Trending Now - United Airlines Flight Attendants Approve Contract With Major Pay Hike

WHO:

CNBC - United Airlines flight attendants, approximately 30,000 in number, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants; Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

WHAT:

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The five-year contract includes expanded job security aligned with United Pilots, including limits on Express flying, code, and revenue share.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract includes improved language in Hotels and Electronic Notification.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract eliminates the 24-hour on-call reserve with 14 Hours Reserve Availability Periods.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - Increased pay for premiums including International Purser and Language position is part of the new contract.

CNBC - United Airlines flight attendants approved a new five-year labor contract with an average pay raise of 31%.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract was ratified with 82% approval from the flight attendants, with 88.85% of eligible voters participating.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract includes boarding pay, which adds an average of 7-8% to compensation, and $741 million in retroactive pay.

WHERE:

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract was reached at the National Mediation Board.

WHEN:

CNBC - The pay raises are set to take effect by August.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract includes provisions for 10 weeks of paid maternity leave and two weeks of paid parental and adoption leave.

WHY:

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - Sara Nelson stated, "The United Airlines Flight Attendant contract now leads the industry in total value for Flight Attendants and it should."

CNBC - The contract marks the last of the major carriers with unionized flight crews to reach a deal post-Covid.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - Ken Diaz stated that the contract will "immediately change the lives of United Flight Attendants, especially our thousands of new hires who have been hired since the pandemic."

HOW:

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA - The contract was reached with the assistance of mediator Michael Kelliher.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 04:17 UTC)

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA has announced a new five-year contract with United Airlines that includes expanded job security and improved pay for flight attendants, along with limits on Express flying and enhanced provisions for hotels and electronic notifications. Notably, the contract eliminates the 24-hour on-call reserve requirement, replacing it with 14 Hours Reserve Availability Periods. Union leader Sara Nelson emphasized that this contract now sets the industry standard for total value for flight attendants, and rightfully so.

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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 01:36 UTC)

United Airlines flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, have approved a new five-year labor contract that includes an average pay raise of thirty-one percent, ratified with eighty-two percent approval from the attendants. The contract, which was facilitated by mediator Michael Kelliher, also features provisions for ten weeks of paid maternity leave and two weeks of paid parental and adoption leave, with pay raises set to take effect by August. Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants, emphasized that this agreement will significantly improve the lives of United flight attendants, particularly benefiting many new hires since the pandemic.