How US pilots negotiated salaries as good as the Golden Age

As the US continues to battle an ongoing skills crisis, one cohort is set to see pay contracts that rival those of the ‘good old days’

The 1950s and ’60s have long been romanticised as the ‘golden age’ of commercial flight. It was a time of rapid expansion across the industry, the advent of the jet age. While expensive to obtain, the bright velvet seats were wide and comfortable, while the in-flight service was personalised, generous, and borderline flirtatious. In keeping with the exclusivity of flight, airline roles were coveted as exotic and prestigious. Over the decades, stricter safety regulations and an ever-growing market for air travel has seen the passenger experience change dramatically. However, it appears, for one cohort at least, the ‘golden age’ of flight has returned in 2023.

In September 2023, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) successfully negotiated and approved a record-breaking new four-year wage packet for United Airlines pilots, worth an estimated eye-watering US$10.2 billion. With it, a new benchmark for pay and conditions has been set, with any COVID-19 concessions a distant memory. Pilots will see pay increases of up to 40 per cent, dependent on aircraft type and tenure. To paint you a bit of a picture, first-year narrow-body first officers will now earn just under US$110 per hour, increasing annually to about $202 after four years. Narrow-body captains will see $310 per hour in year one, with around $3 per hour added on top for every following year. Meanwhile, a long-haul wide-body captain will earn $386 per hour, with similar yearly increases.