If JetBlue succeeds in buying Spirit Airlines and eliminating low-fare carriers as competitors on those routes, lawyers filing lawsuits to block a deal with JetBlue Airways say Fares on some routes could be raised by up to 40%.
The estimate was included in a court filing made earlier this week, but was not properly redacted, according to JetBlue.
JetBlue said Thursday that the allegation is based on opposition lawyers’ interpretation of the evidence and takes the facts out of context.
Consumer advocacy groups jumped on the news, claiming that the accidental disclosures corroborated the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit. Aims to block JetBlue’s $3.8 billion takeover of Spiritthe country’s largest low-cost airline.
Ahead of the government lawsuit, about 20 consumer attorneys filed a lawsuit against JetBlue and Spirit in Boston district court last November, arguing that the merger would reduce competition and lead to higher prices.
The document filed Tuesday by consumer attorneys contained redactions, but was done in such a way that the hidden information could be seen by copying and pasting the text into a new document. was
The allegations were first reported by law news outlet Law360. Law360 told USA Today that the document is no longer public.
The document could overrule JetBlue’s claim that consumers will benefit from the merger, as the combined airline will be more competitive with major airlines such as American, Delta and United. .
New York-based JetBlue said in a statement Thursday that its consumer attorneys “failed to properly redact certain information that was taken out of context and was a wholly inaccurate depiction of the facts. created,” he said. We believe the merger with Spirit will provide much-needed competition for U.S. airlines, resulting in lower fares and better service for customers. ”
Consumer advocacy groups opposed to the JetBlue-Spirit partnership said the disclosure supports their claims.
“We used to warn that the JetBlue/Spirit merger would raise fares and stifle competition, but now we can point to an impeccable source: JetBlue itself.” said William J. McGee, an aviation expert with the American Economic Liberties Project. industry integration. “JetBlue’s claims that this partnership will benefit consumers are hollow and contradict JetBlue’s own internal plans.”