U.S.District travel tips

The Obama administration approved U.S. educational and people-to-people travel to Cuba in 2015, but a U.S. federal judge in Florida last week ordered four major cruise lines to pay more than $400 million in damages plus legal fees to a U.S. company that ran the port in Havana until it was confiscated after the Cuban revolution of 1959.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci says the court ruling that blocked the Spirit-JetBlue merger has increased the chances that the Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines merger will receive approval.

In what may be a last ditch effort, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines have filed an appeals court brief asking that the merger between the two airlines be allowed to proceed.The brief, filed today with the Boston 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asks that the court overturn a recent judge’s ruling that stopped the proposed $3.8 billion, according to Reuters. In the brief, the airlines argued that the merger was improperly blocked and pointed out that the same judge who ruled against the airlines joining forces also recognized that such a merger would: ”improve competition, and thus reduce prices, for the vast majority of consumers."

Don't listen to the naysayers; Spirit Airlines is here to stay.

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced plans to appeal the decision by a United States federal judge to block a potential merger between the two carriers based on violations of antitrust laws.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, January 18. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

When JetBlue first announced it would acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in April 2022, it seemed like an unlikely marriage.

Attorneys for Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) headed to federal court Tuesday as a judge considers whether to throw out Disney’s lawsuit accusing DeSantis of unlawful political retaliation, as the dispute between the Florida government and Disney over the special district that oversees Walt Disney World continues to heat up more than a year after it began.

The U.S. Department of Justice heads to trial on Tuesday to urge a federal judge to block JetBlue Airways‘ planned $3.8 billion acquisition of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were ordered by a federal judge to face a consumer antitrust class action accusing major U.S. carriers of conspiring to drive up domestic airfares by reducing the number of available seats.

Score one for the governor’s team. At least for now.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, January 3, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

American Airlines Group must end its alliance with JetBlue Airways Corp., a federal judge ruled on Friday, agreeing with the U.S. Justice Department that the arrangement means higher prices for consumers and ordering the companies to part ways within 30 days.

His tone was measured, but Judge Leo T. Sorokin made it clear he wasn’t buying the argument from American and JetBlue that their “Northeast Alliance” promoted competition and was good for flyers.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, May 23, and we’re back after a short holiday. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

American Airlines Group will appeal a U.S. court decision requiring it to end an alliance with JetBlue Airways Corp, American CEO Robert Isom said on Wednesday.

American Airlines and JetBlue Airways have won a little more time to either appeal or unwind their partnership in the northeastern U.S. after it was found in violation of antitrust law last month.

JetBlue Airways and American Airlines will begin winding down their alliance in the northeast in a week’s time, or on July 21. That’s when the carriers will stop taking new reservations under the pact, which a federal judge ruled violated U.S. antitrust law in May.

A state judge delivered a win Friday to board members Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) appointed to oversee Walt Disney World’s special district, multiple outlets report, as the court ruled the board members’ lawsuit against Disney over a development agreement that hamstrings the board’s power can move forward in court—possibly undercutting Disney’s separate legal case against DeSantis and his allies in federal court.