JetBlue Airways plane seen at Cancun International Airport. On Wednesday, 23 March 2022, in Cancun International Airport, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images
JetBlue Airways last week disclosed a surprise bid for Spirit Airlines, sparking a battle for the discounter that in February announced a tie-up with fellow budget carrier Frontier Airlines.
JetBlue's bid for Spirit came almost 14 years to the day that Delta Air Lines announced its industry-shaping combination with Northwest Airlines. That set off a wave of airline deal-making over the following eight years that has left four airlines — American, United, Delta and Southwest — in control of about 80% of the U.S. market.