| From: Sam | 4/5/2022 7:50:35 PM | | | | | | I did not expect this! JetBlue puts in a competing bid for Spirit!
JetBlue Airways is competing with Frontier Group Holdings to buy ultra-low-cost Spirit Airlines, making an unsolicited all-cash bid of $33 per share, or $3.6 billion.
Frontier announced plans in February to buy Spirit for $2.9 billion in cash and stock, and become the nation's fifth-largest airline.
JetBlue said its offer is better for Spirit investors, coming in 37% higher than the value of Frontier's proposal. But Frontiers' proposal would let Spirit's shareholders keep a 48.5% stake in the merged carrier. Spirit said its board would weigh JetBlue's offer.
Frontier Chairman William Franke, who helped transform both Spirit and Frontier into ultra-discount carriers, has spent years hoping to merge them. Spirit and Frontier, known for rock-bottom fares, have said merging would bring low- cost flights to underserved markets in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
A Frontier spokesperson told Barron's that its deal would deliver "$1 billion in annual savings for consumers and offer even more ultra-low fares to more places nationwide, creating America's most competitive ultra-low fare airline."
The Justice Department last year sued to block JetBlue's partnership with American Airlines, saying it would reduce competition, limit options for customers, and lead to higher fares. Frontier on Tuesday pointed to JetBlue's " significant" East Coast overlap with Spirit.
Any merger would be scrutinized by regulators, who have increased their antitrust enforcement. Some Democratic lawmakers have argued against a Spirit-Frontier merger to antitrust and transportation officials, saying it would hurt consumers by reducing competition.
Write to Janet H. Cho at janet.cho@dowjones.com
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| From: Sam | 4/13/2022 5:24:33 PM | | | | | | Helped by Delta earnings, airline ETF JETS flies 5%
Apr. 13, 2022 3:46 PM ET ETF Series Solutions - U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) DAL, AAL, LUV By: Jason Capul, SA News
Airline-focused exchange traded fund U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSEARCA: JETS) went wheels up on Wednesday, with the investment vehicle jumping 5.3% by the final hour of trading. The advance came as the ETF's third-largest holding Delta ( DAL) +6.3% reported strong quarterly numbers.
Meanwhile, management said the airline had the highest bookings ever over a five-week period. Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Yahoo Finance: "Over the last five weeks we’ve experienced the highest level of sales and booking activity at any time in our history." Bastian added, “I think it’s going to be a very strong summer travel period for us going forward."
JETS, with its $3.31B assets under management, also got a jolt from another top-holding American Airlines Group ( AAL), which gained 10.3%. At the same time, Southwest Airlines ( LUV) rose 7.4%.
From a weighting stance, JETS holds a 10.59% position in American Airlines, a 10.23% weighting in Delta, and Southwest with a 9.44% weighting.
JETS offers investors access to 54 aviation stocks and sports a 0.69% expense ratio.
Looking longer-term, the airline ETF is +1.2% YTD, making a massive recovery in recent weeks. As early March, the fund was down as much as 20.9%.
In related airline news, a federal mask mandate that was going to expire on April 18th has been extended through May 3rd, the CDC said.
seekingalpha.com |
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| To: TimF who wrote (1713) | 4/19/2022 8:29:41 AM | | From: d[-_-]b | | | | TSA will no longer enforce travel mask mandate after a federal judge strikes it down
Nearly two years of this crap and finally struck down - WTF took so long.
When Trump was in office federal judges struck things down before they began.
I'm sensing a double standard. |
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| To: d[-_-]b who wrote (1714) | 4/19/2022 1:09:37 PM | | From: Art Bechhoefer | | | | "I'm sensing a double standard." Yeah, a double standard on judges. This one is 33 years old, never tried a case, and was rated unqualified by the American Bar Association. She was confirmed by the Senate shortly after the 2020 election, but before the new administration and new Senate majority took office. The Senate majority that confirmed this judge had the audacity of voting uniformly NO on the most recent nominee to the Supreme Court – a judge with more trial and judicial experience than any current member of the Supreme Court.
The precedent that the judge apparently wanted to overlook is known as the Chevron case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that in cases where expertise is required in making a decision, the court should defer to the administrative agency expert decision, rather than make its own decision. Her decision makes me only more reticent to fly at a time when positive Covid tests are increasing, rather than decreasing.
Art |
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| To: Art Bechhoefer who wrote (1715) | 4/19/2022 2:16:57 PM | | From: d[-_-]b | | | | I still applaud this judge for telling them to mind their business - a survey of reactions/policies across states show Florida was miles ahead with their policies than places like California.
Go wear you mask if you want to or don't fly. |
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| From: TimF | 4/28/2022 2:05:49 PM | | | | | | Pilot shortages will buffet America’s airlines
The lack of staff makes it harder to keep up with rebounding demand
Imagine booking a flight from San Francisco, California to Atlantic City, New Jersey. But instead of landing ten miles (16 km) from the coastal resort, the plane touches down some 60 miles inland, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The remainder of the journey must be completed by bus. That is the solution that American Airlines, the country’s largest carrier, will put in place from June to overcome a shortage of pilots.
The number of airline pilots in America peaked at 84,520 in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS). But at the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, many of them took early retirement or voluntary redundancy. The number of pilots employed has dropped by 4% since that pre-pandemic peak. American Airlines has said that one-third of its 15,000 pilots will retire within the next seven years (pilots are obliged to do so at the age of 65). Largely because of these departures, the BLS expects that America will need 14,500 new pilots every year over the next decade. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration, the industry’s national regulator, show that half of all pilots licensed to fly for airlines are within 15 years of retirement age.
The staff shortage is hampering airlines’ ability to match demand. As the pandemic recedes, passenger numbers are at last rebounding. The number of travellers passing through airport security is now close to its level in 2019. In the seven days to April 24th, 14.5m people were checked at security, just 11% fewer than in the corresponding week three years before. Airline ticket sales are just 15% lower than in 2019, according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation, a data provider.
Still, lucrative corporate bookings are yet to take off: sales remain one-third lower. The turbulent price of jet fuel is also depressing company earnings. And employment costs have risen in response to staff shortages. The annual salary of the average airline pilot in America is up by 30% compared with five years ago, to $200,000...
economist.com |
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| From: Sam | 5/11/2022 2:12:49 PM | | | | | | Airfares skyrocket in April as carriers pass on inflation costs
May 11, 2022 8:59 AM ET
American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) DAL, LUV, UAL, JBLU, HA, ALK, ALGT, SAVE, MESA, SKYW, SNCY, ULCC
By: Clark Schultz, SA News Editor
Airline fares accelerated in April with a 33.3% gain from a year ago on an unadjusted basis and an 18.6% jump from a month ago on an adjusted basis.
The 18.6% M/M jump in April followed a 10.7% jump in March and 5.2% increase in February as higher jet fuel prices and other inflation pressures started to rock over the sector.
The sector will start to see softer airfare comparisons in the next few months due to the jump in travel demand a year ago after the rush of vaccines in the spring.
U.S. carriers: American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL), Delta Air Lines ( DAL), Southwest Airlines ( LUV), United Airlines ( UAL), JetBlue ( JBLU), Hawaiian Holdings ( HA), Alaska Air Group ( ALK), Allegiant Travel ( ALGT), Spirit Airlines ( SAVE), Mesa Airlines ( MESA), SkyWest ( SKYW), Sun Country Airlines ( SNCY), Frontier Group ( ULCC).
Related: Airlines continue to recover on strong pricing with international, business travel in the mix
seekingalpha.com |
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