A United Airlines plane approaches the runway at Denver International Airport, March 23, 2026.
Al Drago | Getty Images
United Airlines flight attendants approved a new five-year labor contract with average increases of 31% in base pay by August and other improvements, marking the last of the major carriers with unionized flight crews to reach an agreement post-Covid.
The labor agreement would give United’s roughly 30,000 flight attendants their first raise in nearly six years. The company and the flight attendants union reached a preliminary agreement in March. Crews rejected a contract last year.
The union said the contract had the approval of 82% of flight attendants, with nearly 90% of them voting.
“The contract will immediately be life-changing for United Flight Attendants, especially our thousands of new recruits who have been hired since the pandemic,” said Ken Diaz, president of the United chapter of the Association of Flight Attendants.
The contract also includes boarding compensation, that is, compensation when the plane door is open and travelers board. For years, airlines have triggered payment to flight attendants once the boarding gate closes.
The contract comes with an increase of approximately 7 to 8 percent in compensation and $741 million in back pay, as well as quality-of-life improvements such as restrictions on red-eye flights and “sit pay” during disruptions lasting more than 2 1/2 hours.