A United Airlines flight attendant has penned an essay explaining why it may appear that flight attendants do not like their jobs. As a new collective bargaining agreement remains unsigned, flight attendants are grappling with low morale and frustration in the Friendly Skies.
United Airlines Flight Attendant Explains Why Morale Has Collapsed
Here’s the comment (a comment that turned into an essay):
Our contract expired in 2021. Senior FAs haven’t had a raise in four years despite record inflation. New hire FAs are living in poverty.
New hires are sent to some of the highest cost of living cities in the US to be on call for 24 hours day and night on ready reserve days. They can expect to make about $30-40k their first year. A lot of flight attendants are effectively homeless and make it work with layovers, friends, and/or a crash pad (a shared living situation – my first in SFO had 25 people, 12 in my room, and I paid $400/mo).
On top of that, our work group has effectively no leverage in these contract negotiations. We just voted down a bad faith first proposal overwhelmingly, but where does that leave us? It will be 6+ months before we see the next proposal. And if we vote that down, can we go on strike? No. The Railway Labor Act makes federal government approval a requirement for us to strike. Pretty sure Trump hung a massive portrait of himself outside the Department of Labor yesterday, lol. Because of this dynamic, things aren’t looking great for a future second proposal, which was the best argument to vote yes on this sh*tty first proposal.
Last year, 99.99% of our work group voted that they’d approve a strike (I did the math, 2 FAs voted no, and I’m convinced they fat fingered it). It’s bad vibes at UA in 2025.
I started in 2018. Things used to be a lot better in terms of morale and schedule flexibility, but it was still hard my first few years just to find a room to rent and afford the basics. It’s still hard for me now. I feel so bad for new hires today.
On top of all that, the world has lost its damn mind. Collective American insanity really seems to manifest on the plane and at the airport where we force people of all stripes to cram together, shut up, and comply with FAA regulations, because we’re all too poor to fly private.
I have my qualms about the company, but I always try to do a good job and make it a positive experience for the passengers and the crew. The crew probably just met and has to learn to work together for the next few days, before saying goodbye and doing it all over again with a new crew.
I wasn’t prepared for how isolating this job was going to be. It definitely has its pros – pros like flight benefits will always keep a pile of fresh applications at the ready, even though the flight benefits are getting harder to use – but it is an underpaid, often thankless job that is hard on the body/mind.
I’ve seen United f*ck over passengers and crew for four summers in a row during “meltdowns” (CEO Scott Kirby flew his family private to vacation during one of these). These could easily be avoided or mitigated with simple staffing improvements. For instance, during these meltdowns 4+ hour hold times are the norm for a crew member to speak to a scheduler and see where they’re supposed to work after chaos destroyed their original trip, leaving them stranded somewhere. I’ve seen screenshots of hold times over 12 hours (better believe this is unpaid time). This results in crews timing out. Then, your flight gets canceled, along with all the dominos that fall down line from that cancellation. Those schedulers probably make $20-30 an hour.
United! Why are you doing $1.5 billion share buy backs and bragging about record profits?! Hire more schedulers for f*cks sake! Pay your flight attendants a living wage!
I kind of understood in 2022… coming out of Covid will take time. But now it’s clear to me, the only thing that matters is the share price going up. Good leads the way, my ass.
There are so many lovely, smart, caring people working at United. It’s a shame that a corporation isn’t like a person at all. It will suck every dollar out of a situation, staring at us humans with an unblinking smile the whole way. This seems to culminate in the destruction of a planet, but that’s a different conversation.
I often imagine an executive discussion about the food served on the plane going something like, “How cheaply and badly can we make this chicken shakshuka so people will still occasionally eat it and we won’t get sued?”
Thanks for making your post and being curious about the FAs.
(Last thing, you probably know this, but during boarding– usually the most hectic part of the day — we aren’t paid a dime. Those four-hour delays in EWR that are so common now? Yeah, longer day, usually zero extra dollars paid.)
