American Airlines Labor Dispute Leads to Canceled Flights, Long Lines

Julie Kent Barbee dutifully arrived at John Wayne Airport at 7 a.m. Monday, having been assured the night before that her parents’ flight to Washington, D.C., was “a go.”

Seven hours later, the bedraggled Barbee was still in the airport lobby, her parents, husband and dog all nearby, thanks to an American Airlines labor dispute with its pilots.

“Are you looking for harassed travelers?” she asked. “Well, we’re here.”

At the airport, hundreds of American Airlines travelers found that getting to the airport was much easier than getting out. Seven of nine Monday morning American flights were canceled. The wait at the ticket counter early in the day was two hours. Eight flights scheduled to arrive in Orange County were also canceled.

The delays might continue as long as talks between the pilots union and the airline--which were called off Friday--remain at an impasse.

“I’ve heard there will be more cancellations tomorrow,” said John Wayne Airport spokeswoman Kathleen Campini Chambers. “I think it’s a safe bet.”

Nationwide, American Airlines planned to cancel around 15% of its daily flights because of a shortage of pilots, many of whom are calling in sick because of the labor dispute.

Those pilots are concerned that a recent merger with Reno Air--whose pilots earn less than half of those with American--could threaten their jobs.

Chambers said Monday’s cancellations caused long lines and delays. But she said almost everyone tried to make the best of a bad situation.

“The ticket counter staff are working very hard to re-book everyone on other airlines,” she said. “Everyone’s being very patient and cooperative, but obviously there are long lines.”

For Ken Westerby, 28, of Amarillo, Texas, some of that patience had begun to fray by the afternoon. Westerby, a registered nurse in Southern California for a surgical conference, said the airline gave him $10 for lunch and the promise of a seat on a flight to Dallas four hours after his scheduled departure time.

“Now I’m not even sure how I’m going to get all the way to Amarillo,” Westerby said. “I have surgery at 7:30 a.m., so I won’t be getting a lot of sleep.”

At the American Airlines counter, some shook their fists and clutched their heads after hearing the bad news. But others said they thought the airline handled the situation well.

“They called me last night and let me know my flight was canceled,” said Ginny Barrett of Irvine. “I would have been very unhappy if I got here this morning and found it out.”

But for those who didn’t get such a call it was a long, irritating day. And for the Barbees at least, insult was added to injury.

“We just found out they accidentally had our dog, Frosty, scheduled for a flight to Albany,” said Barbee, who was in town from New York City with the American Ballet Theatre.

Barbee and her husband, Victor, who still faced a flight to Australia late Monday night from Los Angeles International Airport, had been trying to fly Frosty to Washington with her parents for a few weeks of dog-sitting.

“But that’s OK,” said Victor Barbee, rubbing the fluffy white dog on his head. “Mommy saved you.”