To-may-to, to-mah-to.

Mesaba Airlines pilots didn't strike Saturday, but they might as well have.

The result for travelers was the same, as the company canceled all of its 450 to 500 flights. In Bismarck, just one suppertime flight to Minneapolis was affected Saturday, airport manager Greg Haug said.

But Mesaba, a regional carrier for Northwest Airlines, flies twice out of Bismarck every other day. Those trips likely will be halted until an agreement can be reached between the company and its pilots.

The pilots planned to strike at 11:01 p.m. Friday but held off because progress was being made in negotiations, Haug said. The disagreement centered on pay.

Until an accord is struck, Northwest ticketholders affected by the cancellations will need to make other arrangements. The Mesaba flights out of Bismarck leave at 6:25 and 7:30 p.m.

Northwest will allow travelers booked on Mesaba flights between Friday and Jan. 17 to change to another Northwest or Pinnacle Airlines flight without a transfer fee. They have the option to rebook their flights through Feb. 9. For more information, call Northwest Airlines at 800-225-2525.

The canceled flights represent 11 percent of Northwest's seats out of Bismarck, Haug said. In cities such as Jamestown and Devils Lake, where Mesaba provides all of the Northwest service, ticketholders will need to travel to the nearest airport that has other Northwest flights with seats available.

Mesaba canceled its flights Saturday because it didn't want the planes stranded in regional cities should the pilots strike.