Originally Posted by
sulkair
But I thought the USA ULCC market potential was majorly UNDERtapped!?!? So how could NK and F9 be pressured into trying to undercut one another? Maybe on some routes... but on the whole??? And what purpose does it serve to merge when you are so greatly profitable alone? Especially with an IPO on the horizon, a Spirit merger just doesn't make sense to me.
With the current division of the US ULCC market between NK and F9, they are profitable. But you have to factor in the WN effort going forward. They won't sit idly by as they continue to lose passengers. Hence their new training facility, huge hiring numbers the next few years, and their net aircraft losses. They are setting up their operation for higher utilization. Both their FAs and pilots say the same thing. Redeyes are coming.
It wouldn't take but a few months of WN paralleling routes/times/fares in an effort to make F9 or NK drop the route. They know we can't afford to fly planes at 75% capacity.
I hate to sound pessimistic. But it's necessary to evaluate all aspects. It's cheaper for WN to go to war then to buy a merged NK/F9. Especially since they have no use for 120+ leased 320s.
I'm just throwing darts here, I could be way off. But from a long term survival standpoint, there is strength in numbers.