United Airlines Inks Five-Year Deal with Flight Attendants

United Airlines flight attendants ratified a new five-year labor agreement on Tuesday, ending a period of contentious negotiations.

The deal provides United flight attendants with a 31% base pay raise by August, their first increase in nearly six years. The contract also includes “boarding pay”—compensation for time spent while the aircraft door is open and passengers are boarding—which was traditionally excluded from these contracts.

In addition to the base raises, the agreement includes more than $700 million in back pay and provides an immediate 7% to 8% increase in overall compensation. Other benefits include “sit pay” for flight disruptions lasting more than 2.5 hours, new restrictions on red-eye scheduling, and improved pay structures during general airline disruptions.

United is the latest of the major U.S. airlines to finalize a new post-pandemic deal with its flight attendant union, following similar ratifications at Southwest in April 2024, American Airlines in September 2024, and Alaska Airlines in February 2025.

Unlike its competitors, Delta Air Lines—the only major U.S. carrier without a unionized flight attendant group—has instead implemented a series of annual pay increases, including a 4% raise that took effect earlier this month