Alaska Airlines flight attendants win tentative agreement to boost pay, avert strike

Alaska Airlines flight attendants say they’ve reached a tentative agreement with the airline for a new contract that would boost pay 32% and compensate flight attendants for boarding time before the plane takes off.

The three-year contract, if ratified by the Association of Flight Attendants’ Alaska members, would avert strikes authorized in February. The union said the agreement is the result of 20 months of negotiations.

It would be the first U.S. airline union contact to include pay for flight attendants while passengers are boarding the plane, the union said. Historically airlines have paid cabin crew members only after the cabin door is closed. Delta Air Lines, whose flight attendants are not unionized, began paying for boarding time in 2022.

The union said boarding pay alone would amount to an 8% raise on average.

The agreement also includes 21 months of retroactive pay, covering the time spent negotiating.

Voting on the contract begins later this month and ends Aug. 14.

Alaska Airlines confirmed the tentative agreement with the association of Flight Attendants.

“We’re grateful to our colleagues at AFA who bargained with determination and dedication to our flight attendants,” the company said in a statement. “With our combined efforts, we’ve been able to reach an agreement that provides quality of life and continued career growth at Alaska.”

The union, meanwhile, noted that Alaska’s proposal to buy Hawaiian Airlines for $19 billion could mean new rounds of contract talks.

“With the Hawaiian Airlines merger on the horizon, we anticipate being back at the bargaining table very soon for joint contract negotiations,” the union said in introducing its tentative agreement to members. “This will give us yet another opportunity to fight for more improvements.”

Flight attendants at United and American are still locked in negotiations over new contracts with those airlines. Southwest Airlines flight attendants ratified a new contract in April.