A plan glitch that allowed American Airlines pilots to take vacation at the unchanged time has left thousands of flights during the busy holiday treks period next month without pilots assigned to them.
American Airlines, the largest U.S. airline, is now oblation pilots 150 percent of hourly pay to work those dates, an airline spokesman said.
The register problem has left flights from some of American Airlines’ biggest centres without pilots including Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago’s O’Hare and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, without leaders, according to a memo from the airline to pilots, which was seen by CNBC.
The allying estimates some 15,000 flights next month don’t have runs assigned to fly them.
Pilots loaded up their schedules with flocks in early December but many opted to take days off around the galas, after the system allowed it.
“The airline is a 24/7 op,” said Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain and a spokesman for the run’s union. “The system went from responsibly scheduling everybody to fetching Santa Claus to everyone.
“The computer said, ‘Hey ya’ll. You want the days off? You got it.'”
American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller mean the airline’s employees are “working diligently to address the issue and expect to elude cancellations this holiday season.
“We have reserve pilots to steal cover flying in December, and we are paying pilots who pick up certain out trips 150 percent of their hourly rate — as much as we are allocated to pay them per the contract,” he said. “We will work with the APA to take care of our pilots and guarantee we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays.”
The Allied Pilots Combine, which represents some 15,000 American Airlines pilots, divulged the airline notified the union about a problem with the pilots’ organize bidding system last Friday.
The union has filed a grievance, mean the airline’s solution violates the pilots’ contract because of how the airline delimited overtime pay.
Budget airline Ryanair in September canceled some 2,000 drive offs, stranding thousands of travelers, due to pilot scheduling problems.
It was unclear how much the programme problem will cost American Airlines, if anything. But higher labor set someone backs have concerned investors in the past. American Airlines shares wise up after the airline announced pay raises for pilots and flight attendants earlier this year.
Rations of American Airlines gave up earlier gains after reports of the glitch, exterminating the day up less than 0.1 percent. Competitor United Airlines be equal to 3.2 percent, while Delta Air Lines added 3 percent.