Spirit Airlines Is Not Happy With Two Rival U.S. Airlines
Spirit Airlines filed a regulatory complaint this week against two rival airlines, according to media reports.
On Tuesday, Spirit formally filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation about the new Blue Sky partnership between JetBlue Airways and United Airlines, alleging that it "raises serious competition and public interest questions" and is a "coordinated oligopoly masquerading as competition."
In the 12-page filing, Spirit argues that the agreement between JetBlue and United has the same competitive concerns as the now-defunct Northeast Alliance between American Airlines' and JetBlue, which was discontinued in 2023.
Spirit also says it is worried that the partnership will turn JetBlue into 'a de facto vassal of United."
"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 said.
Spirit has asked the DOT to extend the review period and to make the details of the BlueSky agreement public and open to scrutiny.
Announced back in May, Blue Sky was described by the two airlines as the time as "a new and unique collaboration that gives customers of both airlines even more options to find flights that fit their plans as well as new opportunities to earn and use MileagePlus miles and TrueBlue points across both airlines."
The arrangement enables United's MileagePlus customers and JetBlue's TrueBlue members to use and earn points on the other carrier's flights, and also allows for the sales of both airlines' flights on either company's website.
Additionally, JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of Terminal 6, starting as early as 2027.
Spirit Airlines Is Not Happy With Two Rival U.S. Airlines first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 26, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Skift
8 hours ago
- Skift
Extreme Loyalty: The Airlines Turning Travel Into a Competitive Sport
In a drive for loyalty and attention, high-stakes travel challenges are growing in popularity. These airline campaigns generate buzz, but they also raise thorny questions around ethics, sustainability, and long-term brand impact. Earlier this week, JetBlue launched one of the quirkiest promotions by a U.S. airline in years: a loyalty challenge that rewards customers who visit 25 JetBlue destinations by the end of 2025 with coveted perks through 2050. To mark its 25th anniversary, the '25 for 25' campaign offers members of its TrueBlue loyalty program a quarter-century of Mosaic 1 status – part of JetBlue's elite tier – plus up to 350,000 bonus points. Members who hit 15 destinations earn 150,000 points; 20 destinations bring an additional 200,000 points; and those who hit the full 25 unlock the status windfall. Ed Pouthier, the carrier's VP of loyalty and personalization describes the promotion as 'a thank you to the customers who've helped us reach 25 years of incredible growth.' While headline-making in the United States, JetBlue's campaign is just the latest in a global wave of high-concept airline marketing stunts. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways launched 'The Extraordinary Challenge' at the end of May. It is offering Etihad Guest members the chance to win up to 5 million miles by flying to each of the airline's 15 new destinations. The first to complete the challenge will win 5 million points; the second, 3 million; and the third, 1 million. In marketing materials, the UAE carrier says that 5 million Etihad Guest miles 'can equate to over 500 Economy flights, or more than 70 trips in Business, or more than 40 unforgettable journeys in First.' To qualify, participants must fly to or from all of the following destinations by May 25, 2026: Addis Ababa, Algiers, Atlanta, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Krabi, Medan, Peshawar, Phnom Penh, Prague, Sochi, Taipei, Tunis, and Warsaw. Service to some of these destinations doesn't start until later this year. Getting Creative, But At What Cost? 'Like all companies, airline marketing campaigns have had to get creative to break through and grab people's attention, especially when the subject is somewhat mundane like new seat upholstery or new destinations,' says Scott Keyes of Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights). 'But Etihad's campaign of offering 5 million miles to one winner is perhaps the most audacious and attention-grabbing attempt I've seen for a new route announcement.' Chelsea Curran, director of integrated PR, destinations, resorts, and experiences, at Crowe PR, offered additional behind-the-scenes insight about the latest campaigns and similar stunts. 'We've seen airlines, hotels, and hospitality brands jump on PR stunts for years designed to help them spark global attention,' she says. 'These are geared towards doing more than just going viral: They are well designed to help generate long-lasting buzz, deepen brand understanding, and engage and inspire conversations amongst travelers with the Etihad brand at the forefront.' Another high-profile example comes from the Scandinavian carrier SAS. Last year, it ran a campaign that rewarded members of its EuroBonus loyalty program by turning them into 'points millionaires.' To be eligible for the prize, members had to fly with 15 out of 17 SkyTeam alliance airlines. The contest period took place from October 8 to December 31, 2024. Despite having less than three months to fly with 15 global airlines, 940 of the 42,700 participants were successful. Of course, there's the bottom line to keep in mind, but these campaigns can be a relative bargain for airlines. The cost of a stunt like this to Etihad is 'trivial, of course,' says Keyes. 