CONCLUSION
I’m not going to analyze this note line-by-line now…it speaks for itself. I’ll only add that there remains a huge supply/demand imbalance between open positions and interest in becoming a United flight attendant. That itself will always (and should always) be a check on wages. But it’s no good that junior flight attendants can barely make ends in meet because they have not seen a wage increase in several years while inflation has certainly been eroding purchasing power. And the flight attendant is correct that while United has invested a great deal in technology, its crew scheduling software still has a ways to go…I’ve heard from many flight attendants about the long hold times when the airline is suffering operational issues. Furthermore, though, contrary to what some may think I am not anti-union and I am certainly pro-flight attendant. Flight attendants must eventually ask themselves why the AFA-CWA has been so deficient in its duty to deliver an industry-leading contract to United flight attendants.
Finally, I am grateful for United flight attendants…I just flew United this week and had two excellent crews. I can understand why morale is low now…but it certainly did not show on my flights. I hope that the FAs at United will soon have a new signed contract.
“morale” the vague unmeasurable line unions use
rather than harp on that they’d be better served demonstrating their value upside by challenging their members to drive more improvement in crew satisfaction scores that bring more revenue that then give more negotiating leverage for a better contract
If they do not like the pay, maybe they should have accepted the nearly 40% raise they were offered
Yeah , I also do not understand why they rejected the contract , and he/she dos not explain why .
Also , the rent he/she paid in SFO ought to be spelled out , because it does not add up .
Also , he/she uses foul language , which is quite low-IQ .
Otherwise he/she makes some good points . Especially that FAs are used by management , but not fairly compensated for their value .
Cry some more b#tch, you knew the situation when you took the job. No one, other than some lunatic union supporters give a flying F about your career choice. You thought it would be glamorous and you would meet your future husband that would sweep you off your feet. Sorry it doesn’t work that way.
Try OnlyFans to supplement your income, or better yet, find a career that pays, granted you will actually have to work more than a few hours a day and not just sit in your jump seat on your phone most of the time.
Zero sympathy for sh#tty career choices.
Hope this guy has never asked for a raise in his career, or if you did your boss told you to cry some more b*tch, you knew the pay when you signed up for the job (even though your contract expired and there has been record inflation…)
You lose the argument when you say “record inflation”.
Meanwhile it’s the risk you take when you are a sap working for others that mistreat you in your mind. You either start and create something like most successful people do, find another job, or take it in the Aaron.
I know, everyone is a “victim” to you, even the Tranny killer in Minneapolis yesterday.
Tell me what argument I have lost – it has been record inflation over many periods, sure not as high as say the 1980s but the economic circumstances then were hardly comparable.
If no one works for others, who do you want to serve you your coffee or fly your planes etc? In your world everyone should just work for themselves and companies should not exist? Make it make sense… Also FAs have started something, they have a career in aviation, helping thousands of people to get to where they need to go safely and comfortably. What have you created – other than mean comments on a blog?
Also I have no idea what you’re on about with your assumptions about my opinion on a horrific tragedy that happened yesterday… Seems a bit irrelevant to flight attendants being mistreated. Are you confused?
Hi Andy. Don’t even bother responding to racist Dave, our little Adolf.
He’s an evil human being, with plenty of time to spew hate and nonsense online.
[Deleted]
You know it’s rare that I censor comments, but this was too much Dave…
That’s because he lives in his parents basement.
I don’t blame his parents. With a son like that, I’d chain him up in the basement, too.
$100,000 says I have more assets than you as of August 1st 2025.
Matt is a lawyer so I trust him to hold the monies and he has to be ethical as to who you are.
Loser gives him $10k for facilitating the wager.
Yea, I’ll be fine if I’m wrong.
Let’s set the rules clown.
Didn’t think you had the balls to make the wager “businessman”.
Who hurted you in life, Andy… mommy, daddy? So mich rage comes from something big happening to you. I pity you
I was a flight attendant, when I met my husband, a pilot. I actually earned more than he did. And I had greater assets than him.. we’ve been married for almost 30 years, so actually, sometimes it does work out that way! So, I guess you don’t know what you’re talking about!
I wonder how the IT teams feel. Probably totally ignored.
United uses a lot of Indian IT resources and turnover is high.
They do well in some areas (the United app is amazing) but struggle in others (operations software comes to mind).
Trying to be a more positive person, I understand the struggles flight attendants face. Better scheduling software, boarding pay are important issues. These are difficult times and many are having a rough go at making ends meet. But you have a job, and the freedom to control your own happiness and destiny. Wishing you well but as someone once reminded me, take your cookies when they are passed.
