About 1,200 Delta Air Lines pilots stood outside carrier hubs in airports across the country on Thursday with signs reading, “Ready to strike,” among other things.

They demanded higher pay and a better work-life balance and bemoaned insufficient progress in contract negotiations. Pilots have worked record amounts of overtime throughout the year—more than they did in 2018 and 2019 combined, according to one pilot.

How will this affect air travel? U.S. airports experienced crowd sizes surpassing pre-pandemic numbers on Friday. The pilots protesting in airports aren’t technically on strike, and also aren’t scheduled to fly.

A Delta Air Lines spokesman said the company is dedicated to working out a compromise that allows operations to run smoothly while providing sufficient employee compensation.

Meanwhile, airlines in Europe are canceling flights due to not having enough passengers.

This story originally appeared in WORLD. © 2022, reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.