United Airlines has now publicly outlined its position in ongoing contract negotiations with flight attendants, and while the airline insists it is pushing toward an “industry-leading” agreement, the details reveal a tradeoff for cabin crews: raises paired with structural tradeoffs that alter reserve pay and scheduling control. Let’s unpack what is going on.
United Puts Contract Tradeoffs In Writing As Flight Attendant Talks Resume
United Airlines made the unusual move of sharing with the media a January 2026 negotiations update with in-flight employees following renewed talks with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA). Typically, memos like this are forwarded by flight attendants to me, but this one was shared directly by United. The memo, written by Nathan Lopp, United’s Vice President of Labor Relations, clearly outlines how the airline is framing the path forward: higher wages, but only if they are offset by changes to reserve guarantees and scheduling systems.
United opened by thanking flight attendants for their work during the busy holiday travel season and reiterated that it wants to deliver an industry-leading contract while remaining competitive. The airline said the union’s current economic proposal would place United at a disadvantage relative to peers, prompting management to present a counterproposal that attempts to balance cost and compensation.
What United Says It Is Offering
According to the update, United’s counterproposal addresses several issues AFA has identified as priorities, including:
- Sit Ratio-in-Guarantee (RIG) pay
- Changes to Reserve Availability Periods (RAPs)
- Faster implementation of wage increases
RIG pay is a contractual pay-protection formula that compensates crew members for long, unpaid ground time (sits) between flight segments.
United again emphasized that the previously rejected tentative agreement would have delivered industry-leading pay among unionized U.S. carriers for the duration of the contract. Management stressed that flight attendants “have waited too long” for raises and said it remains focused on implementing pay increases as soon as possible.
But that framing comes with a qualifier. United made clear that new economic gains must be accompanied by cost offsets elsewhere in the contract.
Reserve Pay Reduction Tied To RAP Changes
One of the most contentious elements outlined in the memo is United’s proposal to reduce the reserve monthly guarantee from 78 hours to 75 hours and to phase out the reserve override.
United presents this as part of a broader effort to reduce the length of Reserve Availability Periods, which it says AFA members identified as a top concern in union surveys. The airline claims that adjusting the guarantee would allow RAPs to shrink to 12 hours, aligning United with American Airlines.
Put another way, reducing the minimum hour guarantee by three hours and phasing out reserve override, which is an additional hourly premium (about $2 per hour) paid to reserve flight attendants on top of their base pay while on reserve duty, would mean flight attendants would only be “on call” for 12 hours instead of the current 24 hours. That strikes me as a huge improvement in the quality of life.
The memo stresses that these ideas are part of ongoing discussions and would only move forward as part of a “balanced agreement,” with any changes implemented gradually and in partnership with the union.
Still, the math is straightforward. A lower monthly guarantee means less guaranteed pay for reserve flight attendants, with the tradeoff being shorter on-call windows. That exchange was a major factor in why the last tentative agreement failed.
Algorithmic Scheduling And PBS
United also addressed questions about the Preferential Bidding System (PBS), which it is proposing as part of the new contract.
The airline emphasized that PBS does not create pairings, eliminate open time, or remove the ability to trade or drop trips. Instead, it is described as a method of awarding schedules based on individual preferences rather than bidding on pre-built lines.
Technically, that description is accurate. Practically, it shifts how control is exercised. When schedules are awarded by algorithm, quality of life depends heavily on how preferences are weighted and how the system performs in real-world operation. For many flight attendants, that represents a loss of transparency and predictability compared to traditional line bidding, hence the reluctance to make the switch. But other carriers use PBS and United has used PBS for its own pilots for 20 years; it’s not nearly as bad as some flight attendants make it out to be.
A Deal May Still Be A Long Way Off…
United’s update is significant because it removes ambiguity. The airline is explicitly linking wage increases to structural changes that reduce guaranteed pay for reserves and increase reliance on algorithmic scheduling. This is the core framework and one that the AFA-CWA appears fundamentally at odds with. While the airline insists it is working collaboratively and making steady progress, the fundamental disagreement remains unresolved.