The FA’S are resisting PBS which would give them more control over their schedules.
* The senior FAs that benefit from the current process are resisting PBS, not all FAs are. Junior ones are quite pro it actually.
The senior flight attendants don’t care about PBS one way or the other. They’ll hold the trips they want either way. It’s probably the middle seniority that doesn’t want it.
The only way junior FA’s are against PBS is if they believe the lies senior FA’s are spreading about PBS and aren’t doing their own homework as it pertains to PBS. PBS benefits junior FA’s and I’m not just talking about new hires, any FA with 20 years (United has plenty of FA’s with 40 years or more seniority) or less seniority would benefit from PBS. The issue is senior FA’s want to keep all the good trips, high paying trips locked down and unavailable to junior FA’s unless they decide to drop the trip. If junior FA’s would educate themselves on PBS they’d see it something that would benefit them greatly.
that is precisely why the AFA excluded PBS in the current contract but the majority of UA FAs will benefit. The company knew it costs money to not use PBS and so extracted value the FAs could otherwise get if UA used PBS.
The UA pilots use it, IIRC. Why do UA FAs think they are so much better that they can’t accept similar scheduling rules to the pilots? and, yes, there have to be rules around it but overall PBS is more efficient for the company which means better pay in other areas. It’s basic labor math
“a shared living situation – my first in SFO had 25 people, 12 in my room, and I paid $400/mo”
I’m sorry, they were in an apartment that was $10K a month? That I want to see, lol.
At least the guys could make some extra cash visiting Paul Pelosi late at night when Nancy is away.
Assuming of course Aaron isn’t already booked for the night.
Enough. That was awful. Please stop.
He can’t help himself. He has his closeted lusting for me and for gay sex. He’s outed himself on more than one occasion on here.
I know many junior flight attendants who don’t want PBS that’s very inaccurate information
PBS would not give flight attendants more control over their schedules it would give less if there are less trips to trade with in open time. Pilots trade by seniority and so do AA flight attendants so if that were copied it would mean even less flexibility and being stuck with many trips.
The problem is the rigged trading pool which United Airlines manipulates not PBS
I think they all share a house and pay $400 per month for the privilege. Not everyone is there at the same time.
she has no qualms about United but then spends 1/3 of her letter bemoaning things that are common to nearly all FAs (esp. in the US) and 2/3 items specifically about UA?
1. Did you seriously not understand the FA job and if you did not, at what point do you think it is time to walk away because it will never be what you expect?
2. United (like American) has a long history of employee-mgmt conflict. Oscar Munoz patched things up for a period but Scott Kirby and co. are cut out of the same fabric that most US airline execs are cut out of – that hostile labor/mgmt relations are the norm. UA has low-balled every 1st offer it has made to every labor group post covid. It isn’t about the FA position or the AFA. They want to wear down their people to save money. and they are perfectly happy w/ being able to tout they fly more ASMs than any other airline in the world – so they can then claim that they are too big to allow a strike.
sorry you are stuck in a bad situation but the choices are either to recognize that UA controls the stakes and you control whether you choose to be there or not. and, if you choose to be there, you have to choose to play by the rules that UA sets for performance and service or what you believe you need and want to provide.
This is just life in our corporatocracy. Flight attendants have a few extra unique challenges, but the root cause of this FA’s complaints are the same facing any employee of giant, faceless corporations. If you want a good life, figure out ways to work for yourself or for a small business that has a human leading it. Working for a large multinational corporation is modern slavery, where management’s job is to keep you miserable. Nothing is going to change until/unless there’s a violent revolution and the corporate class is hanging from lamp-posts. That’s never going to happen.
Actually a small law firm pays less than the biggest white shoe firms. Some of those NYC firms can charge more than $1,200 per hour for the senior lawyers. Disclaimer: junior and mid level lawyers don’t make $1200 per hour.
I just read that doctor’s payments for services by Medicare has been cut between 29-33% since 2001. Therefore, it would be the same if United FA pay were cut. Not having a raise is icing on the cake.
What really needs to happen is that senior FA pay should be cut and the amount saved used to increase the pay of junior FAs. The quality of FA does not get better with experience. It actually gets worse after the FA gets a little initial experience.
