To help mitigate delays and cancellations brought about by the Omicron strain of the coronavirus, Chicago-headquartered United Airlines is offering pilots financial incentives. The friendly skies airline is offering its pilots triple pay if they pick up trips in January.
Since December 23, airlines in the United States has had to cancel more than 10,000 flights due to a combination of bad weather and employees calling in sick after testing positive for COVID-19. On New Year’s Eve, carriers in the country canceled around 1,500 flights. United Airlines had to cancel 200 flights which were 11% of the services it had scheduled.
United Airlines reached an agreement with the pilots union
According to CNBC, in a note written by United’s senior vice president of flight operations, Bryan Quigley, the airline executive, said that United and the pilots’ union, the Air Line Pilots Association, had agreed on higher pay for pilots who picked up open trips.
Any pilot who picks up an open trip between December 30 and January 3 will receive three and a half times their regular pay. In a letter written to its members by the union about pilots calling in sick due to Omicron, it said:
“The impact on the operation is clear and United has experienced a correspondingly large number of cancellations over the past week.”
Cabin crew are also being paid extra to pick up flights
United has also decided to pay flight attendants extra money to pick up trips. Other airlines like JetBlue, American, Southwest, and Spirit are also offering financial incentives for crew to pick up additional flights. The move is all part of a decision made to help prevent disruptions over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents around 4,000 Spirit Airlines cabin crew, said in a statement:
“All flight attendants, regardless of how you have obtained your pairing, will be receiving 200% pay for any pairing that touches Dec. 28 through Jan. 4.”
Many airline employees are forgoing the extra pay in favor of staying home. Faced with the prospect of catching COVID-19 coupled with having to deal with unruly passengers, it is not a surprise.
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Airlines do their best to make you aware of canceled flights early
In what was expected to be the busiest travel period since the pandemic began, the fast-spreading Omicron strain is affecting air travel. While canceling flights due to employees calling in sick or bad weather, airlines are doing their best to contact customers as soon as possible. The last thing they want is hundreds of passengers stranded at a gate.
If you are unlucky and your flight is canceled, and you choose not to take an alternative flight, the airline has to issue a full refund for the ticket price. If your flight is delayed, all kinds of factors come into play, including the length of the delay and your own circumstances.
What do you think about airlines offering financial incentives to get employees to work more shifts? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments.
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