julies

The Northwest pilots union just announced they have authorized their leaders to begin a strike if necessary. The bankruptcy judge has a deadline of 11:00 am tomorrow for the sides to come to agreement. From my reading of the news story (and the terminology was rather unclear), it looks as though there could be a strike as early as tomorrow if the judge throws out the labor contract.

We have tickets TOMORROW for Paris. Someone here ar one time had said that other carriers could be obligated to take us on a standby basis. Is this really true? Does anyone know where I can get definitive answers to my questions? If it is so that another carrier would pick us us up, would I have to go through NWA in order to get on to another carrier? I am sure their phone lines will be jammed if this happens. If you can point me in the right direction to get some answers I'd appreciate it because I need help now! I need to at least have some idea about a posible back-up contingency plan. Thanks.

P_M

OMG, I would be having a major panic attack just about now. You said the phones would be jammed, and you're probably right, but have you tried to call NW? I'm not sure if this is an unbiased source or not, but surely they can tell you something. Good luck, please keep us posted.

LoveItaly

julies, I too read the AP article and posted about it on the US Board.

According to the AP the NW pilots have voted to strike. The judge handling the court case that NW filed as they want to rescind the contracts with the pilots and the flight attendants will announce his decision tomorrow.

The flight attendants vote will not be counted and announced until March 6th.

Several economist have stated (at least what I have read) that if the employees go on strike that will be the end of NW. Guess they would go the way of TWA and PanAm. But TWA was taken over by American so not the same situtation is it.

The spokesperson for the pilots union said there is no guarantee that the pilots will go on strike but they will if NW (if they win their court case) lowers the pay rate and/or changes the work rules.

The article said the earliest the pilots will strike (if they strike) would be tomorrow March 1st.

I am so sorry!! I was upset because of all my FF miles and than realized that is going to be tons of people in the situation like you are in. Made the FF miles seem rather minor.

I would do as PM advised, I would get on the phone with NW right now..and hang on until I reached someone. But good grief, just what you need the night before you..if you get to leave that is.

I checked the NW website..not one iota of information or anything relating to a strike. But I would keep that website up on my computer if I were you.

BTW, I think I read there are about 6,000 pilots with NW. I wonder if they are "bluffing" and will not strike if someone convinces them NW will go under if they do as than they will all be out of jobs.

What a mess. Best wishes to you and do let us know what happens.

Oh, regarding the Stand By basis. I "think" other airlines have to take you if they have available seats and can only charge you an additonal $50.00 p/p..but if all NW flyers are all trying to get on other planes can you imagine what that will be like? And then their is the issue of flying home.

BTW, were you billed on your CC for your NW tickets within the last 60 days? I believe that if you did, and NW cannot get you to Paris I think that your CC Co. will issue you a credit for the amount of the tickets. Not that that would get you to Paris. Again, I am so sorry, I can only imagine what you are going through.

P_M

That is a brilliant idea, LI, julies can contest the charge on the credit card!! I know that's a small consolation right now, but at least you could get your money back for the ticket.

I also looked at their web site and I was quite surprised there was no mention of an impending strike.

I had another idea. Call another airline that flies to Paris, such as AA or CO and see if they have any answers. Best of luck.

P_M

julies, I posted a link to this thread in the Airlines forum. I hope one of our good posters will find it and come to your aid.

LoveItaly

Actually it is Delta and Continental that is part of the SkyTeam with NW..so I would start with them..good idea P_M. KLM is also but unfortantly the only way you can reach them from the US is through NW here in the US.

I believe the refund from your CC Co is only given if you have either had your tickets billed or you have paid (not sure which) within 60 days of your flight date. Not positive on that and CC Co's all handle matters differently.

julies

Thanks so much to all of you. I just got off the phone with NWA, and they,of course, were no help whatsoever. They jsut gave the party line that the pilots won't be striking tomorrow and that even if they were, they don't have any protocols in place yet to deal with such a situation.

The local news said the same as one of the above posters. Hold on to your credit card receipt so you can dispute the charge with the CC company.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. I know there are tons of other people just like me out there.

kybourbon

Delta is in the same position as NW. Their deadline is tomorrow too.

knoxvillecouple

Julies -

You might want to check out the American Society of Travel Agents web page that addresses your passenger rights in case of a strike. See: http://www.travelsense.org/tips/airlinestrike.asp

Best of luck! We have FF tickets on Delta in June from Knoxville to Venice and back from Barcelona, so I hope that all the airlines can get their acts in order for all of us.

KC

julies

Delta's deadline is tomorrow too! Great! Guess I'll be looking at Continental if worst comes to worst. I'd really prefer to take this vacation than just to get reimbursed for my tickets. Now I know why the airline had such a good deal on tickets 3 or 4 weeks ago that I couldn't pass up the opportunity. At lest we're within the 60 day window some of you were referring to.

I'll check back here in a bit. I have to continue with my packing just in case things actually turn out okay. Thanks again.

Scarlett

I found this a minute ago...

<i>
Strikes, Airline Closings
During the 1998 Northwest strike, e-ticket holders were required to get their e-tickets reissued as paper tickets before other airlines would honor the Northwest reservations. If a strike occurs, or an airline goes out of business, move quickly to convert e-tickets to paper tickets.
</i>

mv_rd

We are suppose to fly out on the 14th to Paris as well on NW.