Matthew. First… Every time I read your newsletter, it never convinces me that you are pro union or even pro flight attendant.
Our union, AFA – CWA, was not deficient in its duty to deliver an industry leading contract. The proposal was 1.8 billion more than what American Flight attendance received, which had the next highest cost factor awarded. After several surveys back in 2019, 2021, and 2022, the union worked tirelessly to secure the most advancements in each section of the contract. We are probably the only airline and Work group that is contractually provided healthcare plans spelled out in over 30 pages of our contract. We said no to a bidding system that would save the company millions of dollars annually. We added paid maternity and paternity leave. I could use up an entire page for the improvements that were included in this contract. So, your statement is completely false and just leads to more workers losing trust of their unions.
The junior flight attendant speaking here has no idea of the history of negotiations or unions. She he can only pull from their limited time. When the TA was announced in late, June, the union set up roadshows in almost every single base we have. They set up virtual roadshows for those bases they couldn’t reach or for those unable to attend at their local base. Attendance was lacking. While we may have had a high strike, vote, count, it wasn’t for the enthusiasm of the members. It was local reps going out and speaking directly to members Where they are… In the airport. We tried to make sure everyone knew what was at stake and why a strike vote mattered. We never told anyone how to vote. But we made sure to provide them the facts.
This person says that they received a bad faith first proposal???? This was NOT a first proposal. This was years of pushing papers back-and-forth across the table with management. The union sent out the company’s first proposal back in 2019. They wanted the members to see exactly what the company wanted from us. That is a first proposal. The TA presented to the members was nothing like that proposal. education of members is critical, but we need them to come to meetings. To read newsletters and be engaged. Rumors and innuendos are what helps to make our group and I’m sure the company helps with that. It sounds to me as if this person didn’t attend a roadshow or even attend their local meetings. Unfortunately, jumpseat gossip is where many get their information. We can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make them drink it. Personal responsibility has deteriorated in my 40 years.
The company has lacked in many things when it comes to operating an airline. I blame that on greed. Companies should not be making decision decisions that solely affect the shareholder or themselves. At the end of the day, if your work groups are not happy, the airline suffers. What I’ve seen is similar to what is happening in our government. Intimidation. Do as I say or you’re fired. Constant attacks on our contract have not stopped. Any ability for the company to finagle contract language is more important than just working within the language. It’s constant. And extremely tiring. There are those of us who fight this trend daily. The majority don’t because they are just pushed into submission. We are lucky to have a union because those at Delta would just be fired. At least we have DUE PROCESS.
Well, I do have sympathy for what our junior members have to go through in their early years of flying. That aspect has never changed in the industry. However, different airlines have different contracts. Some are more kind to their junior members than others. I also understand that the cost of things have dramatically changed. If the contract had passed, not only would their income have gone up dramatically, but their working life would have changed for the better. I guess they won’t see this until a new TA is agreed upon. Something that the more junior members to the airline industry don’t understand…..Rome wasn’t built overnight. The contract that I happily enjoyed in the 90s was fought over many years from those before me. It wasn’t one contract that got us there. ChatGPT does not have the answers.
I would suggest that if you were going to publish something from a Jr member of our work group that you also post something in the same article from someone who has a lot more information about the reality of what is happening.
Hi Robin, thank you for your thoughtful comment.
I mean I agree with there being some problems with the junior FA’s statement. It was not a bad faith proposal – it was just a bad contract that completely missed the needs and wants of the member base (which you’d think a union would know…) But your statement is also incorrect “We never told anyone how to vote” – Ken Diaz literally cornered FAs on flights and in airports trying to say how good the contract is.
The roadshows were also a bit of a joke – many critical questions were ignored or shutdown. The questions around vague contract language were usually answered with “we have had a heart to heart with management and they said they won’t do the bad things that they could do with this vague language” as if you didn’t just learn from the “downtown-like” loophole?
Matthew or this junior FA aren’t the reason FAs are losing trust in AFA, its AFA.
Who are you exactly? Do you work for the company and are you a flight attendant. Ken Diaz never cornered anyone. The volunteers and union leadership wanted to make sure the members had all of their questions answered. The contract wasn’t shoved down anyone’s throats. The TA was not bad and did not miss the points of what was requested via surveys and speaking directly to our members. Major points were won in this contract.
