Pilots' strike grounds Comair flights

Comair pilots picketed early Monday in Cincinnati, Ohio

In this story: Fliers urged to call ahead White House: President can't intervene Pilots demand higher pay RELATED STORIES, SITES

COVINGTON, Kentucky (CNN) -- Comair passengers awaited word on the fate of future Comair flights after 1,400 pilots walked off the job early Monday.

Comair canceled all Monday flights, and a spokesman said the company will decide later in the day whether to ground Tuesday flights due to the strike. A notice on its Web site says it will post an update at 4 p.m. and will make daily decisions about future cancellations.

FLIGHT ADVICE: Comair suggests passengers take several steps to minimize disruption of travel: Check the status of your flight before arriving at the airport. Call Comair reservations at 1-800-354-9822 or visit www.comair.com. Make sure your travel reservation includes telephone contacts both at departure and arrival cities, as well as your cell phone number if possible. Convert your E-ticket to paper through your travel agent, at a Delta city ticket office or any other Delta ticketing location. If your flight is canceled, go directly to Delta, Delta Shuttle, Delta Express or other Delta Connection carriers for re-accommodation.   REACTION Click for news releases from Comair and the Air Line Pilots Association     RELATED STORY More labor pains for Delta as Comair pilots walk out     MESSAGE BOARD Share your thoughts on the strike

Thousands of passengers were expected to be inconvenienced Monday. But officials at the nation's second largest commuter airline said the process of rebooking passengers was going smoothly.

One traveler headed out on a business-related trip had to cope with a drastic change of plans.

"But Comair was great about rescheduling my flight. The customer service rep, she was fantastic," Johanne Mann said.

Terry Trippler of OneTravel.com said the strike would especially disrupt travelers in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Comair has a hub.

"People are going to feel the pinch, and one thing I recommend people do, if at all possible, if you can delay your trip while this is going on, do so," he said.

Fliers urged to call ahead

Refundable Comair tickets can be exchanged with any airline, but fliers with nonrefundable tickets should contact Delta Air Lines to be re-accommodated, Trippler said, noting that people with electronic tickets will need paper tickets to transfer to other airlines. Northwest Airlines also has stepped in and said it will accommodate Comair passengers.

Comair, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, operates more than 800 daily flights to 95 cities in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico.

The company urged passengers to check the status of their flight before arriving at the airport, by calling Comair reservations or visiting the airline's Web site.

It said Delta reservations will also help passengers. Comair canceled 100 flights Sunday, but said it was able to re-book 85 percent of passengers on other airlines.

White House: President can't intervene

Comair pilots began striking early Monday after contract talks broke off. "Comair pilots have withdrawn their services. We are currently on strike," said Capt. Max Roberts, spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association.

The White House reiterated Monday that President Bush cannot step in to prevent a work stoppage unless the National Mediation Board determines that an impasse has been reached that will substantially harm the economy.

"The National Mediation Board did not give me the right to move in on the strike and therefore the parties are going to have to settle it themselves," Bush told reporters.

Comair and the pilots have been negotiating a new contract for the past three years. The pilots blamed Comair for ending the talks.

"They have been ignoring us for three years and now they've abandoned us. We're terribly disappointed," said Paul Lackie, a spokesman for the pilots.

Pilots demand higher pay

Comair denied that and says it's ready to go back to the bargaining table. Comair President Randy Rademacher said on CNN he believes the airline has offered the pilots a good contract.

"The company has put forward a proposal that would pay our pilots more money to fly regional airplanes, to fly 50-seat equipment, than anyone else in the country," he said. "And we were very hopeful that a proposal like that would be able to move us toward an agreement."

Comair officials said they offered raises ranging from 36 percent to 142 percent over the term of the offer, as well as more days off per month. For example, pilots' starting pay would go from less than $15,000 a year to around $18,000, a figure the union says still is far less than what its pilots deserve.

"Certainly we feel that international jet pilots are worth earning more than $18,000 a year," Lackie said, adding that he is confident the company can afford to pay more.

CNN's Patty Davis and Reuters contributed to this report.

Comair pilots go out on strike
March 26, 2001
Comair to announce Sunday if flights will be canceled
March 24, 2001
Comair cancels flights in anticipation of strike
March 22, 2001

Comair
Air Line Pilots Association
Delta Air Lines

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