Striking United Airlines pilots reduced the number of United flights by more than 80 percent at O`Hare International Airport Friday as ticket-holders scrambled with varied success to get out of town.
The pilots went on strike at 11:01 p.m. Chicago time Thursday and there are no indications as to when negotiations to end the walkout might resume. The strike situation meant chaos for thousands of air travelers.
”This is ridiculous,” said an angry John Stillion, 18, a recent graduate of Great Lakes Naval Training Center whose United flight to Kansas City was canceled. ”I don`t think I am going to fly anymore.”
Claire Carter was able to use her United ticket on American Airlines, making it from San Diego to Chicago on her way to her sister`s wedding in Boston. But Friday afternoon she was having trouble completing the last leg of the trip after failing to get on two American flights as a standby.
”If I don`t make it, I don`t know what I`m going to do,” said the 48-year-old schoolteacher. ”I might be stranded in this airport for days.” The wedding was scheduled for Saturday.
About 200 United ticket-holders lined up Friday morning to learn the fate of their flights. By early evening, usually one of the busiest times of the week at O`Hare, the United line was down to roughly 50 people. But other portions of the airport terminal were filled with people, some of them United customers seeking seats on other airlines.
United spokesmen said that 36 flights had departed by 4:30 p.m. and at least 18 more were scheduled to go later in the evening. United normally has 320 departures a day from O`Hare.
Other airlines at the airport were honoring United tickets on a space-available basis.
Midway Airlines, which does not even operate at O`Hare, was using the strike to drum up business at its Midway Airport base.
”We are just trying to assist United passengers in getting to their destinations,” said Bob Van Oost, one of two Midway customer service representatives stationed near the United counter. Midway added flights to four cities Friday and Van Oost said that free bus service from O`Hare to the Southwest Side airport would be provided for the duration of the strike.
At Delta Air Lines` Schaumburg office, 225 telephone reservations agents were deluged by calls from travelers seeking tickets.
”Our telephone service calls are up about 60 percent and our bookings are up about 70 percent,” said L. Ronald Johnson, the airline`s local marketing chief.
Some Delta planes had seats Friday, Johnson said, and ”we are encouraging people who can`t get through on the lines to please come out and stand by at O`Hare because we more than likely can clear you.” Four Delta ticket offices in downtown Chicago, normally closed on weekends, were to be open Saturday.
Joe Stroop, a spokesman for American Airlines, said United carries about 15 percent of the nation`s air traffic but that about 30 percent of airline seats nationally are vacant.
”That should say the demand will be accommodated,” Stroop said.
American, O`Hare`s second biggest operator behind United, has 200 flights a day at the airport.
United customers had testy words for the travel agents who booked them on the airline, for United and for the pilots striking over what they say is an unsatisfactory contract offer.
”It`s kind of like the National Football League strike,” said Richard Seyller, who dropped off his wife and two children at O`Hare for a United flight to Florida. ”When the pilots start out at $22,000 and are up to $55,000 in five years, it`s hard to be sympathetic.”
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Terri Lamantia vented her wrath on the airline after her flight to Philadelphia was canceled and she was told to wait in case another flight was available later in the day.
”This is really pathetic,” she said. ”You`d think they`d be trying to get people on other airlines instead of telling them to wait five hours and see what happens. I swear I`ll never fly United again.”
But all was calm on the pilots` picket lines Friday, where city officials reported no violence or vandalism connected with the strike.
”It`s been a real calm day,” James Wilhelm, assistant to the city`s aviation commissioner, said Friday evening. The pickets ”so far have honored all the ground rules we`ve set up. It`s been nice and clean so far.”
City officials began planning for a strike nearly a month ago.
”Security guards and police department and fire department paramedics and our own nurses are staffed at full levels for as long as the strike goes,” said Rommy Lopat, an aviation department spokeswoman.
City security posts have been double-staffed and ”United has taken its own precautions for its own equipment and its own areas,” she added. ”The union has been very cooperative, too.”