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As I wrote about back in March, United flight attendants were set to vote on a new labor contract. They have now voted and approved the long-awaited deal that will make the carrier’s cabin crew among the highest paid in the US airline industry.
According to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), 82% of voting flight attendants supported the agreement with nearly 89% of eligible crew members participating in the vote. The deal covers more than 30,000 United flight attendants and comes after years of negotiations between the union and the Chicago-based airline. The contract had been amendable since August 2021, which means flight attendants had gone nearly five years without a pay raise despite rising inflation and increased living costs.
One of the biggest highlights of the agreement is a substantial pay increase across the board. Under the new contract, United flight attendants will become the highest-paid cabin crew among major US airlines for the duration of the agreement. Flight attendants with at least 13 years of service are expected to earn more than $100 per flight hour within the next few years. The union says the contract delivers an average wage increase of approximately 31%. In addition to higher hourly wages, United has also set aside a $740 million ratification payment fund that will be distributed to flight attendants as a one-time payout following the agreement’s approval.
The contract also introduces several work-rule improvements that flight attendants had long sought during negotiations. For the first time, United has agreed to provide “sit pay,” compensating flight attendants for extended time spent on the ground between flights. Under the agreement, crew members will receive pay equal to 50% of their hourly rate whenever a scheduled layover between flights exceeds 2.5 hours.
The agreement also restores language requiring the airline to place flight attendants in “Business Class” hotels during layovers (a provision that had previously been removed from earlier contracts). Scheduling protections were another major focus during negotiations. Flight attendants will now be limited to working just one segment before operating a redeye flight to reduce fatigue concerns that had become increasingly contentious during bargaining sessions.
The road to ratification was lengthy and often contentious. In August 2024, United flight attendants voted to authorize strike action if negotiations failed to produce a deal. While a strike never materialized, talks continued under federal mediation. A tentative agreement reached in May 2025 was ultimately voted down by union members. This forced the AFA to reassess concerns among its membership. Negotiations resumed in October 2025 following a delay caused by the partial federal government shutdown.
One of the biggest sticking points involved United’s proposal for a new scheduling and rostering system, which many veteran flight attendants strongly opposed. According to the union, United eventually withdrew those demands during the final stages of bargaining, helping clear the path toward a second tentative agreement.
Anthony’s Take: I’m so happy for United’s flight attendants. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s not an easy job. The hours and dealing with the public are taxing. With the contract now ratified, the new terms are expected to take effect ahead of the busy summer travel season.
(Image Credits: @JonNYC via X and United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
