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British Airways, is conducting informal talks aimed at avert a strike by 12,000 cabin crew, the Unite union said today.

The two sides are “not miles apart” in their search for a solution, with the removal of imposed cuts in flight attendant levels the key sticking point for Unite, Steve Turner, the union’s national officer for aviation, said today in London.

British Airways, which posts fiscal third-quarter earnings tomorrow, is seeking to pare costs amid a slump in demand for air travel. The London-based carrier aims to save 127 million pounds ($200 million) over 18 months through measures including the reduction in crew numbers on long-haul flights, Unite said.

“We believe we have alternatives on the table that can save a considerable amount,” Turner said at a press briefing, without specifying how much the union proposals would save.

British Airways faces its first walkout since 1997 after bypassing unions in introducing changes to working practices that cut the number of flight attendants on its fleet of Boeing Co. 747 jumbos. Unite is holding a strike-ballot that will run until Feb. 22 after a London judge ruled an earlier poll void because it included workers who had agreed to leave the company. The union also asked a London judge Feb. 2 to block BA’s decision to cut crew numbers because the changes were imposed “unilaterally.” The case is ongoing.

“Talks aimed at resolving the dispute with Unite are continuing under the auspices of the TUC,” British Airways spokesman Philip Allport said by telephone. “We continue to do everything we can to pursue a negotiated settlement.” Allport declined to provide further information about the talks. The TUC, or Trades Union Congress, is Britain’s umbrella organization for labor unions.