United Airlines restored its Los Angeles to Shanghai nonstop service on Thursday, becoming the only U.S. carrier to fly the route.
28.08.2024 - 22:03 / skift.com / Scott Kirby / Pete Buttigieg / United Airlines / Meghna Maharishi / Julie Su
United Airlines flight attendants voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike as tensions with management rise.
The results of the vote were announced Wednesday afternoon as United flight attendants picketed at airports across the country. According to the Association of Flight Attendants, 99.9% voted in favor of the strike, with over 90% of members participating in the vote.
This is the first time United flight attendants have voted for a strike authorization since the carrier came out of bankruptcy in 2005.
Despite the vote, United flight attendants can’t immediately strike. Under the Railway Labor Act, there’s a 30-day “cooling off” period before any strike can occur. And even then, the National Mediation Board would need to release United flight attendants from negotiations, which seems unlikely.
Flight attendant negotiations this past year have been contentious. Unions at Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines also voted for a strike and Delta’s flight attendants are in the middle of a union organizing campaign.
So far, only American and Southwest have reached contracts with their flight attendants. Alaska flight attendants recently rejected a new contract, with its union saying, “There is more work to do.”
Negotiations with American’s flight attendants reached a tipping point in June, when its union began opening “strike command centers.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su eventually joined part of their talks.
In April, United flight attendants picketed at LaGuardia Airport, along with other airports in the U.S. and U.K. At the protest, flight attendants expressed frustration over United CEO Scott Kirby’s $19 million compensation package in 2023. United flight attendants haven’t received a raise since 2020.
United said it was eager to reach a contract with its flight attendants.
“We continue to work toward an industry-leading agreement for our flight attendants, including negotiations this week and every month through November,” the carrier said in a statement. “Both sides have been actively engaged in these negotiations facilitated by the federal mediator requested by the union.”
United Airlines restored its Los Angeles to Shanghai nonstop service on Thursday, becoming the only U.S. carrier to fly the route.
Several passengers were injured after a flight encountered severe turbulence, according to a Federal Aviation Administration preliminary report.
United Airlines raised concerns to the Department of Transportation about how an Alaska-Hawaiian merger could impact its relationship with Hawaiian Airlines.
Last Oct. 10, my wife, a friend and I arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport to fly to Paris on a trip we had originally planned for April but had to postpone. At the United Airlines check-in counter, agents told us our reservation had been canceled — by us! Even weirder, the same thing had happened three weeks earlier, when the airline sent us an email saying we had canceled our trip. That time, we called and insisted United reissue the reservation for the same price, which it did by giving us a travel voucher and instantly redeeming it. At the airport, though, we watched as supervisors got their supervisors involved, and we were eventually told that something about the voucher had raised questions about fraud. We missed our flight and bought last-minute tickets for that evening’s 11 p.m. United flight to Paris. Then flight was canceled, though this time for everyone. Given the day’s stress and frustration, we gave up on the trip, had dinner and went to the airport Marriott before heading home the next morning. We believe United owes us for the cost of the last-minute flight ($4,475), a portion of the earlier canceled flight ($3,099), the cost of our transportation, hotel and meals that day ($1,178) and the money we lost on nonrefundable plans in France ($2,007). Can you help?
Despite 481 orders from airlines around the world, Boeing can't sell US carriers on its new widebody jetliner.
Flight Centre Travel Group reported financial results Wednesday, with executives expressing optimism about future growth despite some headwinds.
Spirit Airlines is launching a brand-new way of doing business with a whole set of updated fare classes, and is celebrating by giving away a pair of roundtrip flights to lucky winners and their guests.
Saving on flights to South America just got easier with deals from American Airlines to some of the most popular destinations across the continent.
Frontier Airlines unveiled 11 new routes across 15 airports that are scheduled to launch in October and November.
Alaska Airlines cleared a major hurdle this week with the Department of Justice and its intended merger with Hawaiian Airlines. Getting regulatory approval from the DOJ is a huge step.
Dozens of global carriers have secured more than 550 orders for Airbus' newest narrowbody plane, the Airbus A321XLR, since its 2019 launch.
The first thing you'll notice about the Cape Liberty cruise port is the views: Situated on the Hudson River in New Jersey across from New York City, the port has spectacular skyline panoramas of Manhattan and unimpeded views of the Statue of Liberty. In fact, sailing out of Cape Liberty will bring you face-to-face (OK, face-to-toes) with Lady Liberty when you sail through the harbor.