It had re-routed some passengers and canceled flights in advance of a pilot strike that was set to begin midnight on Friday, Spirit Airlines in Florida has said.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has reported that Airline spokeswoman Misty Pinson said Spirit had "pre-canceled some flights and is proactively contacting customers of these affected flights in advance."

The newspaper also said that in anticipation of the strike, some pilots were expected to call in sick.

The union was pressing to push wages and benefits in line with competitors, said Air Line Pilots Association leader Capt. Sean Creed.

The airline handles about 20 percent of the passenger traffic at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where it has 150 daily flights scheduled. The few flights already canceled included flights to the Caribbean and Central America.

It took five hours to resolve his travel plans after his flight was canceled, passenger Ed Dean of Naples, Fla., said.

He further added, "I think if there's a strike, this airline is going to be in big trouble." (With Inputs from Agencies)