'They can print as many miles as they want, and even assuming a generous 1-cent-per-mile accounting cost, the prize is equivalent to $50,000, a rounding error in an airline's marketing budget." Sustainability Questions For all of the recent hype, is it a simple case of back to the future? The hyper-competitive period following airline deregulation in the 1980s was full of wacky campaigns. However, unlike the 1980s, the socially conscious modern air traveler has an additional angle to consider. A major issue with this style of airline promotion is the risk that they grate against stated sustainability goals and mission statements. Skift called in generative AI to create the best itinerary to visit each of the cities in Etihad's Extraordinary Challenge. The brief was to use flights connecting through the carrier's Abu Dhabi hub as sparingly as possible. Our prompt allowed other airlines to directly connect each destination as long as Etihad flights were used for at least one flight in or out. According to its calculations, flying to and from each of these cities in the most efficient manner possible would add up to about 85,563 miles (137,700 km) in the air. That would generate around 30.3 tons (27.5 tonnes) of CO₂ per passenger, around twice the average annual individual carbon footprint. Depending on how many people enter the competition, it's a challenge that could leave quite a mark. Etihad won Environmental Airline of the Year in 2023 and the airline plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Etihad declined to comment when approached by Skift for this story. Who Pays the Price? There's also the human factor. While it might not cost airlines much to facilitate the stunts or their prizes, it can be contestants who shoulder the cost instead. 'There's concern among some about the amount of wasted travel hours and additional emissions that [the Etihad] competition entails,' says Keyes. 'After all, there will be many people competing to win the 5 million miles, and all but three of them will see their efforts in vain." The recent SAS and JetBlue promotions differ in that there is no limit to the number of successful participants. However, travel that's consumption-focused and performative (staying somewhere only long enough to say you've been there, 'doing it for the 'gram') is the antithesis of sustainable travel, which prioritizes slow travel, reducing carbon footprint, and forming meaningful connections on the ground. 'Given travelers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are seeking more meaningful, slower trips versus globe-hopping on long, non-stop journeys, this stunt can feel at odds with the rising call for more sustainable and responsible travel,' Curran adds. For its part, JetBlue told Skift: "As a primarily leisure airline, this promotion is designed to celebrate exploration, encouraging customers to connect with friends and family across our network, or visit destinations they may not have discovered yet. "Importantly, the promotion is built around our regularly scheduled flights, not added capacity or special charters created solely for the program," a spokesperson added. Despite the campaign still being in its first week, JetBlue reports "great enthusiasm," with more than 650 bookings already made through a dedicated promotion landing page. The Russian Factor An additional consideration for the Etihad competition in particular is accessibility. While the airline says the competition is 'offering anyone the chance to participate and win,' the required stop in Sochi, Russia, might deter some. This could be because of visa restrictions, safety concerns given the conflict in Ukraine, or the questionable morality of flying into a country at war to win loyalty points. 'Whether intentional or not, the fact that one of the required stops is in Russia effectively excludes most American and Western European travelers from participating,' says Keyes. In the near term, is there a way forward for attention-grabbing airline PR stunts? Curran suggests initiatives that align more toward sustainable travel while still creating buzz. 'This might include challenges that entice travelers to show off their low-carbon travel, creating immersive experiences in local communities or slow travel itineraries that help travelers experience longer, more meaningful trips,' she notes. 'In a crowded market, we'll continue to see travel brands push boundaries and the key to ensuring these will be successful is to anchor them in purpose and your brand mission, not just promotion.' What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
JetBlue to Elevate Customer Experience With Expanded Paisly Offerings