Robin,
you sound just like the entitled union leadership that creates a horrible working environment for younger FAs while clinging to the privileges of being senior.
and Delta FAs have long since paid off the cars they bought post covid with the pay raises and profit sharing that your union has been unable to get for you.
The notion that DL randomly and incessantly fires employees because they aren’t unionized is the height of ignorance.
UA had years of pathetic labor relations and we (you as UA employees) are right back into that cycle after the brief respite that Oscar brought.
Tim,.,…it’s apparent that you don’t know me by calling me entitled. I have been a huge advocate my entire career for better working conditions for everyone but mainly how it affects our most junior members. That is why I dedicated my entire career to volunteering to help our members in anyway possible. Encouraging participation has always been my goal. It’s more difficult these days due to the many distractions which includes social media.
You must be an executive at Delta because your comments don’t reflect what happens to Delta FAs. The well publicized minor improvements that FAs receive can be taken back at any time. They are highly publicized to encourage their members not to vote in a union. A friend of mine was fired merely for being in the bottom seniority at the Atlanta base and delta had to downsize Atlanta numbers. No explanation. Sent out with 19 others. Not even the most junior systemwide. They won a lawsuit but didn’t get their jobs back because there was no contract saying the company couldn’t be fired at will. That doesn’t happen at UA because we have a contract because we have a union. Any positive that delta fas get is off the backs of all of the other unionized flight attendants in other unions.
Also, you must be an executive because the easiest way to have control over your employees is to demonize unions. I haven’t heard you say that the company should have done the right thing and negotiate fairly. That didn’t happen.
seriously, Robin?
when has Delta ever downsized ATL? and FAs have the right to move to another base as is true for unionized pilots.
and no, I am not a DL exec or even work there
DL might have fired employees for cause – which a union cannot protect – and AA and UA do the same.
the more you say, the more it appears that it is you that is so steeped in your bias that you can’t admit the truth.
Sorry, but where is this 1.8 billion more being spent? Pay? It was barely more than AA. Doesnt AA get some sort of ground or sit pay? Not agreeing to PBS isnt a gain. We didnt have it in the first place. Was it retro? Sorry, signing bonus…which heaps the tax burden onto us.
It wasn’t hotels – AA has a Me Too clause with their pilots. It wasnt a better profit sharing system–i will say we already had that better than them, but keeping it the same was a neutral. It wasnt reserve RAPs – they get 12 hours call outs. Oh, and to mention SW, did you know they can call fatigue ANY time and receive no points and no questions? They dont have a duty max, but they actually have a functioning fatigue system. So, I just dont know where all this money was spent.
My first reaction was: what did you all do for 4 years?
Never going to happen but if the pilots decided to do a sympathy slowdown or strike to show solidarity with the FA’s then this would be resolved very quickly. Unfortunately, expecting that kind of solidarity and altruism from the pilots’ union is about as likely as Matthew being the next Governor Of California. Meanwhile, FA’s get royally screwed and pilots make up to a million a year. Isn’t unfettered Capitalism great?
Couldn’t agree more.
Take the offered contract–it exceeded the rate of inflation
Agreed. I flew United twice in the last few days. Once in economy and once long haul international business.
Particularly the business flight the crew seemed jovial, engaged and kind.
Why would you say that the Union is to blame !!! I’m also a flight attendant If you read her entire essay you’d understand the horrible way the RLA works to snuff out any leverage on a union The company also had worked extensively to split the workgroup against each other during our merger
The essay was very spot on Your “opinion” on my Union is NOT
Next time place the blame where it belongs
Corporate greed
TLDR.
wi-fi radiation bouncing around in small space — enters the chat
People can poo poo flight attendants all they want and yes, there are bad batches just like every job (recently visited my father in the hospital and some of the nursing staff has been incredibly rude). With that said, the flight attendants, pilots, and gate agents are the only customer advocates at the airline. They see constantly how passengers are so screwed by the company. I had a flight once that, long story short, was a nightmare. As we taxied in to the gate, the flight attendant gave their announcement and then said “also, please take down a pen and paper and write this email down” he said the email and then said “that’s our CEOs email and I implore you to write to him and let him know how bad this was. And tweet it like you mean it – post this experience online. I’ll back you up when they call me about it” Without a union workforce, employees wouldn’t dare say such a thing. Delta can and does fire employees for posting negative comments about the company. Can the unions be unreasonable sometimes? Of course but I appreciate their ability to call out terrible management decisions that hurt passengers
The union rubber-stamped the horrible mandatory vaccination policy during the pandemic. I won’t forgive them for not standing up for workers who felt convicted otherwise.
