Flight attendants at several US airlines are currently trying to negotiate new contracts. We’ve seen pilots at ratify new contracts with massive bonuses, and flight attendants are now trying to get in one the action as well.
Southwest Airlines flight attendants have just become the first flight attendants at a major US airline to ratify a new contract, and it’s incredibly lucrative, and sets the new standard for compensation in the industry.
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Southwest flight attendants now best paid in industry
Southwest Airlines management and the union representing flight attendants (Transport Workers Union Local 556) have been in negotiations for a new contract for years, and it has been contentious. After endless negotiations, Southwest’s nearly 20,000 flight attendants have finally voted to ratify a new contract, worth $6.3 billion. 93% of eligible flight attendants voted, and 81% voted in favor of the new contract.
The new contract is a four year deal, which kicks in as of May 1, 2024, and becomes amendable as of May 1, 2028. It includes an immediate 22% pay increase, and raises of 3% in 2025, 2026, and 2027.
This also includes $364 million worth of retroactive pay, accounting for the delay in getting a new contract ratified. When you do the math on that $364 million number and the nearly 20,000 Southwest flight attendants, that means flight attendants will on average be getting over $18,000 in retroactive pay, which is huge.
This new contract not only includes pay increases, but also quality of life improvements. For example, Southwest will have an industry first paid maternal and paternal leave, including healthcare coverage while a flight attendant is caring for a newborn child.
With these pay bumps, Southwest flight attendants will be the highest paid in the industry. According to the union, Southwest flight attendants will on average earn 14% more than Delta flight attendants, who are about to receive 5% pay increases. Delta flight attendants aren’t unionized, and have the second highest pay in the industry.
Here’s how John Samuelsen, TWU International President, describes this new contract:
“This new TWU contract has so many significant improvements that its impact will resonate across the industry as carriers like United, Alaska, and American bargain with their Flight Attendants, who have been in contract negotiations with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) for several years. This is a significant victory for Flight Attendants industrywide and the TWU has once again proven that we are an incredibly effective voice for Flight Attendants.”
This contract will have implications for the industry
Like any unionized work groups, flight attendants engage in pattern bargaining. It can take a lot of time for the first work group to ratify a contract, since there’s no precedent they can go off of. However, once the first contract is ratified, other companies tend to follow pretty quickly. That’s what happened with pilot contracts, and now I’m sure it will happen with flight attendant contracts.
Flight attendants at other US airlines are also in the process of negotiating new contracts, with management at most airlines promising an industry leading deal. Well, we now know what industry leading pay looks like for flight attendants, and it’s going to be costly for the airlines (though pay increases are well deserved, in my opinion).
I’m curious to see how Delta handles this situation. Delta is the only major US airline where flight attendants aren’t unionized, and Delta has managed that by offering flight attendants among the best pay in the industry. Let’s see how quickly Delta offers flight attendants proactive pay raises, given that the risk of flight attendants unionizing keeps increasing.
Bottom line
After drawn out negotiations, Southwest Airlines flight attendants have finally ratified a new contract. Flight attendants will shortly be getting a 22% pay increase, with 3% pay increases in subsequent years. On top of that, they’ll get a significant amount of retro pay, averaging to over $18,000 per flight attendant.
Southwest flight attendants will now be the best paid flight attendants in the industry by a large margin. Since flight attendants at most US airlines are currently negotiating new contracts, this is the new standard. I imagine we’ll see flight attendants at other airlines ratifying new contracts in the near future as well, and I’m also curious to see how Delta reacts.
What do you make of this new Southwest flight attendant contract?
It’s not a huge pay increase. It’s an inflation adjustment that’s bigger than normal due post covid economic inflation. Their contract expired at the beginning of 2019, inflation has gone up over 20% since then. Let’s acknowledge that this is the bare minimum that a company should be offering during these unusual times
I haven’t read the contract in full but I’m curious if SW FA will be paid while passengers board?
