United Airlines Will Not Furlough Flight Attendants This Fall

There is some very good news for flight attendants at United Airlines. The airline has informed its flight attendants that there will not be any furloughs this fall when the third round of government payroll support runs out. A stark change just months after the airline last warned about furloughs, the carrier is now clearly heading into the recovery and decided it needs all its staff this fall and beyond.

United and flight attendant
United Airlines has announced its flight attendants will not face furloughs this fall. Photo: United Airlines

United Airlines will not furlough crew in September

When the third round of government support runs out in September 2021, United has announced that there will be no furloughs for its flight attendants. This is excellent news just a year after the airline industry worried about the future of their jobs and the next round of government support seemed distant and unclear.

Now, the industry is in much better financial straits. With travelers coming backs, yields starting to trend upwards, United has been busy building back its flight schedules and looking to the future. With that in mind, the airline has decided it needs all of its staff this fall and can afford to keep all its staff on payroll.

United Boeing 737-800
United Airlines previously had to furlough flight attendants in October of 2020. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The power of payroll support

In March 2020, the airline industry became familiar with the Payroll Support Program (PSP). Under the program, United Airlines received billions of dollars worth of support from the United States government to keep its employees on the payroll.

Sara Nelson, Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) International President, stated the following on the announcement:

“This announcement makes it clear: the Payroll Support Program (PSP) worked. In every previous crisis where airlines took major losses, workers and passengers paid the price. Airlines cut jobs, pay and benefits for workers, while bankruptcies and consolidation meant more fees and less options for passengers.”

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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby even spent some of his time lobbying for industry support. Photo: Getty Images

She further discussed how the program has helped employees in the aviation industry continue to receive a paycheck, healthcare, and benefits. Even those who did face several weeks on furlough in late 2020 were able to continue to receive certain benefits and maintain their seniority.

After the first round of the PSP was passed in March, the aviation industry spent a few months monitoring the crisis and seeing the precipitous fall in bookings and passengers not willing to travel. It became clear that the industry would need more support. Airlines, and their CEOs, began lobbying hard for the extension of the program.

One did not come in time for furloughs to be avoided from October 1st. However, in December, the US government passed another package that extended payroll support through March and passed the third round in March that extended the program until the end of September. United warned about the potential for furloughs again without the third round of support.

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United brought flight attendants back on payroll off of furlough after the second round of the PSP was passed in December. Photo: United Airlines

With each round of PSP, airlines had to agree to maintain minimum levels of service, caps on executive compensation, temporary restrictions on stock buybacks, and restricting paying back dividends.

Looking ahead to the recovery

The recovery is materializing, and summer travel is in full swing in the United States. United Airlines is heavily focused on getting passengers back in the skies and setting the airline up for success in the future. In fact, it is even rumored that the airline is looking at a major order for jets, including the Boeing 737 MAX.

With the recovery ongoing, time will soon come when the industry can reflect on the pandemic and how airlines got through it. As Nelson further stated,

“This program should serve as a model for the future. Now that we’re on our way out of the worst crisis in aviation history, we look forward to building a just recovery that respects the contributions of all the workers who keep us flying high.”

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United Airlines is firmly focused on the future. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

As United prepares to expand its fleet and turn the page with new investments and orders for new technology, it has said it will need all of its employees to succeed. Flight attendants are no longer at risk of losing their jobs or facing furloughs come September, which is a clear sign that the recovery is here.

Are you glad to see this announcement from United Airlines? Let us know in the comments!



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