30 Alaska Airlines flights canceled at Sea-Tac due to lack of pilots

Alaska Airlines said 40 flights had been cancelled across the country Monday due to a pilot shortage. It was the latest series of cancelations while the airline is in negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association union over a new contract for its pilots.

At least 6,000 Alaska passengers were stuck at an airport Monday, the company announced online. At Sea-Tac alone, 30 flights had been canceled by Monday afternoon, according to a flight tracker.

Lester Mather and his wife waited at a ticketing area for nearly 12 hours after their flight to South Carolina was canceled.

“You can't get the food, you can't get to anything, none of the stores," Mather said sitting next to their suitcases. "You got Hudson's and you got a little bar down here and that's all you get.”

The Mathers were supposed to fly non-stop out of Sea-Tac around 9 a.m. Monday. Instead they were bumped to a flight that left after 6 p.m.