No, when the forward entry door is opened they are not being paid. That means during the boarding process while they are assisting passengers they are essentially free labor, and that is the same during deplaning. Once the plane is empty. Those same flight attendants are expected to tidy the aircraft because SW does not pay for cleaners to come on board between flights.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/25/southwest-weighing-cabin-changes-to-drive-revenue.html
Why are we glorifying this contract?, The increased of 3% does not compansate for the inflation at a national level, pilots had an increased of 40% increased at United on their contract ratification, and as a whole they have a me too claused in their contract because they all belong to one union, so therefore the whole industry got that raise, Flight attendant's unions continue to minimize the Flight attendant profession, by saying Flight Attendants...
Why are we glorifying this contract?, The increased of 3% does not compansate for the inflation at a national level, pilots had an increased of 40% increased at United on their contract ratification, and as a whole they have a me too claused in their contract because they all belong to one union, so therefore the whole industry got that raise, Flight attendant's unions continue to minimize the Flight attendant profession, by saying Flight Attendants contribution to running the daily operation of the airlines is not as important as the pilots , Therefore allowing airline management to undermine the flight attendant profession. Flight attendants should get the same percentage increase on wages that the pilots got, and be included on the me too clause that the plitot union have . Without Flight attendants planes can't be boarded, and they are there for safety just as much as the pilots , further more the airlines have a point system to rate the flight attendants interaction with the customers so if they are being graded they should be rewarded accordingly.
On paper Southwest FA's will earn more than Delta FA's but I do wonder how does that translate into reality?
Delta FA's who have topped out and have probably 20 years or more if they so choose are flying long haul transoceanic routes. Take for example Delta's ATL-JNB-ATL route it is a 3 day trip for flight attendants and I've heard it is worth 32 credit flight hours plus whatever they call time away...
On paper Southwest FA's will earn more than Delta FA's but I do wonder how does that translate into reality?
Delta FA's who have topped out and have probably 20 years or more if they so choose are flying long haul transoceanic routes. Take for example Delta's ATL-JNB-ATL route it is a 3 day trip for flight attendants and I've heard it is worth 32 credit flight hours plus whatever they call time away from base pay. If a Delta FA's works 2 JNB flights a month that 62 credit hours in 6 days and their still 24 days remaining in the month where they could fly any number of high credit trips. I highly doubt Southwest has any trip worth 32 credit flight hours in 3 days. So how much flying does a 20 year Southwest flight attendant have to do to bring home the same amount of pay as 20 year Delta flight attendant?
New hires at Southwest for sure will make more than new hires at Delta because I don't think new hires at Delta are able to hold any high time trips so their trip credit is probably more in line which what you see at Southwest but as they move up in seniority I think Delta FA's bring home more money than Southwest. I've heard from FA's that I know who work for Delta that Delta also has a lot on high time 2 day trips ranging between 16 to 19 credit flight hours. Again these trips go senior according to my friend new hires can't hold these types of trips but I wonder what is the highest credit trip Southwest has do they have 32 hour 3 days trips, do they have 19 hour 2 day trips or are their trip credits for 3 day trips closer to 15 hours and 2 day trips closer to 10 hours?
Not sure why they would get paid more than a McDonald's worker.
They don't do much. Mostly sit and gab.
The job requirements are training of a few weeks. That is it. Not even a HS diploma.
My guess is $20/hour from arrival to departure + hotel when traveling + food + medical. Purser $25 hour. 5% annual raises. They would have more eager applicants than they would know what to do with.
Does the contract include some level of guaranteed profit sharing and will it be in the amounts that Delta pays out?
Also pathetic that PPL isn’t a standard thing at all airlines for all employees. They do not deserve a praise for finally offering this benefit - they should be ashamed that they screwed employees for 50+ years on this benefit.
profit sharing is never guaranteed - but it is a given that no other airline in the near term will match DL's profits.
WN employees used to get some of the best profit sharing in the industry but WN is struggling due to the slowdown on Boeing deliveries which has put the company in a no-growth situation for 2024.
When you factor in profit sharing and boarding pay at DL which helps the...
profit sharing is never guaranteed - but it is a given that no other airline in the near term will match DL's profits.
