In the United States, the hostesses and stewards of the main American airlines could down tools due to a pay dispute in the coming weeks and at Christmas. The unions that protect the interests of flight attendants are calling for wage increases and improvements in contractual working conditions. In fact, with the post-pandemic recovery, the acronyms denounce the accumulation of huge profits by the airlines, underlining how the staff are underpaid. 

Most flight attendants work under an employment contract signed between companies and unions that dates back to 2014. The document provides for a salary between 24,000 and 27,000 dollars a year, which workers' representatives believe is "not enough even to cover daily expenses".

The unions highlight how in the second quarter of 2023, for example, the American Airlines company gained record revenues of 14.1 billion dollars, while United Airlines earned 14.2 billion dollars, while Alaska Airlines accumulated profits of 2.8 billion dollars. Some workers have organized pickets at airports, demanding a 35-40% salary increase, threatening a strike during the holiday season.