Members of the AirTran pilot union said they were shelving a ratification vote on a tentative contract after saying they weren't happy with the terms.
A union spokesman said the National Pilots Association decided to take a step back when it became clear during pilot briefings that many of the carrier's 1,500 pilots didn't like various parts of the proposal.
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"We didn't think its odds (of ratification) were very good," union spokesman Brian Gaudet said.
The company and union had expected the deal to go to a ratification vote this month.
AirTran and the pilots union agreed to meet July 10-12 at the National Mediation Board's offices in Washington to try to hammer out new terms in several areas ranging from scheduling rules to retirement and medical benefits.
"We're committed to getting a deal done," said AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson.
The deal would boost senior pilots' annual pay to about $160,000 vs. $152,000 now and put AirTran's rates ahead of those for some Delta Air Lines pilots flying similar-sized aircraft. Experienced AirTran co-pilots would make about $83,000, slightly below Delta pay for similar positions.
Last month, union leaders gave a "qualified endorsement" to the tentative contract. Gaudet said the proposed pay raises were not one of the stumbling blocks.
Two of the union's six board members are up for election this fall at a time when many of the union's younger pilots are growing restive under the airline's seniority-based pay scale.
"As we prepare for (the July contract meetings) it's important that we dial down the rhetoric and put internal politics on the back burner," union president Allen Philpott said in a message to members on the matter.
The delay, which comes after more than two years of talks, could also add an unwelcome distraction for AirTran management as it pursues a merger with Midwest Airlines.
Midwest has rejected AirTran's offers so far, but the Milwaukee-based carrier agreed to let AirTran executives meet with its board. That came after Midwest shareholders elected three AirTran-backed directors to the nine-member board this month.
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