No one who is pro-labor makes a comment stating a good labor supply is a check on wages, ever. United FA should carch the flu in a rotating basis, especially around the holidays. Yes, a wildcat strike is necessary. As an employee your job is to ring the shit out of the golden goose, just dont kill it.
Each fa can individually screw United . No need to say more …
Ok just spitballing here, what is the risk of just going on strike, like the Air Canada FAs did? It was also declared illegal and they finally got what they wanted (I think). My point is that FAs are not easily replaceable, at least not quickly, so if they were to strike, it would force the airline to move faster on their second offer. Even the threat of strike. Like that was the whole purpose of the strike.
And if Railway Labor Act exists and applies for private companies, maybe airlines should just be a federal service. Can’t have it both ways where it’s a private for profit company and yet can fight for better benefits.
you are right but there is no momentum to change the way labor relations work for US airlines so airline unions have to work w/ what they have.
There are two reasons that the UA flight attendants don’t have a new contract. And it’s going to up to the union, not United, how to fix that.
The top reason is how to allocate money, compensation, benefits among the various seniority levels. The union has historically favored the long-time members with the most seniority. They are willing to sacrifice the finances of the new employees to give the greatest rewards to members with the highest seniority. I guess that means pay your dues. But the reason that there is no boarding pay is that junior FAs fly lots of short flights with many boardings, and senior flight attendants fly long haul with little boarding times. So they are better off with a higher in-flight pay rate and no boarding pay.
If the union wanted to cut a better deal with junior flight attendants, they could give disproportionate pay raises at the low seniority levels and add boarding pay. The airline looks at this as what is the financial cost of the contract, they are willing to distribute the economic cost however the union will agree. It’s not a free lunch, if you add more money here, you add less money there. The union chose to prioritize senior flight attendants as it often does.
The second reason is that there is a belief that if you vote down the first contract, you will get a better second contract proposal. I’m not sure whether this is true, but that was the narrative among employees. They thought they’d get a better deal by voting it down. The reality is a lot more nuanced. Maybe management will add a percent to the deal. Or maybe not. Management can’t resolve the conflict between junior and senior. That’s up to the union.
In this case the union made a tactical error not to get the contract done last year when airline economics were better, travel demand was high, and Biden controlled the NLRB. A lot has changed. Demand has moderated. Management does not have any incentive to increase costs disproportionately and they cannot get involved in how the union allocates the money between junior and senior. They may as well wait it out.
And that’s where we are. The union should have cut a deal before the election. I don’t know if the union could have convinced the employees that they’d be better off accepting the deal than taking the delay of a rejection. But I don’t see much leverage to settle this quickly. The FAs have made their bed and now they get to sleep in it.
I don’t work for UA in any capacity, nor for any consultant. I’m just a traveler and observer.
Too the person that wrote this…Thank You !!
I’ve been an FA at United (previously CO) for 18 years. My morale hasn’t been affected by any of this contract nonsense. Sure, I’m ready for a new contract and a raise, but our current contract is great too. The only thing I really want in a new contract is better “pool numbers” to make instant open time trading better. That, and maybe the option to decline a reassignment with no pay should my flight cancel. However, right now, I can make over $100K a year on the current contract, I can save for retirement, carry zero debt, and take plenty of vacations each year. I chose not to entertain the negative nellies on the plane, or the pro-Union fanatics. This job would be so much more pleasant without a union to create constant division between workers and management. Miserable people love company, and I have chosen not to be miserable. I love my job just the same today as I did when I was on straight reserve for 8 years in my early career. Perspective is everything
This article isn’t relevant to everyone at United. My morale is just fine, and on my flights, 8 of the 9 FAs are excellent; happy, friendly, and efficient workers. There’s always the 1 in 9 though. Don’t be the 1 in 9.
Alexx, what keeps you/makes you happy?