In the event of a shutdown, passengers holding paper tickets for flights on Saturday, Sunday or Monday could theoretically exchange them through US Airways, other major airlines or Amtrak ticket agents, or through a travel agent. Yet although US Airways says other companies will honor their tickets, some passengers complain the reality is different at the ticket-counter. I've already called the airlines. Passengers have tried to sidestep the possible walkout by changing airlines and even driving to other airports. If a shutdown continued into Sunday, the exchange policy would be extended a day to include Tuesday's flights, a pattern that would repeat until US Airways resumed operations.
Travel agents say there are few easy alternatives.
Many have not been booking flights on the airline for days, while passengers who already have tickets have attempted to change their travel plans. The company did not provide details. Working from a blueprint used in negotiating recent pacts with its pilots and mechanics, Arlington, Va.-based US Airways is seeking a contract that would set its flight attendants' compensation on par with its four closest rivals plus 1 percent. But the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents 10,000 US Airways workers, has said the proposal would actually cut its members' compensation by about 5 percent through changes in calculating wages, benefits and scheduling. A last-minute agreement or an extension of bargaining could avert any disruption of weekend travel.