Thousands of British Airways (BA) cabin crew plan to stage a two-day strike at the end of the month after talks broke down overnight, the airline said today.
BA called on the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) to reverse its decision and seek a peaceful deal on a new pensions plan and working conditions.
"We are bitterly disappointed that the T&G has refused to respond positively to the serious proposals we have made on the union's two crucial issues," BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh said.
"It has chosen instead to confirm a 48-hour stoppage for next week that will wreck the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of customers."
After more than 24 hours of talks broke down, Mr Walsh said BA had accepted union proposals over management policy and put forward a solution on salaries.
"The T&G has rejected our position out of hand," he said. "If it is serious about solving this dispute peacefully it should turn away from confrontation and support our approach to ACAS in a bid to find a breakthrough."
ACAS is the independent independent Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).
Yesterday, the T&G called off the first day of what had been billed as a 72-hour walkout. The union is threatening two more three-day stoppages in February.
BA says cabin crew were taking an average of 22 sick days a year before a new absence policy was introduced in October 2005. That has lowered the figure to 12 days.