Forget Customer Experience: Lawsuit Challenges JetBlue-Spirit Merger

30.08.2023 - 18:21 / forbes.com / Spirit Airlines / U.S.Airlines / Spirit Merger

In a private lawsuit challenging JetBlue’s proposed merger with Spirit Airlines, the plaintiffs have filed documentation with the court suggesting that the combined airline would increase fares could by 24 to 40%. This revelation came from documents that were improperly redacted before being published.

The released information would appear to support the plaintiff’s argument that the merger would reduce competition and increase prices. Their suit is in addition to one from the Department of Justice that seeks to block the merger on antitrust grounds.

It would be wrong to assume that the increases, if true, merely represent a greedy corporation using monopoly pricing power to extract more cash from travelers. Another part of the document reveals that the plan calls for JetBlue to remove 24 seats from Spirit’s aircraft. This is no small change.

Common Spirit configurations for their Airbus aircraft have about 175 economy seats. Notably, the standard for Spirit is a seat pitch of 28 inches. SeatGuru, a site that reviews airline seats, does not rate any Spirit seat as “good” or even “standard.” All are either “bad” or “be aware,” a designation that cautions about seat pitch and lack of ability to recline.

JetBlue, in contrast, is known for ample seating. Only a handful of seats come with warnings at SeatGuru, typically those near exits, lavatories, or the rear bulkhead. Even the cheapest seats on JetBlue offer a pitch of 32 to 35 inches, 4 to 8 inches more than Spirit. Some JetBlue seats offer 37 to 41 inches of seat pitch.

It seems that every airline is trying to cram more seats into every plane, with economy flyers bearing the brunt of the discomfort. More seats translate into more revenue. The idea that an airline would acquire aircraft with very dense seating plans and actually rip out a significant number of those seats is unheard of.

While the documents don’t provide seating details, a rough calculation suggests that removing 24 seats on common Spirit configurations would result in about 15% more space per passenger - a seat pitch of about 32 inches, the lower end of JetBlue’s typical range.

Four more inches of legroom would add significantly to the level of comfort, and might allow seats that actually recline. Reclining one’s seat in economy class can be controversial, but having the option to do so when circumstances permit would be appreciated by most travelers.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index ranks airlines based on surveys completed by thousands of passengers. Spirit Airlines finished last among U.S. airlines with a rating of 64. JetBlue earned a rating of 76, just a point behind Delta and United. American and Southwest scored 78, putting all five in a tight grouping.

From a customer