Now, with all four big airlines negotiating pilot contracts and several in talks with flight attendants and other groups, labor could again be a pain point for travelers and carriers alike.Three of those four airlines have accepted some form of tentative deals, but American and United pilots rejected pay raises of 20% or more before the contracts could even go to members. Delta’s deal is still pending.
There have been signs of progress. The deal with Delta pilots with 34% pay raises over four years sets a bar that airline executives said could push negotiations forward. Pilots and flight attendants at Southwest and American have been in negotiations for more than three years, and all are losing patience that a deal isn’t done yet.
Let’s be perfectly clear…. The “strife” certainly wasn’t/isn’t caused by pilots. It’s caused by government and companies falling all over themselves seeing who can exert the most control. The pilots are responding to those influences.