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Home » United Airlines » At Long Last, United Airlines Reaches Tentative Labor Deal With Flight Attendants
NewsUnited Airlines

At Long Last, United Airlines Reaches Tentative Labor Deal With Flight Attendants

Matthew Klint Posted onMay 24, 2025May 24, 2025 12 Comments

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After five years of negotiations, United Airlines and the union representing the carrier’s 28,000 flight attendants have reached a tentative deal on a new contract.

“Industry-Leading” Tentative Deal Struck Between United Airlines And Flight Attendants

A tentative agreement between the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and United Airlines was stuck on Friday after years of negotiation stretching back to the pandemic. We don’t have the exact details of the new tentative agreement yet, but per the union, it includes:

  • Industry-leading compensation
  • Hotel, scheduling, reserve, and other quality of life improvements
  • No PBS or reference to PBS
  • In the first year alone, flight attendants will gain 40% of total economic improvements
  • Industry-leading retro pay

.@AFAUnitedMEC & @united today reached an historic TA for 28,000 Flight Attendants.

AFA appreciates NMB mediator Michael Kelliher, who worked with the parties to reach this agreement.

Read the full release: https://t.co/yX3DxXbsSA pic.twitter.com/lHucNuLZFt

— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) May 23, 2025

PBS is short for Preferential Bidding System. PBS is a system in which you bid for things that you want or want to avoid (such as LAX layovers, single-day trips, redeyes, or certain aircraft types). An algorithm then takes those preferences and builds trips based on seniority. This is in use at American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

Instead, the older line bidding system will continue to be used, in which flight attendants bid for pre-constructed trips that are awarded based on seniority.

Until we have the precise details, it is too early to say whether the back pay, compensation going forward, and fringe benefits are industry-leading.

A source has told Live And Let’s Fly that the union caved into many of United’s demands in exchange for generous back pay, which was the main sticking point for ongoing negotiations.

The next step will be for union negotiators to present the deal to United’s Master Executive Council (local union leaders). This will occur next week, starting on May 29, 2025. Should the council vote to send the agreement to members, it will go to United’s 28,000 flight attendants, who will have three weeks to vote yay or nay on the new deal.

The text of the new tentative agreement will be posted here in the days ahead.

United has praised the deal, saying, “United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA announced an agreement that will provide industry-leading wages and many other improvements for United’s 28,000 flight attendants if ratified.”

Scott Kirby, United’s CEO, said:

“Our flight attendants are the best in the industry and have earned an industry-leading contract. I often say they are the face of our operation and the role they play every day – to keep people safe and deliver great service – helps make United the biggest and best airline in aviation history.”

Sounds like Kirby indeed…

Both the AFA and United have praised the National Mediation Board for its efforts to bring the two sides together.

CONCLUSION

United Airlines and the union representing flight attendants have announced a tentative deal that will award backpay, leading wages, and new workplace to flight attendants.

Only when the details of the contract become public, will we be able to dissect it and see just how “industry-leading” it is.

But this is good news…this is a step forward toward finally putting this issue to rest.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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12 Comments

  1. Tim Dunn Reply
    May 24, 2025 at 6:52 am

    Now time to settle w the mechanics

  2. Maryland Reply
    May 24, 2025 at 10:49 am

    Hopefully this will be over. Everyone is bored with it. In a Reuters photo of 9 picketing FAs at ORD, 5 are playing on their phones while barely holding up the demand signs.

    • Antwerp Reply
      May 24, 2025 at 11:18 am

      They picket with the same level of commitment to service on a flight.

      • Maryland Reply
        May 24, 2025 at 11:26 am

        You would think when asking for money, one could act like they need it.

  3. proschwit Reply
    May 24, 2025 at 11:44 am

    I would be shocked if this were over with the first offer especially if your source is correct that the union gave in to United’s many demands in exchange for better retro pay.

    United FA’s already have some of the best work rules in the US aviation industry did they improve upon those work rules is something I’ll be looking at. We they get an Alaska Airlines type reserve system where they don’t have to be available 24 hours instead just 12 hours. Will they be paid flight pay for long sits at airports something Alaska FA’s were able to secure? And what quality of life and other scheduling improvements were made verse what the union agreed to give up in return for better retro.

  4. Remote Reply
    May 24, 2025 at 12:53 pm

    Hey, if this happens it’s good to hear! I think it will help guarantee United’s long term survival (and help ensure they thrive). As my uncle likes to say, ‘Work ’em hard, and feed ’em well, and they’ll be back.’ I just hope it does not jack up ticket prices for the average Joe.

  5. bossa Reply
    May 24, 2025 at 3:42 pm

    Every contract is characterized as ‘industry leading’. It’s always so amusing/trite when the CEO states the employees are the best & most valued in the industry. Yet, somehow it takes 5 years to produce an agreement. Usual corporate/capitalistic BS or one of those ‘mysteries of life’ ?

    • emercycrite Reply
      May 24, 2025 at 11:25 pm

      Of course it’s all BS. Marketing obfuscates everything.

  6. Joe United Reply
    May 25, 2025 at 1:22 pm

    The ramp employees got screwed with their last contract; no retro pay and no increase in their pension. Their union should be ashamed that they recommended a yes vote in that contract.

  7. Christian Reply
    May 26, 2025 at 11:00 am

    While I’m pleased that there’s an agreement that seems to be viable for the FA’s, Kirby destroyed any iota of credibility by saying that United is the best airline in the history of the world. Apparently he never flew Pan Am, TWA, Air France, British Airways in their prime, Cathay Pacific, EVA, any of the ME 3 airlines, etc etc. Going with ridiculous hyperbole just makes anything he says untrustworthy.

    Anyone here actually believe that United is the best airline in history? Buhler? Buhler?

  8. LuckyStrike Reply
    May 30, 2025 at 2:52 am

    Great! Maybe they’ll stop sucking eggs now. No? They’ll still be surly geriatrics or indifferent Gen Z turds, all of which will lack manners, any semblance of customer service, or the ability to at least fake like they want to be there? Well , that’s unfortunate. Guess the excuse of not having a new agreement was a lie. Don’t come at me with that “we’re there for safety, not for customer service” trash in the comments either.

    • Ryan Reply
      May 30, 2025 at 9:22 pm

      dude you need a life you sound like you have a dick up your ass and in your mouth at the same time and can’t breathe but can clearly still type out your boomer complaints.

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