If Northwest Airlines mechanics go out on strike tonight, it could be tough for Twin Cities passengers wanting to avoid the airline and jump on another mode of transportation.
This is the travel season and those train and bus seats already have someone sitting in them.
"We are in the peak season, and the Empire Builder is nearly sold out," said Marc Magliari, Amtrak spokesman in Chicago. "Nationally, we are seeing a surge and we think it's the gas prices. If people are looking to us to relieve concerns over another carrier, we suggest they do it quickly."
Magliari said that the last time Northwest workers went on strike, Amtrak added train cars to handle an increase in riders. But that strike, by pilots, was in November 1998 during the off-peak travel time. This time around, Amtrak has already added extra cars to handle the extra travelers climbing aboard and it would be difficult to add any more, he said.
A similar situation exists at Greyhound Lines, said company spokeswoman Anna Folmnsbee. The bus company's ridership jumps in the summer, especially on the weekends. The strike deadline is 11:01 p.m. today, so if it happens, the biggest impact on Greyhound would conceivably occur during the heavily used Saturday, Sunday and Monday runs, she said.
A potential strike at another transportation business is not something Greyhound plans for, but if there are more passengers than bus seats, the company can add extra buses relatively quickly, Folmnsbee said.
"As far as any increase of passengers from Northwest Airlines, the majority of our users buy the day of (their trip)," she said, making it hard to determine if there is a switch occurring.
Travel agent David Swedlund of Como Rose Travel in St. Paul said customers have called, but "not so much to switch, but to ask, 'what do you know, what's going on,' " with the possible strike. None of his customers have asked to switch to the train and only a few have asked him to book them on other airlines the first day or two of the projected strike dates, Swedlund said.
Car rental agencies said they are watching the negotiations closely. Paula Stifter, manager of public affairs for Hertz Corp., said the company is monitoring the situation and can "take steps if necessary if a strike occurs."
Stifter said that there is a full fleet of cars in the Twin Cities and that if there is a surge in people wanting to rent a car from here, they can add cars quickly.
"Really, until a strike happens, it's hard to gauge," she said.
Kevin Cooper, general manager and vice president of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said his company has not seen a significant change in reservations, either up or down. Because the negotiations have intensified, he thinks many people are waiting for a clear signal.
"There is a glimmer of hope of a solution and people are reactionary," Cooper said.
Neither Hertz nor Enterprise researched what impact earlier airline strikes had on their businesses, Cooper and Stifter said.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press
