05/17/2026
💙💙
After years of negotiations, frozen wages, and one rejected deal… United flight attendants have officially ratified a historic new contract.
In a massive vote, 82% of United’s nearly 30,000 flight attendants approved the new five-year agreement — a deal union leaders say now sets the industry standard.
This is one of the biggest aviation labor stories of the year.
Here’s what’s changing:
• 31% average wage increase
• Boarding pay for the first time
• $741 million in retroactive pay
• Sit pay for long delays over 2.5 hours
• Higher per diem + 401(k) contributions
• 10 weeks paid maternity leave
• Paid parental/adoption leave
• Restrictions on red-eyes
• Elimination of 24-hour on-call reserve
For thousands of newer hires especially, this could be life-changing.
And for the industry?
It’s a major power shift.
United flight attendants now have a contract AFA says leads the industry in total value — a huge statement in a post-pandemic era where cabin crews across airlines have been pushing harder than ever for better compensation and quality of life.
This wasn’t just about hourly pay.
This deal targets some of the biggest pain points flight attendants know too well: unpaid boarding, exhausting sits, reserve burnout, and work-life balance.
The biggest headline may be the $741 million in retro pay — but the deeper story is what this vote represents: nearly 30,000 flight attendants just used collective power to reshape what the job looks like moving forward.
After years of waiting, this is more than a raise.
It’s a reset.
