Will a potential strike by United, American and Delta pilots impact holiday travel?

jacksonville, florida – A few weeks away from the busiest travel season of the year, pilot unions with United, American and Delta are in disagreement. United and Delta pilots have even threatened to quit their jobs.

Ed Booth, an aviation expert at News4JAX, said the main issue was improving salaries.

“Airlines are back to full profitability after the pandemic and employees want to share the wealth.

About 15,000 Delta pilots voted in favor of going on strike if the new contract agreement is not met.

United Airlines pilots also threatened to picket. The pilots’ union rejected a tentative contract agreement this week, and now the airline is working on a new contract with better rates.

The American Airlines pilot is still in contract negotiations.

“They are not just asking for better wages for better working conditions,” added Booth.

Delta makes up about half of the flights to and from Jacksonville International Airport, Booth said.

Pilot strikes can seriously affect local travel. However, Booth doesn’t think that will be the case, at least not for a while.

“The mechanisms built into these systems allow for a 30-day cooling-off period, which will take this dispute well beyond vacations,” he said.