Delta Will Pay Flight Attendants During Boarding

The way that flight attendants are paid in the United States has changed a lot.

Delta’s new flight attendant boarding pay

I wrote about how flight attendants in the US don't get paid for boarding until the aircraft door closes. You should get paid when you are working. The logic is that flight attendants are paid a higher rate once the door closes.

The lack of pay during this period has finally started to get more attention, and we have seen online petitions calling on airlines to pay flight attendants during these periods.

One major US airline will be changing its policy. Delta will pay flight attendants boarding pay on June 2, 2022. Delta flight attendants will be paid 50% of their hourly rate for boarding.

• Domestic narrow body flights will receive 40 minutes of boarding pay
• Domestic wide body flights will receive 45 minutes of boarding pay
• International flights will get 50 minutes of boarding pay

An extra 40-50 minutes of pay per flight for a first year flight attendant on a domestic narrow body would translate to anywhere from $10 to $30 per flight.

The pay is based on the scheduled boarding time, so there will be no additional pay for extended delays on the ground.

It’s interesting to see Delta do this first

Delta has historically had the most generous profit sharing scheme on any US airline, and is known for treating its employees well. Delta is leading the way here.

Delta is the only major US airline where flight attendants are not unionized. Over the years, there have been campaigns to get Delta flight attendants to unionize, and management has always tried to avoid that.

Delta management views boarding pay as a worthwhile investment when it comes to labor relations. Delta is adding boarding pay while other airlines don't, which will make unionization efforts more complicated. The big question is when other airlines will follow.

Bottom line

Delta is the first major US airline to add boarding pay. Delta flight attendants will be paid 50% of their standard hourly pay for a scheduled boarding period of 40-50 minutes, which will increase across hundreds of flights. It makes sense to pay flight attendants during boarding since it is the most stressful part of the job. It is nice to see Delta making this change. We will have to wait and see if other airlines match.

Do you think other airlines will follow in Delta's footsteps and add flight attendant boarding pay?

There is a tip to Points, Miles, and Martinis.