Pilots offer to talk with Lufthansa before strike

Berlin: The Cockpit pilots union offered on Saturday to meet with the chief of Lufthansa AG to try to head off a four-day strike beginning on Monday that could cause headaches for thousands of travelers.

The union offer to meet with Lufthansa Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber came after Germany's transport minister urged the two sides to return to talks and avoid a strike that could damage the country's economy.

Lufthansa has said it is willing to talk, but not without conditions. It was not immediately clear if the meeting would take place.

Lufthansa has already canceled some 600 flights ahead of the strike and is scrambling to rebook travelers on partner airlines or trains.

" Lufthansa is doing everything in its power to inform its customers as soon as possible and offer them alternative travel options," the company said on its Web site.

Travelers who are unable to reschedule are being reimbursed for their tickets, it said.

The airline, Germany's largest, estimates the strike could cost it as much as $100 million ($135.19 million).

The union is urging some 4,500 pilots who fly for Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings to walk off their jobs from February 22-25 to press the airline for increased job security.

Cockpit accuses the airline of outsourcing more and more flights to pilots employed by other companies, who work for less pay and under worse conditions.

Also Saturday, German Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer warned the strike could seriously damage the German economy.

"It can not be that the largest German air fleet is grounded for four days," Ramsauer told the Bild am Sonntag weekly.