April 21, 2026
Voting Opens April 23rd at Noon ET
Voting for the Tentative Agreement starts this week on Thursday, April 23, at Noon Eastern Time. Full information on voting and voter support will be available at https://unitedfacontract.org.
Ballots and voting instructions have been mailed to your address of record listed in Flying Together. Please note that any changes to an address after April 1st will not be factored into the mailing. If you have not received your confidential voting credentials by April 24th, 2026, or if your code became invalidated, a replacement code may be obtained in two ways:
https://afacwa-elections.org/request-new-activation-code
Voter Help Line 1-844-232-2228 ext. 2 (M-F 9:30 am - 5:00 pm EST)
On average, codes take 24-36 hours to replace. Please do not submit back-to-back requests as that can slow down the process.
Remember, do not cast your ballot before voting opens on April 23rd, at Noon ET. Voting before this time will invalidate your activation code, and you will need to obtain a new one through AFA Membership services.
Full information on the Tentative Agreement, including calculators, articles, and videos, can be found at UnitedFAContract.org.
Updated Language 7.H.5.
One of the concerns raised was that the sentence regarding open-time trades within twelve hours had been removed from the TA. The sentence permitting such transactions has been reinserted into the updated TA posted online. The language in Section 7.H.5 of the current agreement reads: “If the operation permits, as determined by Scheduling, open time trades may be considered inside twelve hours prior to check-in of the trip being picked up.”
The updated version of the Tentative Agreement is available on UnitedFAContract.org.
Retro Pay, One-time Payment Clarification, and FAQ’s
This Tentative Agreement includes a Total Retro Pay pool of $740 Million, an almost 25% increase over the $595 Million in the first tentative agreement.
The percentage breakdown for TA2 Retro Pay has been adjusted from TA1. Calculations will be based on the new percentages below. Individual amounts may fluctuate from TA1.
4% of Eligible Earnings for bid periods Sep 1, 2021, through Dec 31, 2021
4% of Eligible Earnings for bid year 2022
4% of Eligible Earnings for bid year 2023
4% of Eligible Earnings for bid year 2024
22% of Eligible Earnings for bid year 2025
25% of Eligible Earnings for the January 2026 through the May 2026 Bid Periods.
Members are encouraged to use the Retro Pay Calculator to review their individual amounts.
Retro Pay FAQ’s
Q. How Were the Percentages for TA2 Determined?
TA1 included 595 million dollars in Retro Pay to be distributed among Flight Attendants based on our eligible earnings during the period back to September 2021. TA2 includes an increased amount to 740 million dollars, which reflects the higher pay and longer period covered for our revised TA.
The amount is distributed according to the chart above and a Flight Attendant’s earnings during the period. Some of the numbers differ from TA1, as we wanted to ensure that Flight Attendants who flew in anticipation of TA1 received as close to the amount specified. We were able to secure 22% for the entire year of 2025, as well as 25% for January through May 2026. This captures the maximum number of Flight Attendants during the period.
The agreement structures it so there are lower increases right after the amendable date of the contract, which was also the Covid period, where raises were lower as well. It stages up the increases higher in recent years to take into account the length of negotiations and the impact on our work group.
Q. When will I receive my Retro Pay?
United will make a one-time payment to all Eligible Flight Attendants no later than September 15, 2026.
Q. How will Tax Withholding be applied?
Retro Pay is paid as a lump sum, with a 22% IRS withholding rate, which is lower than the withholding rate typically applied to regular paychecks.
*The tax or withholding rate does not change if Retro Pay is called anything different.
Q. What is the Eligibility for Retro Pay?
You must be in the role as a Flight Attendant as of March 24, 2026, and be employed as a Flight Attendant on the date of the One-time Payment.
Any Flight Attendant who was in the role of a Flight Attendant as of March 24, 2026.
New hire Flight Attendants employed as Flight Attendants after March 24, 2026 will be eligible for the One-time payment for service during the eligible period.
If you are employed as a Flight Attendant at United, regardless of leave status, but excluding a management position, on the date of the one-time payment.
A discharged Flight Attendant who has a grievance pending as of the date of the One-time Payment will receive the One-time Payment if they are reinstated to employment by an award of the United Airlines Flight Attendant System Board of Adjustment and that System Board directs the One-time Payment as part of the award.
Q. Can I put Retro Pay towards my 401(k) Contributions?
Flight Attendants will have the option to adjust their 401(k) contribution levels, similar to profit-sharing checks. That means you can set whatever portion of the Retro Payment to go into your 401(k), up to the IRS annual maximums: $23,500 for those under 50, with higher catch-up rates beyond age 50.
Q. Is Retro Pay different from a one-time payment?
A signing bonus or “one-time payment” is not tied to any formula and is typically a smaller, flat payment used as an incentive to sign an agreement.
Regardless of the company using the term “one-time payment”, the Retro Pay formula is what was agreed upon.