American Airlines pilots get triple pay for trips left in scheduling glitch

An American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner arrives for landing at Miami International Airport on December 10, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Joe Redl | Getty Images

American Airlines The pilots and its pilots’ union agreed to triple pay for aviators who were able to skip thousands of July flights over the weekend because of a scheduling program glitch, they said on Wednesday.
Pilots will also get double the salary for the peak holiday period.

The scheduling platform error caused pilots to drop some 12,000 flights from their schedules, according to the union, the Allied Pilots Association, CNBC reported last week.

The issue arose as American and other airlines are scrambling to avoid flight disruptions during a surge in demand for summer travel.

“We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the APA and appreciate their partnership in coming quickly to a resolution that cares for our pilots, our team and our customers,” American said in a statement.

A similar case happened in 2017 as well., when a technical problem allowed American pilots to take leave during the busy December holiday period. The carrier offered 150% pay for pilots taking on assignments.

The American and pilot unions are negotiating the contract. The president of the APA, Captain Ed Seecher, told the union’s approximately 15,000 pilots: “I am optimistic that this will provide a springboard for us to end our Section 6 negotiations and secure the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that we will be able to achieve.” Have been waiting for a very long time.”

American recently offered The number of pilots increases by about 17% by 2024.