CONCLUSION
United’s January update clarifies where the company stands. Raises will come, but only alongside changes that alter how flight attendants are scheduled and how reserve pay is calculated. Whether that constitutes an industry-leading contract depends on what one values more: higher hourly rates or long-term control over pay stability and scheduling. Has United laid out a red line or is this simply a bargaining bluff to allow for a compromise later (like keeping the 78 hours)?
For now, the negotiations continue (with periodic negotiations scheduled into late March). But by putting these tradeoffs in writing, United has made clear that this contract fight is about striking a balance between wages and work rules that keep it competitive with American and Delta.
image: United Airlines
I’mm’a go with ‘bargaining bluff,’ Matt.
Having done several PBS implementations the biggest change is that with PBS, you are bidding FOR things and not looking to clash things off of your roster.
Bidlines also requires multiple steps whereas PBS is one and done.
The fact that PBS has been an industry tool for decades proves its value.
Sara Nelson is a cancer on the industry
She’s a leftist figurehead that has done little to help the rank and file at United, a carrier she still technically works for. But she can be counted on to parrot every pro-labor talking point, crying foul over the most asinine things like beverage service when it suits her interest.
Spot on Matt
Management stressed that flight attendants “have waited too long” for raises
So Kirby – the guy who’s held back raises – is complaining that he held off on giving fair pay to his people? Props to him for admitting how badly he’s treated the people who made his The Best Airline In The History Of The World and basically censuring himself. He should offer himself his resignation and accept it.
Of course, Kirby isn’t the only ridiculous clown in this circus: Sarah Nelson who, like certain other top level politicians, beyond belief gets elected again to illustrate enormous incompetence at the whole job thing is a big part of this. Instead of grandstanding and making stupid proclamations she should be laying low trying to figure out the best path to helping out the people who elected her but that would be constructive and rational so no luck there.
Why is United trying to negotiate in public? Like you stated normally it is FA’s who forward you United memo’s but here we have United sending you the memo themselves it isn’t a good look and it is going to make FA’s trust management more.
United has made some huge strides and Kirby may thinks its all thanks to him but the truth is United FA’s have played a sizable role in rebuilding the airline and the publics perception of the United brand. FA’s spend the most times with customers that time spent can make or break customers perception of the airline. Look at American they’ve lost their FA’s completely even though they have a contract things still haven’t changed. If Kirby looses the FA’s and they revert back to what they were prior to Oscar Munoz arrival United Next is dead in the water. If Kirby really wants United to dethrone Delta he needs the FA’s which means he needs to pay United FA’s. They are now the lowest paid in the industry making less per credit hour than American Alaska, Delta and Southwest. Kirby talks a lot about United being the best then pay your employees and give them that industry leading contract you LOVE to talk about. Your pep talks will only go so far and FA’s as well as other work groups within United who are still working without a ratified contract are getting tired of the talk followed by no action at all to actually award industry leading contracts.
Don’t forget United’s contract with is pilots will be up for ratification in 2027 can Kirby really afford to get into a labor war with multiple unions? Given how far apart the AFA and United are it could take most of 2026 for them to get a TA for FA’s to even vote on.
Two points: 1) The previous contract proposal dangled significant pay increases as a carrot for ratification, while several awful items were tucked away in the language. For instance, the company wanted FAs to disclose private health information when FAs used sick leave…not in extreme cases, but routinely, effectively discouraging people using the very sick leave they earned.
2) Right now UA is treating their FAs like sh*t. FAs are routinely punished or even terminated for minor infractions without a proper investigation or opportunity to present their side of the case. Customer complaints are accepted as facts. Many supervisors have never been FAs, so have no idea of actual working conditions. There’s more, but not for this space. Why would the FAs want to accept a poor contract when being treated like this?