CHICAGO, IL— United Airlines (UA) and its flight attendant union have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract. Union leadership unanimously voted to send the deal to members for ratification, with voting scheduled from April 23 to May 12.
If approved, the new pay rates will take effect in June. Aviation watchdog JonNYC shared the pay chart early, giving a first look at what flight attendants could earn under the new deal at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and across United’s network, View from the Wing flagged.
United Airlines Attendants’ Salary After New Contract
The leaked pay chart reveals significant hourly wage increases across all seniority levels.
First-year flight attendants at United Airlines (UA) would start at $36.92 per hour on the date of signing (DOS), rising to $42.06 by DOS+4.
Senior flight attendants with 13 or more years of service would start at $84.78 at DOS and climb to $96.58 at DOS+4, with the $100-per-hour milestone expected to be crossed by 2030 as annual increases compound over the contract period.
The DOS+1, DOS+2, DOS+3, and DOS+4 columns reflect yearly increases of 3.00%, 3.00%, 3.50%, and 3.75%, respectively, applied progressively across all year brackets.
The DOS increase percentage varies by seniority, ranging from 27.80% for first- through fourth-year flight attendants down to 26.10% for those in the 8th through 12th year, with 13th year and beyond seeing a 26.30% increase at DOS.
How United’s Rates Compare to American and Delta
The new starting pay at United Airlines (UA) is approximately 1% higher than comparable entry-level rates at American Airlines (AA).
It also exceeds current starting wages at Delta Air Lines (DL), though Delta has historically offset any wage gap through larger profit-sharing payouts to employees.
Delta does not operate under a union contract for its flight attendants, and instead increases pay annually at its own discretion. Industry analysts expect Delta to respond to the United agreement, particularly since the same union that represents United flight attendants is actively working to organize Delta’s cabin crew.
ALSO READ: American Airlines Flight Attendant Salary in 2025
What the Contract Includes Beyond Base Pay
Beyond the headline hourly rates, the agreement includes several additional compensation improvements.
Flight attendants will receive pay for ground time during long international layovers, a separate boarding pay component, and a higher retroactive pay package, described as a signing bonus that accounts for the period since the last raise in 2020. The retroactive pay is valued at approximately $740 million across the workforce.
The contract also includes stronger language protecting the quality of hotels provided to crew members during layovers, a point of contention in previous negotiations.
What Remains Unknown Until the Full Contract Is Released?
The specific trade-offs made to secure these improvements have not yet been disclosed. In internal communications, United Airlines (UA) described the agreement as “balanced and competitive,” a phrase consistent with the carrier’s stated position that pay increases would be tied to operational efficiencies.
Two provisions that were discussed during negotiations include the introduction of PBS (Preference Bidding System) algorithm-based scheduling and language that could give United the right to own a regional airline, something the current contract explicitly prohibits.
Whether either provision made it into the final agreement will only be confirmed once the full contract is published.
A Comparison With the Deal Rejected Last Summer
The pay rates in this tentative agreement are approximately 1% higher than those in the contract that was rejected by flight attendants in the summer of 2025.
The improvement may appear larger on the surface because of the natural progression through seniority brackets that would have occurred had the earlier deal been accepted.
In real terms, the incremental gain over the rejected offer is modest but meaningful given the extended period without a new agreement.
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