered to pre-pay $164 million of said fee in its latest offer to Spirit shareholders. All in, the offer values Spirit at $31.50 per share.

(vic_206/Flickr)

The offer comes less than a week after Frontier improved its offer for Spirit with a $250 million reverse break-up fee.

“Combining JetBlue and Spirit would create a true national competitor to the dominant legacy carriers, delivering low fares and a great experience for more customers, more opportunities and good paying jobs for crewmembers and team members, and more value for stockholders,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in a letter to the Spirit board. “The key features of our improved proposal – the up-front cash payment and increased reverse break-up fee – are not an illusion. This offer reflects the seriousness of our commitment and underscores our confidence in completing this transaction. Additionally, given the similar regulatory risks of the two transactions and the increased reverse break-up fee we are prepared to provide, we believe our Improved Proposal remains a Superior Proposal by any measure.”

Spirit shareholders are scheduled to vote on the Frontier merger proposal on June 10. The vote is the culmination of a four-month saga since Frontier and Spirit first announced plans to merge. JetBlue unveiled an unsolicited bid for Spirit in April, which the latter carrier rejected. JetBlue is now attempting a hostile takeover by asking Spirit shareholders to reject the Frontier deal.

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Tags: frontier airlines, jetblue airways, jetblue-spirit merger, mergers and acquisitions, spirit airlines