WN employees used to get some of the best profit sharing in the industry but WN is struggling due to the slowdown on Boeing deliveries which has put the company in a no-growth situation for 2024.
When you factor in profit sharing and boarding pay at DL which helps the most junior FAs and long international flights which help senior FAs, the WN contract might not result in higher pay.
Again, the real issue is with AA and UA's FAs which still do not have a contract proposal and the tab for their companies keeps going up and the chances those AA and FAs will recover what DL and WN FAs have gained is slimmer.
Ultimately fares will need to increase and of course FAs at the ULCCs are going to want similar wages for doing the same job. So the ULCCs that are already losing money because fares don't cover costs are going to do what?
Your logic that airlines charge what they can and this won’t affect that is legit, but for points/miles……
Those freetree AA miles are gonna be devalued heavily to cover pilots and FAs.
Southwest FAs did not pursue boarding pay in this contract? They had it in the contract that was rejected.
When you factor in that WN has the shortest flights of the big 4 and no international flights w crew rest breaks, there may not be as much of an advantage as it appears.
The big 4 are in a shootout for highest labor costs which means smaller airlines and AA and UA FAs...
Southwest FAs did not pursue boarding pay in this contract? They had it in the contract that was rejected.
When you factor in that WN has the shortest flights of the big 4 and no international flights w crew rest breaks, there may not be as much of an advantage as it appears.
The big 4 are in a shootout for highest labor costs which means smaller airlines and AA and UA FAs are most at risk.
Delta just announced across the board raises for nonunion employees including FAs
In a past iteration of the WN TWU556 contract there were adjustments in the TFP calculation to account for duties such as tidying aircraft cabins after flight. It was some ratio of what 10 minutes of ground duty would be worth spread across all TFPs because average stage length is so low.
Thanks for that
Must be nice to be negotiating for AA's union. Just wait for someone else to do the negotiating for you and ride on their coattails
Just like the American Pilots! They huff and puff for years make no real progress, then within a couple of months of the DAL pilot's new contract last year..... Magic! American's pilots get a new contract with the exact same numbers as Delta's! The American folks couldn't even beat DAL's enough to trigger the snap up provision in United and DAL's contract. APA has been riding others' coattails for years too.
In all honesty SW FA’s have to do the least amount of work compared to the big 3. No first class, so no drinks, no meals, no service ( how much ever minimal it is with big 3). It’s just coach. Do they work longer hours for the base pay? Seems cushier than the big3. This FA pay and associated madness is out of hand. If they get thousands of applicants for few openings, why...
In all honesty SW FA’s have to do the least amount of work compared to the big 3. No first class, so no drinks, no meals, no service ( how much ever minimal it is with big 3). It’s just coach. Do they work longer hours for the base pay? Seems cushier than the big3. This FA pay and associated madness is out of hand. If they get thousands of applicants for few openings, why not get ME3 mindset crew instead? Short contracts and meet the spec or you’re out. You know- live every other job? lol
Agreed 100%. SW FA's do less work than the others and get bigger pay. Soon FA's will be paid like UPS drivers.
This will all come full circle and effect the consumer directly through higher fares and even more watered down service. Cheer liveable wage all you want, the shit ain't free.
SWA FA’s also have to tidy the cabin and baby sit thru passengers unlike the other major carriers. They do more work than you realize.
How about instead of focusing the cost increase directly to the consumer, we take a look at reallocating some of the astronomical bonuses that top corporate leadership is taking at some of these airlines? Seems reasonable to me.
Sorry, I would respectfully disagree....WN F/a's do a beverage run without carts on even the very shortest of flights, unlike say....AA which is notorious for lack of inflight on shorter flights. The WN F/a's are also consistently pleasant and really do work their tails off. All day long.
Agreed on the pleasant part. But are you really placing beverage service without a cart as a high level of difficulty? Come on. It's a job requirement.
What other FAs clean and turn the aircraft like SWA?
