They argued their merger to the DOJ. If those arguments were not satisfying to the DOJ, then it would have been adjudicated with the same arguments. Believe it or not, 99% of these cases never get to court. Usually one party will give in to some concessions. In this case almost all the concessions that HA/ALK made weren’t going to affect the combination of the two. I think their was very little. DOJ used a whole different approach to the Spirit and JetBlue case.

NK/B6 being blocked was an anomaly that was made possible by a short sighted DOJ and a judge that had a misguided mandate to preserve something that was going to die anyway. I don't think they are going to repeat that mistake, especially after Spirit ended up in BK. The fact that HA/AK was allowed to proceed without a peep is proof that they know they screwed up.
This industry is due for another round of consolidation. The four biggest airlines have absolute power to squeeze and crush their smaller competitors. Being a mid sized regionally based airline isn't sustainable, especially once the initial growth period is over.

Spirit will no longer be a ULCC carrier in the very near future. The bankruptcy judge approved their restructuring plan today, and that plan includes a departure from the ULCC business model.

This simply means that Spirit can emerge from its $1.6 billion debt refinancing under the ownership of its principal bondholders, including Citadel Advisors, Pacific Investment Management Co., and Western Asset Management Co. As you know, they were delisted and now trade over-the-counter under SAVEQ. Today's court approvals do not equate to financial stability, and I’d advise caution moving forward.

Oh I never said anything about financial stability, but there's been a lot of talk about moving away from the ULCC model upon exiting bankruptcy.

Who knows if it will actually work, but it will be a welcome change if it does!

Probably had more to do with lobbyists and greased palms, or lack there of on first instance, than most would like to admit about our govt.

People are exaggerating the complexity. Here's how it's done -

1. Both pilots paw viciously at the altitude selector, at the same time. The one who wins is allowed to select.

2. The altitude selector is spun aggressively counter clockwise in an effort to achieve a negative number.

3. Both pilots throw their heads back and cackle disturbingly. Then they lock eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time.

4. A small effigy of Herb is hung from the mag compass. Sometimes chicken skulls and burnt feathers are added.

5. Kernalvision is deployed (HUD). During the deployment of the HUD loud snuffling noises may be heard. These are both a sound of pleasure often exhibited by a Kernall in the wild, and a means to muffle the sound of a zipper being furtively lowered,

6. The FO busies himself with ELITT (an archaic version of schedule adjustment known only to SWA) and watching hockey.

A landing may subsequently occur. Or not.

For what it's worth, this just came out today:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spiri...195036294.html

How many times has Spirit bounced between public and private now?

NK has had one IPO in its 40+ year history (2011)