Flight attendants at United Airlines have voted overwhelmingly in favor of approving a new contract that will see the Chicago-based carrier’s most senior crew members earning more than $100 per hour in just a few years.
The contract has been a long time coming as United’s flight attendant contract first became amendable in August 2021. Since then, crew members have gone without a pay raise despite the soaring cost of living.
That situation, however, is now changing after 82% vote in favor of the new contract on a turnout of nearly 89% of eligible flight attendants.
“The contract will immediately change the lives of United Flight Attendants, especially our thousands of new hires who have been hired since the pandemic, commented Ken Diaz, the president of United’s chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).
Diaz added: “Our solidarity delivered the goods.”
Some of the highlights of the new contract include:
- United flight attendants will be the highest-paid crew members amongst U.S. airlines for the duration of the deal. Senior flight attendants with at least 13 years of service will earn just over $100 per hour.
- Flight attendants will receive a one-time ratification payment with United putting aside a $740 million pot to distribute amongst crew members.
- United has finally agreed to pay flight attendants for the time they spend on the ground between flights. Known as ‘sit pay,’ this will kick in when there is more than 2.5 hours scheduled between flights and will be paid at 50% of the normal hourly rate.
- Contract language over layover hotels has reverted back to a promise to put up flight attendants in ‘Business Class’ hotels. The previous agreement had removed this provision.
- Flight attendants won’t be forced to work as many flights before a Red-Eye flight. The new agreement limits crew members to working just one flight before a Red-Eye.
The provisional agreement was reached in late March, and after a consultation and voting period, flight attendants have had their say. The contract will come into effect in time for the busy summer flying season.
Getting to this point has not, however, been busy. In August 2024, flight attendants voted in favor of approving strike action if a deal couldn’t be struck, although the two sides continued negotiations in a bid to strike a compromise agreement.
That’s exactly what happened in May 2025 when the AFA put forward a tentative agreement for a member vote. A couple of months later, the tentative agreement was voted down, and the AFA had to go on a fact-finding mission to work out why its members were so unhappy with the deal.
Following a short delay prompted by last year’s partial government shutdown, United and the AFA returned to federally mediated negotiations in October 2025. The second tentative agreement was only reached in the final round of bargaining sessions.
United had been pushing for major concessions, including the introduction of a new scheduling and rostering system, much to the dismay of the union and veteran crew members.
In the end, however, United dropped these demands at the eleventh hour.
The AFA claims the deal will result in a 31% average wage increase for United’s 30,000+ flight attendants.
