As previously announced, the Joint Implementation Team (JIT) has been established. AFA and Company JIT members, and Subject Matter Experts, are your official source of information for our 2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Educational materials and advance notice of any CBA updates will be provided to your Local Council Presidents and available from the JIT on the new One United26 portal on FlyingTogether.
The work of the JIT is ongoing, applicable Pay Rates, Per Diem increases, and Boarding Pay is being calculated correctly and should be reflected on your pay register. More Date of Signing changes that are now effective with the start of the June bid month are listed here.
It is important to keep in mind that until a new or revised provision of CBA 2026 is implemented, we will maintain the status quo and continue to operate under the current terms of the JCBA.
Below is a brief update on the areas where we have received many questions.
Maternity Leave & Parental Leave
We are working on a more comprehensive Q&A for Maternity Leave. Anyone who is on Maternity/Parental Leave as of May 31(regardless of how far into their leave they are) will receive a lump payment (10 weeks for Maternity, 2 weeks for Parental).
Jumpseating Flight Attendants using the Crew Rest Bunk Facility
This was agreed to after the implementation letter of agreement, so it isn’t on the list. We have discussed the improvement internally, and with the Company JIT members, and have determined that it will need to be a DOS+ item. Further review and consultation with Subject Matter Experts are needed to develop a standard protocol. Once that is in place, we will provide appropriate clarification on this agreement.
International Purser Qualification
We’ve approached the Company about individuals who have the International Purser Qualification, but have not been activated, losing their Qualification. We believe an exemption is mutually beneficial and will provide an update on the discussion.
Discipline Expiration
Performance Warning 2 Discipline issued under the JCBA will not be reduced. However, should the Company find it appropriate to issue discipline to an individual who has served more than 12 months on a Performance Warning 2, they should be taking into consideration the time served when determining what discipline to issue.
Example: A Flight Attendant receives a Performance Warning 2 for a passenger complaint on April 3, 2025. They have failed to complete the required CBT and receive discipline on June 3, 2026. When issuing discipline, the Company should consider that the discipline was issued 14 months ago, and re-issue the Performance Warning 2 with the date of June 3, 2026. This in no way changes the rights for Flight Attendants to grieve discipline.
As we move through the implementation process, One United26 Guides will be created and jointly authored by AFA and Company members of the JIT. These guides will provide more detailed explanations about how our new Contract is meant to operate.