Feb 14, 2006 1:08 am US/Central
How Another NWA Strike Could Affect Passengers
by Lisa Kiava
(WCCO)
If Northwest pilots walk the picket line, passengers may be stranded in the cold.
Monday, the threat of a major strike loomed for the airlines. Both the pilots' and flight attendants' unions began voting on whether to authorize a strike.
According to union leaders, the earliest any workers could strike would be February 28. Flights prior to that date should be okay said some experts, but after the 28th, it's a risk.
John Remington of the Carlson School of Management said, "They can't survive a strike by the pilots for more than 24 hours. I mean they would have to shut down at that point."
The airport was a ghost town Monday compared to what's expected in the weeks to come with the spring break travel crunch.
The Steils have been loyal Northwest passengers, but they're planning to avoid it for their spring getaway.
Curt Steil said, "I more worried that they're just going to strike and the company's going to go under. Otherwise we'd make reservations and bank on it. I think they're going to strike."
When the mechanics walked the picket line, their threats of crippling Northwest never happened because replacement workers kept things going.
Many passengers expect the same thing to happen even if the pilots walk. Then some realized they would have to choose other airlines if the pilots strike because the airline can't replace them.
"(If) you're booking spring break travel, you better be aware," expert Terry Trippler warned." We'd be fools to tell people not to be aware."
Terry Trippler recommended that if you love sky miles to book via Northwest but with their partner carriers like Delta or KLM.
Officially, Northwest isn't commenting on any hypothetical scenario -- leaving passengers confused about what to expect in the weeks ahead.
Northwest has said it won't need to replace pilots because it contends the pilots can not legally strike. They'll plan to go to court to stop them.
A Northwest spokesperson said they could not comment on future bookings because it would put them at a competitive disadvantage, but Northwest was very strong in January.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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