The South African Airways Pilot's Association (Saapa) said it supported the strike by the other SAA unions.
"The overwhelming unity between the various unions is unprecedented. The glaring question... is why so many of the employees at SAA are united in their disapproval of management and its lack of integrity in dealing with labour?" Saapa chairman Captain Piet Taljaard asked on Thursday.
He said Saapa was in a similar position to the other unions and would shortly ballot its members on the issue of industrial action.
The pilots said they would strike if SAA went ahead with its plans to change their employment contracts without consulting them.
SAA spokesman Onkgopotse Tabane confirmed that no meeting took place on Thursday. "There was no meeting because the union went on to issue a notice to strike instead of coming to the meeting."
Tabane said contingency plans were in place for operations to run as normal. "Contingency plans are in place to counter any possible interruptions. These include combining flights, using larger aircraft on routes, and management helping to check passengers in."
SAA advised passengers to check in at airports well in advance to avoid any delays and to be informed timeously of any possible changes.
Regular updates on the strike would be posted on the SAA website.
Meanwhile the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said on Thursday it was monitoring the situation at Johannesburg International Airport.
"Acsa will lend its support from an airports perspective wherever possible and try to assist passengers so that they are inconvenienced as little as possible," Acsa spokesperson Jacqui O'Sullivan said. - Sapa