March 5, 2025
The Points Guy recently published an article featuring Florian Ederer, Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy & Law, discussing how American Airlines has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a 2023 ruling that ended its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with JetBlue on antitrust grounds.
The airline argues the decision was legally flawed and harmed competition by weakening its ability to challenge Delta and United in the region. JetBlue chose not to join the appeal, instead focusing on its failed merger with Spirit Airlines. While experts are skeptical about the case’s chances, changes in DOJ leadership could influence the outcome.
“It could lead maybe the [U.S. Department of Justice] not pushing back quite so aggressively in a court case, in case this is taken up by the Supreme Court. The leadership at the DOJ is now a very, very different one than it was two years ago,” Ederer adds.
Both airlines have hinted at interest in future partnerships, but no concrete plans have been announced.
