Airline Is Urging Passengers With Travel Booked This Week To Postpone Trips If Possible

The union representing pilots for Air France has rejected an offer from the airline that was made in an effort to end a week-long strike against the carrier. Air France says the labor action is costing as much as $19 million per day.

Buying Business Travel reports that Air France had offered to delay the introduction of its low-cost subsidiary Transavia until the end of the year, giving the two sides more time work out an agreement. But SNPL union leaders said that the offer was just a "smoke screen" that made no guarantees for pilots and did not resolve any of the current disputes.

Air France CEO Alexandre de Juniac told the French publication Le Monde that the airline has no plans to scrap the Transavia idea altogether. "This arrangement must not call into question our ambition to develop Transavia, which is one of the key sources of growth for the Air France-KLM group,” he said, adding that the most recent offer was the "final proposal" from the airline.

The strike has been extended at least through September 26th. About 65 percent of the airline's pilots say they plan to participate in the ongoing strike. Air France is telling passengers with reservations this week that if they can postpone their travel, they can change their tickets at no additional cost.

FMI: www.airfrance.com