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A federal judge in New York has blocked a threatened strike by Northwest Airlines flight attendants that could have resulted in some flights being delayed or even canceled. With just hours to go before the flight attendants’ Friday deadline, the court prohibited them from implementing any organized work stoppages.

“As summer vacation seasons winds down, this is very welcome news,” said Consumer Help Web president Joan Bounacos. “Northwest did a great job weathering their mechanic’s strike in 2005, but this could have ruined many people’s vacations.”

Commenting on Judge Victor Marrero’s decision, Doug Steenland, Northwest’s president and chief executive officer, said, “We remain committed to negotiating a consensual agreement with our flight attendants and hope to accomplish that goal in the near future.”

The Labor Day Holiday weekend starts next Friday.

Posted under Travel

Avoiding mass disruption that has marred previous work stoppages at its company, Northwest Airlines enters the fourth day of a strike by the airline’s mechanic’s union still flying and still seemingly without widespread system problems.

A statement issued by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, the union striking Northwest, claimed that the airline’s on-timer performance this year has been 78%, but that the number of on-time flights has dipped to 50% during the strike. Still, a tour of the carrier’s Memphis hub on Monday and media reports from its other two hubs in Detroit and Minneapolis seem to contradict the number.

“There could be a sampling issue,” said Consumer Help Web President Joan Bounacos. “Although the study reported that 99 flights were surveyed at random, a system-wide number was generated. Just a few outliers could skew that number.” Bounacos also noted that whether the number was 50% or 78% that the airline seemed to be maintaining operations despite the worker action.

“It’s always a good idea to check your flight’s status before leaving for the airport,” Bounacos said. “This action just makes it critical for Northwest travelers.

Although the airline has refused to comment on flight delays or statistics, the company has urged travelers to check on their flights by visiting the airline’s web site at nwa.com or by calling the airline’s toll-free flight information line at (800) 441-1818.

Posted under Travel