JetBlue Airways Corporation JBLU seems to be gearing up to strengthen its position in the airline industry with the renovation of its products. To this end, JBLU's wholly-owned travel subsidiary and a tech-enabled managed travel services company, Paisly, LLC, announced the expansion of its cruise portfolio with the addition of four cruise line partners: Holland America Line, Cunard, Virgin Voyages, and Oceania Cruises. This move widens Paisly's existing cruise offering and increases its potential to offer loyalty-integrated cruise experiences to its airline partners' customer bases. This initiative of portfolio expansion marks Paisly's growth as a seller of cruises, either standalone or bundled with flights. JetBlue's subsidiary, JetBlue Vacations, powered by Paisly, becomes the first brand to integrate expanded inventory as Paisly scales cruise access for airline partners. Additionally, United Airlines (UAL) is all set to reap the benefits of this expanded cruise portfolio offering through an upcoming collaboration with Paisly, which is scheduled to commence in summer 2026. Paisly's expanding cruise partner roster strengthens its end-to-end travel service strategy. With global cruise passengers totaling 34.6 million in 2024, and the number anticipated to reach 42 million by 2028 (according to industry estimates), cruising stands among the fastest-growing sectors in leisure travel. Given these encouraging numbers, Paisly is all set to add a new cruise partner each month and expand its direct inventory to reach a wider customer base. Jamie Perry, president of Paisly, stated, "Cruising is a category overdue for disruption, and that's exactly what Paisly is delivering. By expanding our cruise offering and integrating it with our personalization engine and loyalty tools, we're enabling JetBlue, and future airline partners, to offer customers an experience that's smarter, simpler, and more rewarding." The expanded cruise offerings by Paisly are giving airlines new tools to personalize, fulfill, and scale travel packages with loyalty perks. We believe such customer-friendly initiatives should boost investor confidence and positively impact JBLU's position as a major tourism partner in all aspects. JBLU currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Investors interested in the Transportation sector may also consider Copa Holdings CPA and SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW). CPA currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. CPA has an expected earnings growth rate of 14.3% for the current year. The company has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 5.5%. Shares of CPA have risen 24.2% year to date. SkyWest, founded in 1972, is based in St. George and operates regional jets for major U.S. airlines. SKYW is the holding company for SkyWest Airlines, SkyWest Charter and SkyWest Leasing, an aircraft leasing company. SKYW currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). SKYW has an impressive earnings surprise track record, having surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. The average beat was 17.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current and next-year earnings has been revised upward over the past 60 days. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Copa Holdings, S.A. (CPA) : Free Stock Analysis Report SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Carlisle United season ticket sales reach impressive landmark
Carlisle United have beaten last year's season ticket sales total already. The Blues have announced that they have surpassed their overall 2024/25 figure with more than a month to go until the new campaign. Advertisement The revelation underlines the remarkable backing that continues to be given by supporters in spite of United's fall into the National League. The show of support by the Blue Army will be a major boost to Mark Hughes and his team as they prepare for the 2025/26 campaign in the fifth tier. Carlisle announced on Friday afternoon that they had gone past last season's total of 3,221 season tickets. At the time of their announcement, they had sold 3,236. It comes as the Cumbrians prepare to play in the fifth tier for only the second time in their history, after back-to-back relegations. United have been installed as bookies' favourites for the National League title as they look to bounce back to the EFL at the first attempt. Advertisement Hughes, after being confirmed as head coach for the new campaign, has so far made five new signings as he looks to reshape his side. United have also made behind-the-scenes changes this summer, with Marc Tierney coming in as head of football operations and Martin Foyle as head of recruitment, while the club's owners, the Piatak family, have drafted in Paul Hart as an advisor to the board. Fans have their say on new Carlisle United home kit Heading out of the club this summer have been previous head of recruitment Greg Abbott and sporting director Rob Clarkson. Carlisle will discover their fixtures for the league campaign on Saturday, July 9 - a month before the big kick-off on Saturday, August 9. Advertisement Their programme of six pre-season friendlies gets under way with a behind-closed-doors trip to Motherwell on Tuesday, July 8. Carlisle recorded an impressive average home crowd of 7,425 in the league last season in spite of their poor campaign. It was their second-highest average home gate for 17 years. The only previous time Carlisle played in the fifth tier, meanwhile, their average attendance was 5,513 in the 2004/05 season.
