A press event hosted by United Airlines turned into an unexpected scene of protest on May 13, 2025, when flight attendants disrupted the unveiling of the carrier’s upgraded Polaris business class cabins to demand better contracts.
The event, attended by United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, was intended to showcase the airline’s investment in premium travel experiences. However, it was quickly overshadowed by a group of protesting flight attendants who stormed the venue holding banners and chanting slogans. A widely shared video on social media shows the group shouting, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” while holding signs reading “World class airline, world class contract” and “Contract now!”
Footage also shows suited individuals—presumably event security or company representatives—attempting to usher the protestors away as they escalated their chants, shouting “If we don’t get it, shut it down!”
The demonstration was staged by members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), the union representing United cabin crew. It coincides with ongoing contract negotiations between the union and United Airlines, currently taking place in Chicago. The talks are expected to span three weeks, with the goal of reaching a tentative agreement after more than four years without a new contract.
In a strongly worded statement, AFA International President Sara Nelson and United AFA President Ken Diaz condemned the airline’s decision to prioritize product rollouts over employee compensation.
“Service doesn’t happen without us,” they stated. “United has the money to invest in an industry-leading Flight Attendant contract with ‘premium’ compensation, work rules, and cabin interiors. No other Flight Attendant contract across the industry in this round of bargaining included concessions. Not one.”
The union criticized CEO Scott Kirby directly, accusing him of prioritizing executive compensation over frontline workers. According to the AFA, Kirby’s pay has risen by 246% over the past two years, while flight attendants have gone nearly four years without a contract raise.
“Scott Kirby has no business demanding concessions while stuffing his own pockets with gold and beating his chest about United being the best,” said Nelson and Diaz. “Right now, he’s just beating competitors by failing to pay us – the people who make United fly.”
United flight attendants are demanding substantial changes, including double-digit base pay increases, retroactive compensation, boarding pay, improved scheduling flexibility, job security enhancements, and better retirement benefits. The union claims that United’s cabin crew are falling behind industry competitors despite the airline’s record profits.
“CEO Scott Kirby can roll out all the new product announcements he wants — it means nothing without respect for the people who deliver it,” the union added. “A new aircraft cabin doesn’t pay rent, allow us to come to work without stress over paying our bills, attract new applicants, or give us the schedule control we need to have a life.”
The protest underscores rising tensions within the airline industry, where workers across multiple sectors are increasingly vocal about fair wages and working conditions—especially as airlines rebound financially from the pandemic years.
