CHICAGO— United Airlines (UA) and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) announced a new tentative agreement on March 26, 2026, that, if ratified, will provide industry-leading wages, better scheduling, and other improvements for United’s 30,000 flight attendants.
The new agreement includes immediate raises upon ratification and top wage rates that reach $100 per hour by the end of the contract, a package that would make United (UA) flight attendants the highest-paid in the industry.
The announcement comes after a previous tentative agreement was rejected by the membership in July 2025, pushing both sides back to the bargaining table.
United Attendants Get Final Contract
The agreement includes boarding pay, new pay for long gaps between flights, and a signing bonus for every flight attendant, with the total package valued at $740 million.
United Airlines described its offer as the most competitive compensation package in U.S. aviation, promising to make its flight attendants the highest-paid in the industry regardless of seniority or tenure. This positions the carrier ahead of peers in the ongoing race for cabin crew talent across North America.
The previous tentative agreement had offered a 26.9% average pay scale increase upon ratification, along with boarding pay based on flight type and number of boardings. The new deal builds on those terms, pushing the top hourly rate to $100 by the contract’s final year.
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Background: From Rejection to a Revised Deal
In July 2025, United’s flight attendants voted down the earlier tentative agreement, with 71% of the 92% of eligible voters who cast ballots rejecting the contract. That outcome surprised union leadership and forced both parties back into federally mediated talks.
AFA-CWA president Ken Diaz stated at the time that flight attendants had voted to send a strong message to management by rejecting a deal that did not go far enough to address years of sacrifice and hard work that contributed to the airline’s success.
Following the rejection, AFA-CWA and United returned to federal mediation, meeting in Chicago and Washington, D.C. (DCA) across multiple sessions from late 2025 through early 2026, with both sides making steady progress on outstanding issues, including pay rates, scheduling, and hotel provisions.
A key sticking point throughout renegotiations was United’s push to introduce a Preferential Bidding System (PBS) for scheduling, which AFA-CWA consistently opposed, with flight attendants stating they would not accept concessions in exchange for higher pay.
The tentative agreement is subject to approval by the AFA’s Master Executive Council, including all Local Presidents. If approved, the deal will be put to a ratification vote by the full membership. If ratified, the contract would become amendable after five years.
United (UA) acknowledged both negotiating teams and the National Mediation Board for their role in reaching the new agreement. The airline operates its hubs across Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), New York/Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).
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