Amidst ongoing air travel disruptions, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has stirred debate by declaring the budget airline model obsolete. In a recent interview, Kirby stated that these “crappy” models “screw the customer.” His remarks coincided with the announcement of a partnership between United and JetBlue, an airline often perceived as a budget carrier.

The airline industry has been under scrutiny due to widespread delays and cancellations, particularly at Newark Liberty International Airport, attributed to outdated air traffic control systems.

Despite these challenges,Kirby suggested that airfares this summer could be historically low due to flight cancellations driven by traveler concerns. “I don’t really like that, but you ought to book,” Kirby said, noting the situation is “short-term painful for us at Newark, but it’s long-term better because the FAA is going to do what they do at JFK, LaGuardia, which is manage the number of flights to be equal to the capacity of the airport.”

Though, Kirby drew a sharp distinction between United and budget airlines, criticizing the latter for employing tactics designed to “trick people, get them to buy, and get them to come, and than charge them a whole bunch of fees that they aren’t expecting.” he asserted that “their problem is they got big enough that they needed repeat customers.They don’t get them,” concluding that the budget airline model “is dead.”

Budget Airlines Respond

“JetBlue is not that at all,” Kirby said, calling the airline a poster child for customer satisfaction.

Budget airlines have pushed back against Kirby’s assessment. Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle countered, “With the New Frontier, we offer a free carry-on bag, free changes, and free seat assignments in our economy product.He must be referring to other carriers.” Other budget airlines like Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air, Ryanair, and Breeze Airways have yet to comment.

The partnership between United and JetBlue, known as Blue Sky, will allow passengers to earn and spend frequent flyer miles on both airlines. The deal is subject to regulatory review and could launch as early as this fall.The agreement will also eventually provide reciprocal benefits for elite frequent flyers.

Consumer advocates have long criticized the practice of “unbundling,” where airlines, including United, charge separately for services such as checked bags and in-flight meals that were previously included in the ticket price.

While united Airlines has not commented on potential conflicts between Kirby’s statements and the JetBlue partnership, Kirby maintained that “JetBlue is not that at all,” praising the airline’s focus on customer satisfaction. He cited JetBlue’s early adoption of live televisions in aircrafts as an example of their customer-centric approach. Kirby said,”JetBlue is founded in trying to be a better airline for customers. The budget airlines were founded in trying to have the absolute bare bones lowest cost. They may both be startups, [but have] two polar-opposite business models.”