Air Lines Pilots Association pilots also protested last week in New York outside the airline’s Investor Relations Day in a precursor to Friday’s picket line. Those on the picket line Friday said they were off duty and blamed the cancellations on Alaska.

Cancellations and staking come as air travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels and demand surges as many Americans head out over spring break for a long-delayed vacation. Frustrated travelers have spoken out on social media about botched vacation plans and reported waiting up to 10 hours to speak with an airline representative about rescheduling flights. Many said they couldn’t fly for a day or two.

Robyn Dold, of Battle Ground, Wash., had planned to fly to Missouri on Friday with her husband, daughter and son-in-law to attend her father-in-law’s funeral. The family received an email from Alaska at midnight – six hours before takeoff – saying their flight had been cancelled.

Dold spent hours on Friday waiting with the airline, then queuing at Portland International Airport, only to learn that Alaska couldn’t get them to the funeral in time — or even to a town in less than 10 hours drive.

“We would go with the flow if it was a vacation, but it’s something that has a due date that we can’t change and it’s heartbreaking,” she said in an interview. telephone. “My husband is beside himself. His father was his best friend. »

Dold, who was scheduled to deliver the eulogy, will instead watch the funeral live with her husband from home, she said.

“Honestly, what irritates me the most, I think, is that we were not informed in advance that this was a possibility. We could have made other arrangements in advance, ” Dold said “That’s what’s really disappointing.”

The pilots have been in contract negotiations with the airline for nearly three years and the two sides are at an impasse.

The union says Alaska Airlines has not sufficiently prepared for a return to air travel after the pandemic and has not taken the necessary steps to retain or attract pilots as demand rebounds. Issues that still need to be resolved include job security, work rules and quality of life provisions that provide flexibility and reasonable hours, he said in a statement, and the pilot contract. current lags well behind those of comparable airlines in several key sections.

Alaska Airlines said Friday it values ​​its pilots and respects their right to picket, but also needs to negotiate a deal that allows the airline to maintain growth and profitability. Alaska Airlines is working to recover $2.3 billion in losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, it said in a statement.

The airline said it currently offers competitive salaries to its pilots. For example, the average salary for an Alaska Airlines captain is currently $341,000 a year, the airline said.