Qantas canceled 14 domestic flights and delayed another 30 trips on Thursday morning as the baggage handlers and ground crew walked off their jobs for two hours at 7 a.m.

They will hold a second strike at 4 p.m., while customs workers have scheduled two work stoppages on the same day at 11 a.m. and another four-hour strike at 9 p.m. On Friday, it will be the turn of the engineers and pilots to strike for four hours.

Qantas group executive Olivia Wirth asked the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to go back to negotiations, pointing out that the air carrier reached agreements with over 10,000 employees this year. She said unions negotiating in good faith and with realistic demands are able to reach agreements with Qantas which redounds to the benefit of employees and the company.

"This is a stark contrast to the position taken by the leaders of the engineers' union, the pilots' union and the Transport Workers Union. These unions are working together in a co-ordinated industrial campaign with their demands attempting to give control of Qantas to the unions," Ms Wirth said in a statement.

The TWU have also campaigned air travelers to use other airlines instead because the union members plan to hold more strikes until Christmas.

Besides pushing for pay increases, pilots have included in their campaign for more salary hikes announcements made onboard and orchestrating a shareholder revolt at the air carrier's yearly general meeting in two weeks.

Despite some senior captains paid up to $536,000 a year - which is higher than Prime Minister Julia Gillard's base pay of $366,000 - they want higher wage adjustment than the average 17 per cent they got in 2010. The lowed-paid pilots, second officers, got almost $100,000 a year salary, The Daily Telegraph reports.

However, Australian International Pilots Association President Captain Jack Barry pointed out that Qantas pilots' salary is only within the middle range of international rates. He added what they earn is miniscule compared to Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce, who enjoys a $5 million executive compensation package.

"It take decades of training and experience to become an A380 Captain, which is more than I can say about what's required to become a CEO," Mr Jackson told news.com.au.

Customs employees are striking for the second time in October after negotiations for a new pay agreement with the government broke down on Wednesday.

Qantas advised passengers to arrive earlier. According to the Keep Qantas Flying website of the air carrier, since the industrial action was initiated by the three unions, more than 46,000 passengers have been affected, 83 flights canceled and 265 flights delayed.

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