JetBlue is victorious in its quest for Spirit. But who is the real winner?

There was no lack of persistence by JetBlue in its pursuit of Spirit Airlines, and ultimately JetBlue emerged as the victor in the competition for Spirit after Frontier decided not to overpay for its fellow ultra-low cost carrier.

Although JetBlue emerged victorious, it is far from certain that the airline will ultimately be the winner.

Regulatory approval for JetBlue‘s merger with Spirit is not a given, and if that hurdle is cleared the potential integration of the two airlines will be rife with complexities.

For now, it seems that Frontier stands to benefit the most, as it will be the only ultra-low cost carrier of scale in the US if JetBlue and Spirit are successful in their plan to merge.