Judge quotes 'Les Misérables' lyrics while blocking JetBlue and Spirit Airlines merger

A U.S. District Court judge blocked JetBlue's proposed $3.8 billion takeover of Spirit Airlines this week, and there was some music in the process.

At one point in his 109-page decision, Judge William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts quoted the lyrics of “Master of the House” from Les Misérables to attack the junk fees on airlines: “Reasonable fees / Plus a few little extras on the side ! / Charge them for lice, extra for mice / Two percent to look twice in the mirror / Here a little slice, a little cut / Three percent for sleeping with the window closed / When it comes to price fixing / There are many tricks I know / How all these grow, all pieces / Jesus! It's amazing how it's growing!”

Young sided with the Justice Department in ruling that the merger would reduce competition in the airline business. If completed, a merger between JetBlue and Spirit Airlines would have created the fifth largest airline in the United States behind American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines — which control about two-thirds of the market, per New York Times.

The Justice Department argued that smaller, lower-priced airlines like Spirit help lower fares for customers. The Department also added that allowing JetBlue to buy the company would harm consumers since JetBlue typically offers higher prices on their flights. Judge Young agreed, ruling that the merger would “likely provide further incentive for JetBlue to abandon its roots as a rogue low-cost carrier.”