Flight attendants at 30 airports participate in walkout for higher wages

Hundreds of flight attendants took to the picket lines Tuesday to push for better pay.

The picket lines, which are expected to last one day, are made up of flight attendants from 24 airlines like Southwest, American and United. The picket lines have popped up at 30 different airports in the U.S., U.K. and Guam, according to the Association of Flight Attendants.

According to reports, none of the airports being picketed expect the protests to disrupt air traffic as most of the participants are off duty.

The protests come as flight attendants continue to loudly advocate for higher wages and better working conditions. While many organized airline pilots secured historic wage and benefit hikes last year, many prominent flight attendant unions are still fighting for their piece.

Last month, unionized flight attendants at Southwest Airlines voted to authorize a strike after roundly rejecting the company’s contract offer in December. Flight attendants at Alaskan Airlines are expected to vote on a strike authorization this week as well.

Flight attendant unions say that the major airlines have not been paying their fair share, especially as the post-pandemic travel boom continues to boost their profits. One of the main issues for flight attendants remains compensation between flights. Most airlines only pay flight attendants for the time they are in the air but not for the boarding or waiting processes. Delta remains the only major airliner to pay its flight attendants during the boarding process.

While the protests constitute a significant show of force for the organized flight attendants, a strike is a long way off. Airline employees must receive approval from a federal mediator before going ahead with a strike, and even then the president or Congress could block such an action. Last November, the National Mediation Board ordered American Airlines to continue negotiations with their flight attendants after the union voted to strike in August.