JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines are contesting a request for $34m in fees by eight law firms that represented 25 passengers and travel agents in a lawsuit to block their failed $3.8bn (€3.39bn) merger
The antitrust lawsuit against the merger was filed in November 2022, initially in the Northern District of California and later transferred to Massachusetts, with most complaints dismissed for lack of legal standing
Court decision to halt the merger in January 2024, agreeing with the DOJ on competition concerns, led to the airlines voluntarily abandoning the merger in March after failed appeals
Attorneys claim their lawsuit played a significant role in prompting the merger’s demise, but airlines argue the case was ineffective, duplicated DOJ efforts, and the fees requested are excessive and unsupported, including claims for plaintiffs with dismissed standing and work done after the DOJ lawsuit.
