On Monday, a big merger was announced in the airline industry.

We've got a merger between Frontier and Spirit, the two airlines, low-cost carriers announcing

that they have agreed to merge.

This is a deal valued at $6.6 billion in...

Frontier Airlines is buying Spirit Airlines.

The company that became famous for its super cheap tickets and infamous for charging

customers for everything from carry-on bags to water.

Airlines like Spirit in Frontier have changed so much about what we have come to expect

from travel in terms of fees and kind of what the whole experience is going to be like.

That's our colleague, Allison Sider.

And they're going from being two kind of fairly small bit players to potentially becoming

the fifth largest airline in the US.

This merger was years in the making.

And Allison says it could have a big impact on the way Americans fly.

If this merger does get approved, what do you think it'll mean for the airline industry

and for customers?

I mean, I think it means that the ultra low-cost carrier model, whether you like it or you

hate it, it's here to stay and it's going to be more influential than it already has

been.

Welcome to the journal, our show about money, business, and power.

I'm Ryan Knutzen.

It's Wednesday, February 9th.

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