If they do strike, would I need to wait closer to my departure date to try to reschedule or would it be wise to start calling to tomorrow?

LoveItaly

I would hold off until tomorrow, to see what the judge rules (maybe he will rule that NW cannot rescind the union contracts). That should take care of any strike problem

If the judge rules for NW and the pilots do go on strike..I guess I would start with Continental. I am going to read that website knoxvillecouple posted here to see what it says. Would suggest everyone do that. Thanks Knoxville. And julies, keep us updated pleased. I send you all my best wishes.

Gardyloo

One or two things - apologies if you already know this.

First, if you're flying soon on NW to Europe, check that your flight is <i>operated</i> by NW and not a NW codeshare on someone else's planes. For example ORD-AMS carries a NW flight no. but is actually operated by KLM. No KLM strike = you fly.

Second, the pilots' vote was widely expected - part of brinkmanship negotiations. FWIW, many of the regular NW frequent flyers on flyertalk.com think the strike won't happen. Reading tea leaves, I suppose.

A few years ago we were booked on a near empty SAS flight from Seattle to Copenhagen, and two days before, Air Canada went down, and zillions of Calgary and Vancouver pax to Europe were loaded on other flights. Our flight was pretty full, but people were being accommodated just fine.

Remember the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's rule - <i>Don't Panic!</i>

dutyfree

Northwest is way further along in their strike situation than Delta or others. I believe that NW already had their strike vote with cooling off period,etc. whereas the other carriers have started &quot;talking&quot; about one but not authorizing one.

Rillifane

To the best of my knowledge, other airlines are under no such obligation.

In the past, unstruck airlines have given consideration to tickets holders on struck airlines as a matter of management solidarity.

Strikes are consider acts of Force Majeure, which is to say they are beyond the control of the airline and delays or cancelations which are caused by them are specifically exempted from the provisions of Rule 240.

(Rule 240 was the federla regulation concerning cancellations. When the industry was de-regulated, Airlines adopted their own rules which are filed as part of their &quot;conditions of carriage&quot; with the DoT. They are still called Rule 240 even tho they are no longer a uniform Federal regulation).

The sole obligation of the airline is to (eventually) give you a refund. Given that NW is in bankruptcy, they may not be able to do so without permission of the bankruptcy judge. You are, in effect, just another creditor of a bankrupt airline.

rkkwan

Listen to Gardyloo. Do not panic. The pilots voted to <b>authorize</b> the union leaders to start a strike. Doesn't mean they will strike, and both sides are still negotiating.

But if they do strike, the other carriers will try to accomodate you, likely with a $50 charge, just like what they did when Indepedence shut down in January. While I've told people to get paper tickets in years prior, I think these days it won't be necessary.

And the other carriers will try to accomodate you. They're flying those planes anyways, and taking you cost them basically nothing. But they earn some goodwill, so you may fly them next time. And they may still recover part of the ticket costs in bankruptcy court later on.

Worktowander

Reading tea leaves like all the others, I think you will get to Paris tomorrow on NWA, especially if your flight is early in the day.

Have you checked in online for your flight yet? It might be a good idea in case a flood of standbys try to get the last flight out if the strike happens.

Getting home on NWA if there is a strike is another question, of course. But I would think KLM and other carriers would pick up some of those flights.

About that Force Majuere clause in the contract of carriage: Be aware that NWA is only obligated to reimburse you for the UNUSED portion of your ticket. So if you're away from home, they only have to make good on the original cost of the return flight, not the whole ticket, and not the difference between what you paid them and what you will pay another carrier to get home.

So it might be good to have a cash (or credit) stash.

Good luck to you. Also, please cross your fingers for me - I have NWA tickets to Europe on 3/27. So if the pilots don't get me, the flight attendants might.

NYerr

Hang in there.
Northwest pilots voted back on February 4 to authorize the union to strike.
Delta pilots gave the thumbs up on February 9. Many of us have upcoming plans.
We just lived through the MTA strike in NYC and of course there were no viable contingency plans. What a mess. And that strike was illegal, too. They didn't care what the court ruled. But they also knew that they were fighting a healthy operating entity which neither airline is.
Northwest had all their mechanics strike and replaced them. Are there a lot of unemployed pilots that can fill the positions just in case?

NYerr

the latest news I could find:
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Pilots at bankrupt Northwest Airlines have voted to authorize their union to call a strike if the carrier imposes its threatened pay-cut and work-rule changes, according to the Reuters report.

More than 92 percent of pilots voted in favor of authorizing a strike, said Wade Blaufuss, spokesman for the Northwest branch of the Air Line Pilots Association.

Bankruptcy court judge Allan Gropper in New York set a Wednesday deadline for a deal before he rules on Northwest's request to reject its union contracts with pilots and flight attendants. That would free Northwest to impose its pay cuts and work rules.

Talks with the airline were expected to continue in New York.

&quot;Our goal is to reach a consensual agreement with management, but that will be decided by management's actions at the negotiating table,&quot; the union told members in a phone message Monday night. &quot;If management continues to overreach, we will be unable to reach an agreement.&quot;

Northwest pilots planned informational pickets at Northwest's hub airports in Minneapolis, Detroit, and Memphis, as well as in Seattle on Tuesday afternoon.