Delta Stays Quietly Hopeful

Fare expert Terry Trippler of Cheapseats.com says travelers who have a ticket can only wait and hope. Trippler is still encouraging customers to book flights because he believes both sides will reach an agreement.

But if a strike occurs, federal law requires competing airlines to fly Delta customers on standby for a $50 fee each way. Or, Delta could refund the unused portion of the ticket.

As other airlines faced strike threats, each seemed to handle the threats differently with respect to their customers. When United's employees threatened to strike last year, its executives telephoned some of United's largest corporate travel customers to encourage them to continue booking flights, assuring them that the sides would reach an agreement. In 2004, when US Airways employees had to undergo a temporary 21 percent pay cut, then-US Airways chief executive Bruce R. Lakefield used an employee-wide recorded telephone message encouraging them to focus on continuing to provide customer service. When Northwest was faced with an impending strike by its mechanics, executives quickly reassured customers that there would be no service disruptions as the airline had already hired replacements.

But Delta still hasn't sent out such messages to its customers. Yet, during the past week, the airline has dispatched alerts regarding new artwork at one of its lounges at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a new flight between Atlanta and Acapulco, and the ability to earn additional frequent-flier miles by eating at certain restaurants.

"We haven't heard anything," says Celeste Edwards, travel manager for Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group. Delta handles about 80 percent of InterContinental's business trips, and Edwards said she "was in a wait-and-see mode," hoping for an agreement.

"By no means do we feel secure. There is some concern, but we have seen this happen before, so we are hopeful," Edwards said.

Delta spokesman Bruce Hicks declined to comment on what type of correspondence -- if any -- the carrier is offering its frequent fliers or corporate clients. "Our sales team is always in communication regularly with our corporate clients," he said, declining to elaborate.

Hicks said travelers could book on Delta with confidence but added that the airline has no contingency plans in place if a strike occurs and would not operate flights. "Our focus remains on reaching an agreement."