“Elizabeth Warren at the time chaired the blocking of the merger, saying… this was a Biden win for flyers. So again, I think it’s important that we always look with a keen eye when airlines want to merge. We care about pricing for consumers.”
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy blasted Senator Elizabeth Warren and the Biden administration on Saturday over their opposition to the proposed 2024 merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, arguing the blocked deal contributed to Spirit’s recent collapse.
"Why are we here today?" Duffy asked at a press conference on Saturday. "There was a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit, and Joe Biden and [Biden Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg, along with the Biden DOJ, decided that they did not want that merger to take place."
"This merger should have been allowed,” he continued. “And this, today would indicate this is not better for travelers. This is not better for pricing. This is not better for competition. Actually. It's worse. We had an airline go down because the markets were trying to allow two airlines to merge, make them stronger and offer more competition for the American consumer.”
Duffy also took aim at Warren, who was a vocal supporter of blocking the merger. "Elizabeth Warren at the time cheered the blocking of the merger, saying… this was a Biden win for flyers. So again, I think it's important that we always look with a keen eye when airlines want to merge. We care about pricing for consumers," Duffy said. At the time of the merger, Warren had encouraged the Biden administration to block the merger, according to Reuters.
https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/2050615491937644853?s=20
In a press release from Warren and other Democrats, they claimed that the merger "threatens to exacerbate" price increases and airline consolidation. "In addition, the proposed merger could lead to higher prices and lower quality for consumers, and lower wages for workers," the lawmakers claimed at the time.
https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2050612303041573027?s=20
In addition to Warren, Duffy also slammed Pete Buttigieg for blocking the merger.
Warren has faced criticism online after previously praising the decision to block the merger. In 2024, she posted on X that she had “warned for months that a [Jet Blue-Spirit Airlines] merger would have led to fewer flights and higher fares.”
She claimed about the collapse of Spirit Airlines, "Spiking fuel prices from Trump’s war was the nail in the coffin for twice-bankrupted Spirit airline. FWIW, JetBlue merger failed because a judge, appointed by Ronald Reagan, said the deal was illegal. Republicans are desperate to shift blame from higher costs hitting families."
The senator has championed herself as speaking out against “monopolies,” and noted in a post this week that “The Big Four airlines (American, Delta, Southwest, United) control 75% of the U.S. market,” saying, “Fewer choices = higher prices for you.” But critics pointed out that blocking the merger ultimately produced the very concerns Warren said she wanted to avoid, citing Spirit’s shutdown, increased control by other airlines, reduced flights, job losses, and concerns of higher fares.
Duffy announced several relief measures Saturday for Spirit customers and employees affected by the shutdown. He said that the four major airlines are “all capping ticket prices specifically for Spirit customers who now need to rebook canceled flights.”
"I would recommend that if you have a ticket with Spirit that you actually try to book with these airlines as soon as possible, these offers are not going to be open forever," Duffy said.
Duffy also announced reduced fares from American and Delta on high-volume Spirit routes, along with price freezes on routes they previously shared with the airline. Additionally, budget airline Allegiant Air will offer 50 percent discounts on base fares through May 10.
Additional relief measures include preferential employment opportunities for former Spirit employees at other airlines.
"There's a demand for aviation workers. So, even American and United have drafted or crafted microsites for Spirit employees to potentially jump the line, jump the queue and get preferential treatment in the application process for the many airlines that are now hiring, whether it's pilots, flight attendants, baggage workers, or even those who have worked in the call centers, you can go to the individual websites to see what's offered by each of the individual airlines," Duffy said.
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