Talks between British Airways and the Transport and General Workers Union to try to avert a strike by cabin crew on Tuesday and Wednesday are continuing.
A planned two-day strike by thousands of British Airways cabin crew has been called off, the airline has said.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh and other managers are negotiating with officials from the T&G, including its general secretary, Tony Woodley.
Talks between BA and the Transport and General Workers Union had been going on to try and avert the stoppages on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Both sides want to reach an agreement to avoid a 48-hour walkout over sick absence, pay and staffing at BA.
BA executives and union leaders said an agreement had been reached on the key issue of pay and the management of sickness absence.
BA has already moved to cancel flights for the duration of the strike.
BA will now attempt to reinstate as many flights as possible.
All flights out of Heathrow and domestic and European flights out of Gatwick are cancelled for the two days.
BA said that if a deal was reached during Monday's discussions it would do what it could to "reinstate operations".
'Committed to resolution'
Earlier, BA had sent an e-mail to customers to say that the strikes were going ahead.
In its message BA said that it "was committed to finding a resolution" to the proposed strike.
BA STRIKE DISRUPTION HEATHROWNo flights outSome long-haul arrivalsGATWICKNo domestic or European flightsUp to six of the nine long-haul flights will operateMANCHESTERFlights to New York will operate normallyBA CONNECT AND OTHER FRANCHISED SERVICESNot affected British Airways strike Q&A
It had been reported in the Mail on Sunday that the company was paying cash "sweeteners" to tempt staff to break any potential strike, but BA says any money is simply expenses to cover taxi journeys made by non-union staff who will work during the strike and want to avoid picket lines.
Unless a solution to the dispute is found, a second three-day strike is possible for 5 to 7 February, and a third three-day strike possible for 12 to 14 February.
Train offer
Those hit by the strike can get a refund or fly on alternative days
In all, 1,300 BA flights will be cancelled over the two days.
BA has said it wants customers to have sufficient warning of its contingency plans for the strike days, to give them enough time to make alternative travel arrangements.
Passengers due to travel on one of the strike days can either change their flights to another date at no extra charge, or else claim a full refund.
Virgin Trains said it expected to transport many BA customers caught up in the strike after offering free first-class travel to anyone turning up with a ticket for a BA flight.
New rules
Out of the airline's 14,000 cabin crew, about 11,000 are members of the T&G - 96% of whom voted for strike action.
They have complained that a new regime on sickness pay, introduced 18 months ago, means they are forced to work when they are ill.
The union objects to the way the policy has been implemented, describing it as "unfair" and "inconsistent" and claiming that some cabin crew live in fear of calling in sick.
BA says the main part of the new regime simply involves staff having a conversation with their manager when they return to work following sick leave.
It insists the measures were needed to cut high levels of sickness absence, which it calculates have come down from 22 days per staff member to 12 days since the new rules were brought in.
Starter pay rates for crew members, overall pay grading and promotion opportunities are also subject to dispute, with the union unhappy that the starting wage for staff is £10,000.
The union also wants the introduction of a single pay arrangement for cabin crew staff, rather than the existing two tier system, with staff who joined after 1997 being paid less than those employed before that date.
