United Airlines publicly linked proposed wage increases to specific cost offsets as part of its strategy in ongoing contract negotiations with the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA).
- The airline proposed reducing the reserve monthly pay guarantee from 78 hours to 75 hours in its January 2026 memo.
- This reduction was presented as a tradeoff to allow for shorter Reserve Availability Periods (RAPs), aiming to keep United competitive with peer airlines.