Details of the new tentative agreement between United Airlines and its flight attendants have been published, showing the full scope of the carrier’s “industry-leading” package. The deal will see the most senior United attendants eventually earn over $100 per hour in base pay, along with the long-awaited introduction of boarding pay and a massive $740 million pool of retroactive pay.

Other perks include sit pay during extended ground delays, restrictions on red-eye flying, and the exclusion of a Preferential Bidding System (PBS), which was strongly opposed by the union. If ratified, the contract will make United’s 30,000 flight attendants the highest-paid in the industry and put an end to almost six years of contract negotiations.

Inside United’s New Flight Attendant Contract

Credit: AFA

As Simple Flying reported last week, United and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) held a final round of mediated talks in Washington, DC, resulting in a tentative agreement after more than half a decade of deadlocked negotiations. The AFA has now published the full 425-page document, confirming an industry-leading base pay cap of over $100 and a raft of other compensation perks. This will see new hires earn over $37 per hour (rising to $43.74 in 2030), while the most senior crew will now get $84.92 per hour, increasing to a maximum of $100.13 by 2030.

In all, base pay has risen by approximately 30%, pushing United’s base salary above rivals Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. As promised, United attendants will receive guaranteed boarding pay at 50% of their hourly pay, starting from when the aircraft doors open. This is an improvement on the previous block-to-block model, paying crew members only for their time onboard once doors are closed. According to AFA, this alone will add an average of 7.4% to every flight attendant’s yearly paycheck, and will also cover re-boarding after a flight has deplaned, as well as flights that are boarded but later canceled.

Backdated Pay And Quality Of Life Perks

Credit: United Airlines

A total of $740 million in retroactive pay will be issued in one-off payments to reflect salary increases since negotiations began half a decade ago. This is an increase from the $595 million offered by United in its first tentative agreement, which was rejected in a July 2025 vote by flight attendants.

Retro pay will involve a rate of 4% from September 2021 through 2024, rising to 22% for 2025 and 25% for the first half of 2026. United’s crew will also benefit from various quality of life improvements, including a limit on red-eye flying, a four-hour reassignment limit and guaranteed business-class standard hotels in safe downtown locations for long layovers.

The reserve availability window will also go down from 24 hours to 14 hours, giving attendants more flexibility. There is also a provision to be notified of scheduling updates via electronic notification, rather than by phone call or having to check the crew communication system (CCS) manually.

Related

Why United Flight Attendants Continue To Reject Airline’s “Industry-Leading Pay” Offer

The Union insist crew to be paid for every hour they work, not just the time spent on the aircraft.

What Next For United’s Attendants?

Credit: Shutterstock

The new agreement will now go to a vote, which will open on April 23 through May 12. If the contract is ratified, it will go into effect from May 31, 2026. The AFA will be launching a series of virtual roadshows to help its 30,000 United members understand the terms of the new deal.

The contract will remain amenable for a period of five years, starting with the June 2026 bid period. Although the contract offers the highest base pay rate in the industry, United’s profit-sharing program does not pay out as much as rivals Delta, and the new agreement doesn’t change that.