days -- to November 18.

Their move came after the airline won federal approval to cut training time for attendants from seven weeks to eight days.

The 21,000-member Association of Professional Flight Attendants threatenend to strike by Nov. 22 after a year of negotiations between the union and the carrier were broken off on October 30.

The airline's local general manager, Ms Carol DeCouto, has said a strike would hardly affect Bermuda. Snacks might replace meals, she said, but there was little prospect of flights being cancelled.

Union president Ms Denise Hedges said the shorter training period endangers passengers. The union was lobbying the Clinton administration to revoke its approval.

American's spokesman, Mr. Al Comeaux, has said the shortened training course retains safety instruction while cutting back on the time spent on such things as food and drinks service, grooming and marketing. It also trains each attendant on only one type of aircraft rather than up to five.

American has imposed a contract on its flight attendants that grants average pay raises of about 7.8 percent. The airline and union disagree on the size of the raises aand on benefits.