Delta Air Lines, which narrowly fended off several attempts to unionize its flight attendants, will begin paying cabin crew during boarding, a first for a major U.S. airline and a change expected to increase their wages by several thousand dollars per year will increase.
This is a notable change for US airlines, where flight attendant pay begins when all passengers are seated and the doors of the plane are closed.
Delta said the change will begin on June 2 on all flights. In a memo to flight attendants, the airline said the new pay “further recognizes the importance of your role on board in ensuring a welcoming, safe and timely start to every flight.”
Fee during boarding is 50% of regular fee rates.
The change comes as Delta plans to increase boarding time for single-aisle, or narrow-body, aircraft from 35 minutes to 40 minutes, which the airline expects to increase the percentage of flights that depart on time.
Delta’s pilots are represented by a union, but several attempts to organize the flight attendants have met with fierce opposition from the Atlanta company. The Association of Flight Attendants, which has been organizing an organizing campaign at Delta for more than two years, has taken the boarding salary into account.
“This new policy is the direct result of our organizing,” the union said. “The closer we get to filing our union ballot, the more nervous management is getting.”
The union said Delta is also responding to employee anger at the longer boarding hours, when flight attendants are currently not paid.
Delta said the new boarding pay would come on top of the 4% raises it gave flight attendants last month.
Unions represent more than 80% of workers at American, United and Southwest, but a much smaller percentage at Delta.