In a move that it hopes will deter flight attendants from unionizing, Delta Air Lines will pay flight attendants during boarding, a revolutionary change in the U.S. aviation industry that will lead to pay bumps, particularly for junior flight attendants.
Delta Air Lines Will Pay Flight Attendants During Boarding, A Boon For Junior Flight Attendants
Although it seems counterintuitive, U.S. flight attendants are not paid when they check-in for work. Nor are they paid when they show up to the plane. Not even during boarding, even if there are delays. Instead, flight attendants only start getting paid when the aircraft door closes.
It’s not like this move is pure avarice on the part of the airline: unions have negotiated for this over the years as a way to bargain for more pay in-flight. But this bargain has traditionally hit junior flight attendants more than senior flights since more junior workers tend to work shorter domestic flights versus longer domestic or international flights.
A push to pay flight attendants for boarding time has gained steam this year and Delta has become the first U.S. carrier to make this change. Effective June 2, 2022, Delta will will pay flight attendants 50% of their in-flight wages for boarding. Depending upon seniority, that translates to an extra $16.10 to $36.19 per hour.
Delta will also increase boarding times while paying a flat rate for boarding (even if there ends up being a delay):
- 40 minutes – domestic narrowbody flights
- 45 minutes – domestic widebody flights
- 50 minutes – international flights
This move will benefit junior flight attendants in particular since on any duty day they might have 3-4 flights. Currently, being junior means those periods do not count for pay, which can certainly add up.
CONCLUSION
Delta Air Lines will begin paying flight attendants for boarding time, a revolutionary move in the U.S. aviation industry.
Union advocates will say it was their push for unionization that led to this change while Delta management will point out that it pays it flight attendants more and treats them better than their union counterparts. Whoever the winner is in terms of the ongoing labor war, Delta flight attendants–particularly junior ones–are the winners here.
It will now be interesting to see if unionized airlines match, especially at American Airlines where a new contract is currently under negotiation.
Let’s be clear. This is nothing more than an attempt by Delta to avoid unionization. I’d estimate 40% of Delta’s flight attendants want to unionize, judging by how many wear the protest all-black uniforms.
P.S. If Delta was serious about fixing boarding, they would CHARGE non-status customers for carry-on bags and give FREE checked bags to all passengers. 40 minutes on a fully loaded 737, 757, or A321 is hardly sufficient time given that many passengers are bringing a pursue, background or duffle bag, and a full-size carry-on bag.
The all-black uniforms are protesting systemic racism. The flight attendants wearing them are supporting BLM, not unions.
Very interesting.
Every time a blog discusses this peculiar compensation scheme and ignoramus or two gets outraged and cannot grasp that this compensation scheme has been negotiated by one of the most successful unions in the US. And, there can be no surprise that the compensation system adjusts the slices of the compensation pie in favor of those with seniority at the expense of those who do not.
I assume that Delta will make up for this with a lower pay for time airborne, more or less making it a zero sum game. I find no outrage in that.
Whether it’s a ploy to avoid unionization or not, the fact remains that the FA unions have failed to deliver this to their members. The reality is that this is a boon to junior flight attendants who tend to work more, shorter flights and generally speaking hold less power in the union.
Other carriers probably required some sort of offset (e.g. lower wage rate or reduced wage increase) to make up for this so senior flight attendants working fewer, longer flights would be the losers and the unions cater to them.
“the fact remains that the FA unions have failed to deliver this to their members”
Unions are typically quite seniority friendly. Perhaps they have actually been quite successful for their more senior members by delivering a compensation scheme that favors the senior flight attendants who, shockingly, have first dibs on longer haul flights with less unpaid time and more unpaid time.
Unfortunately for the consumer, Sara Nelson knows what she is doing.
What specific benefits will joining the union get them?
I agree, every time there has been a union push at Delta in recent years Delta management has responded by increasing their flight attendants pay in some shape or form. Obviously Delta flight attendants are okay with their current work rules, I’ve heard United flight attendants have some of the best negotiated work rules which handicaps United, but obviously Delta isn’t treating their flight attendants badly and continues to pay them at hourly rates that match their union counterparts and now with this new perk Delta’s pay will exceed what flight attendants at American and United are paid. Delta flight attendants are getting all the money without having to pay a penny in union dues, that sounds like a win win to me. If I were a Delta flight attendant I would be looking for the next union push just so Delta management could pay me more.
It sounds like the DL FAs are getting a number of the benefits of union negotiations on other airlines without having to pay union dues. Sounds like a win