DALLAS, Texas (Reuters) -- American Airlines is not losing business despite a July 1 strike deadline in a contract dispute with flight attendants, mainly because travelers believe the White House will halt any walk-out, analysts and travel experts said.
The world's largest airline and its flight attendant union resumed talks on Wednesday ahead of a July 1 deadline, when the union would be allowed by law to strike.
The airline and most industry analysts say they expect President George W. Bush, who vowed early in his administration to prevent any crippling summer airline disruptions, to use emergency powers to postpone a walk-out as he did in March in a dispute between Northwest Airlines and its mechanics union.
"If I was betting, I'd put money down that Bush will not allow a walk-out at American," said Tom Parsons of travel Web site Bestfares.com.