Which airline do flight attendants get paid the most?

When it comes to new flight attendants just starting out, the highest paying airlines are JetBlue, $32,000, and Southwest Airlines, $30,000. For seasoned flight attendants looking for earning potential, JetBlue, $103,000, and Alaskan Airlines, $113,000, are the highest paying airlines.



That’s an excellent question, but the answer isn’t as simple as naming a single airline. Flight attendant pay is determined by a complex mix of seniority, base location, aircraft type, and union contracts.

However, based on industry data, union contracts, and self-reported salaries, the airlines where flight attendants have the highest earning potential are generally the “Big Three” U.S. legacy carriers and some major Middle Eastern carriers (though with a very different pay structure).

Here’s a breakdown:

Top Tier for Overall Earnings (U.S. Legacy Carriers)

These airlines have strong union contracts (Association of Flight Attendants - AFA) and complex pay scales that reward seniority and flying long-haul, high-time trips.

  1. Delta Air Lines: Often cited at the top for potential total compensation. Importantly, Delta flight attendants are not unionized, which has allowed the company to offer industry-leading profit-sharing programs (often $5,000-$10,000+ annually) and higher base pay rates to attract and retain talent. A senior Delta FA flying international routes can be among the highest earners in the industry.
  2. United Airlines: Has a very strong union contract. Pay scales are high, and United’s massive international network (especially to Asia and Europe) offers many high-time, high-paying trips. Per diem and international override pay are significant.
  3. American Airlines: Also has a strong AFA contract with pay scales very competitive with United. Seniority at a major base like Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) or Miami (MIA) with lots of international flying leads to high earnings.

Key Point for

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United Airlines
Like JetBlue, United has one of the highest potential salaries for a flight attendant. After years of service at United, a flight attendant can bring home six figures.

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$56K. The estimated total pay for a Flight Attendant at British Airways is $56,152 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $56,152 per year.

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For aspiring flight attendants, Delta Air Lines, ranked by its employees as one of the best places to work, is also one of the most difficult places to get a job. It's harder to get invited to Delta flight attendant training than it is to get into Harvard University.

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Which airline pays the highest salary in the world?
  • Alaska Airlines - $199,298 per year.
  • Delta Airlines - $184,133 per year.
  • Hawaiian Airlines - $150,001 per year.
  • Sun Country Airlines - $124,072 per year.
  • American Airways - $121,047 per year.
  • Frontier Airlines - $116,692 per year.
  • Spirit Airlines - $114,494 per year.


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For aspiring flight attendants, Delta Air Lines, ranked by its employees as one of the best places to work, is also one of the most difficult places to get a job. It's harder to get invited to Delta flight attendant training than it is to get into Harvard University.

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Flight Attendants can live anywhere in the world, provided they can get to base for the start of their shift. CommuteAir pays for parking. Commuting By Plane: You can commute by plane for free on United, however, you will fly STANDBY. This means you are NOT GUARANTEED a seat and risk being late for your shift.

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After the training, flight attendants are assigned a base (Kelly was given Philadelphia) and have five days to move to it. From here you have several options for housing. Most stay in what's called a “crash pad” where they pay $200 to $300 a month for a bed when they aren't flying.

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Steps to Take to be a Flight Attendant
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One of the biggest issues is fatigue due to long hours away from home during certain times of the year such as holidays or peak travel periods when more flights are available. Another problem that can arise is dealing with unhappy or unruly passengers, which can make a flight attendant's job much more stressful.

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At Wizz Air the salary is between 1000 and 1500 euros and is composed of basic salary, daily allowance and commission from sales made on board. The list of additional benefits includes career advancement opportunities, free training and reduced tickets for employees and their families.

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Their hours of work are limited by law, to less than 900 flight hours p.a. (an average of 18 hours per week) and less than 2,000 total duty hours (avg. of less than 41 total hours per week). We do not and cannot by law ask our crew to work long hours.

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