JetBlue Airways announced that it will increase flight attendant pay next year and offer additional bonuses, as the union representing the cabin crews has agreed to support the airline’s plan to acquire budget carrier Spirit Airlines.
Beginning in November, flight attendants will receive a 5% pay raise. This will be followed by an additional 2% raise, along with other incentives and previously negotiated raises under their union contract.
By 2026, these adjustments will amount to a total increase of 21.5%, according to a company memo on Friday.
These raises are being implemented as JetBlue pursues its acquisition of Spirit, a merger currently being challenged by the Justice Department. A trial for this lawsuit is scheduled to start on October 16 in Boston.
The memo also stated that JetBlue has committed to not furloughing or displacing any flight attendants or closing any related bases for seven years following the completion of the Spirit acquisition.
A JetBlue spokesperson explained, “The current contract was negotiated during COVID, and since then our inflight crewmembers’ pay rates have fallen significantly below those of other airlines.
Since our inflight crewmembers are crucial to delivering the JetBlue experience, it’s essential that we offer competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain high-quality staff.”
In response, the union stated that it would support the planned acquisition of Spirit.
“With this agreement between your TWU Local 579 Executive Board and JetBlue, we support the JetBlue and Spirit transaction and will not organize an additional informational picket or publicly oppose the acquisition,” the union noted in a communication to its members.
Additionally, JetBlue has agreed to provide extra pay for staff operating trans-Atlantic flights and working in its Mint business-class cabin, along with other incentives, as outlined in a letter of agreement with the Transport Workers Union, which represents JetBlue’s 7,000 flight attendants.
