American Airlines is offering its pilots 20% salary increases over two years as part of a new contract.
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New offer on the table
After negotiating for more than three years, American Airlines has offered its pilots a 20% pay raise over two years. The current offer would raise pilots' salaries by 12% upfront, 5% after one year, and another 2% a year after that.
The current offer is 3% better than the one presented to pilots at the end of June. In June, American offered its pilots a 17% raise right after United Airlines and its pilots union had reached a tentative deal that would see a 14% salary increase in 18 months.
The union's bargaining committee has accepted American's offer, but the Allied Pilots Association leadership and general membership must also approve before anything is final.
Pilots are fighting for better work conditions and schedules, but money is on the table like in any contract negotiation. The proposed deal would see senior captains earn almost $432 per hour and new first officers make $101 per hour.
Discussions on the new proposal were set to begin Monday, but the Allied Pilots Association's President Ed Sicher said that due to procedural problems, the meeting had been called off.
Rumors are that people on one or both sides wanted this deal to be signed by Monday, October 31, as the final act of the current board before the new board takes over on Tuesday, November 1.
American Airlines made the offer on Monday, October 24, and the rule is that there need to be seven days between the day an offer is presented to the union board and a vote before sending the decision to the pilot group. If not for the procedural problem, the vote would take place on the current board's last day.
Simple Flying has contact the Allied Pilots Association and has not received a reply at the time of publication.
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Recent American Airlines News
During this winter (summer in the Southern Hemisphere), American Airlines expects to operate over 2,000 weekly flights to 93 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean. This number represents a 24.3% growth over its 2019 winter schedule.
By the end of 2022, American Airlines will have the largest operation in the region.
“Following the most critical period of the pandemic, we at American have continued to strengthen our capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean in direct response to the incredible demand we are seeing across the region. We are extremely proud to continue strengthening our position as the leading airline in the region, offering our customers unparalleled access to the destinations they want to fly to.” - Jose Freig, Vice President Latin America and Caribbean, American Airlines
Many of the 2,000 flights will be resumptions of previous routes, some will be increased frequencies, and a few will be new routes. By the end of October, the airline will resume its service from Miami to Montevideo, operating three times weekly.
In November, American will inaugurate service to five Cuban cities from Miami, Holguín, Santa Clara, Santiago, Veradero, and Camagüey. One of the most notable parts of American's Latin American schedule is the airline's return to Managua, Nicaragua, after an almost two-year hiatus.
Latin America is an integral part of American's network, bringing in more than $1.5 billion in revenue during the third quarter of 2022. An average load factor of 87.4% was the highest of any market that American serves and had the second-highest yields. The Latin America region has provided more than $4 billion in revenue year-to-date.