I agree. Pleasant is also a job requirement. Here’s a radical thought - how about airlines quit being soda/ sugar pushers for Coca Cola and PepsiCo ? Water, tea and coffee. Paid alcoholic drinks. Done. Heck they should get a subsidy from the health services to do so - having FA’s run around pushing sugary drinks - no need and no value add.
I completely disagree. ALL flight attendants work hard. It’s not fair to compare. SWA f/a have long duty days on planes without official breaks and minimal time to eat on the run (typically over a trash can and right next to the lavatory.) There are no curtains for privacy on a “break.” They have multiple flight/legs (usually 2-4 but sometimes 5-6 or even up to 7 a day) each with it’s own boarding process, beverage and snack service, deplaning, and cleaning.
That is just a plain and veil misrepresentation. SW’s FAs clean the airplanes. They remove the vomit from the floor, poop from seats, used condoms from seat backs and much more while one the ground. Other airlines’ FAs do not - So yes, SW do not have First Class , but their FAs does other work instead. And remember they don’t get paid during the time on ground while they clean up your mess. First...
That is just a plain and veil misrepresentation. SW’s FAs clean the airplanes. They remove the vomit from the floor, poop from seats, used condoms from seat backs and much more while one the ground. Other airlines’ FAs do not - So yes, SW do not have First Class , but their FAs does other work instead. And remember they don’t get paid during the time on ground while they clean up your mess. First Class FAs DO get paid for their work, if they actually care to carry out their duties while in the air.
How much of the Delta difference goes away when you factor in getting paid for boarding?
Agreed with this. Does the WN add boarding? Depending on the number of turns, this could more than make up for the flight pay.
I would imagine since most of WN's flights are shorter length the pay isn't as lucrative as you'd think. I would rather work long haul flights where you're getting paid for 6+ hours of flight time at once than several 2-3 hour flights over an entire day.
Neeleman and Breeze just need to wait a little longer, continue to push back against unionization, and soon enough them, and any non-unionized airline will be able to price dump any major airline on virtually any domestic route. Heck, maybe that was his plan all along...
@ Syd -- I might be missing something, but how exactly do you propose that management at Breeze "push against unionization" if their pay rates are so uncompetitive that it's a significant competitive advantage? Flight attendants have to right to organize, so...
Airlines are not exactly cash cows, as you're well aware. They're highly competitive, razor-thin-margins business. And labor costs are huge parts of their expenses, so even a 5% lower labor cost would not be an insignificant advantage, not to mention 10-15%.
In such a competitive and global industry you can't just give everyone massive raises after 1-2 good years. It's not sustainable, something has to give and something will.
Fares will go up,...
Airlines are not exactly cash cows, as you're well aware. They're highly competitive, razor-thin-margins business. And labor costs are huge parts of their expenses, so even a 5% lower labor cost would not be an insignificant advantage, not to mention 10-15%.
In such a competitive and global industry you can't just give everyone massive raises after 1-2 good years. It's not sustainable, something has to give and something will.
Fares will go up, even without an economic downturn, putting pressure on demand. In a full-blown economic downturn - those flight attendants who pushed for it will be happy to even have a job, even at much lower pay, and the union will be the last thing on their minds. Breeze (and others) just need to find that fine line where they pay less, but enough to prevent the churn, and time will take care of the rest.
Compensation is just one part of the big picture. Flight attendant union contracts are the only way to ensure that workers have a fair say in the measures taken in the event of economic downturn such as furlough procedures. Perhaps it’s time to reallocate some of the egregious corporate bonuses in order to fund cost of better conditions front line employees.
American FA's need to fire their union, like yesterday. They lead them down a bad path and lie to them. I read somewhere that tens of millions of AA FA Union Dues are owed by their members, as even they don't care about paying them.
Also, airfare prices are NEVER going down. Ever again. Get ready for the insane prices that these airlines are asking for to go even higher.
If there is demand and people pay why would the prices go down? Oh no, it’s the US that has not train to compete with the plane like in Europe… probably because train is a socialist thing, bearing arms is more important…