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Delta passengers welcome word of deal

Holiday travelers filing into the world's busiest airport Friday greeted news of a tentative labor agreement between Delta Air Lines and its pilots with joy and relief.
/ Source: The Associated Press

Holiday travelers filing into the world's busiest airport Friday greeted news of a tentative labor agreement between Delta Air Lines and its pilots with joy and relief.

"It's a good Easter present for everybody if they did," said Sal Muccillo, of Hampton, Ga., who was waiting Friday morning for his son to arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for a holiday visit.

Muccillo's wife, Pat, said their son flies to visit them on Delta "all the time." She said the family never considered not booking the Friday flight with Delta, but had begun making alternate plans in case a strike canceled his flight back to Knoxville, Tenn.

"The return could have been a problem, but we just stayed hopeful that it would be settled," she said. "We're obviously glad its not going to be disrupted."

Delta Air Lines Inc. and negotiators for its pilots union reached a tentative agreement Friday on long-term pay and benefit cuts.

The union had threatened to strike if Delta, which has been operating under bankruptcy protection since September, threw out its current contract. Delta, the nation's third largest air carrier, said in court papers that a pilot strike would put it out of business.

Uncertainty surrounding the possible strike had caused some passengers to scramble for other travel arrangements for a busy holiday weekend and hurt bookings for Delta. A statement from the company on Friday said customers can now book future flights with confidence.

"I just had my fingers crossed," said Rose Shefrin of Baltimore, as she waited for other family members in the airport after her Delta flight arrived. "I had hoped that they would work it out and I'm so happy that they did."

Shefrin said the airline had helped her and her family when an emergency forced them to change travel plans at the last minute. Other passengers, however, said they've soured on the Atlanta-based carrier.

Bill Linehan, of Newtown, Conn., said he's been a frequent Delta flier for years, but plans to switch airlines after receiving poor service on his family's flight Friday for a vacation to the Virgin Islands.

During a layover in Atlanta, he said a Delta employee told him the family couldn't be booked on a connecting flight with another airline because the company can't afford it.

"When the guy says, 'I can't help you because of our financial condition,' there's a huge problem," said Linehan, who said he's seen a drop-off in customer service since Delta filed for bankruptcy. "I've been holding out; I've been loyal to Delta, but it's time for a change."