flight attendant

customer service representative

baggage handler

senior analyst

pilot

United Airlines

As a former flight attendant for United Airlines, my experience was a mix of moments that made me proud of my profession and situations that left me frustrated, disillusioned, and ultimately, seeking a different path. I'm writing this review not to bash the airline, but to share the reality of what it's like to work for United from a flight attendant’s perspective, especially if you're someone who values respect, work-life balance, and a positive work culture.

The Good: When I first joined United, I was excited about the opportunity to travel the world, meet new people, and be part of a major airline. The initial training was thorough, and I appreciated the sense of camaraderie among fellow flight attendants. There were perks, of course — the travel benefits were unbeatable, and I got to visit places I never imagined I’d see. I’ll always treasure the friendships I formed with my colleagues and some of the passengers who made my days brighter.

The Bad: However, the honeymoon phase quickly wore off when I began to experience the reality of working for a large corporation like United.

Management and Communication: The management system was inconsistent at best. Communication from upper management was often poor and unclear. Changes in schedules, assignments, or policies were announced at the last minute, leaving little time for flight attendants to adjust their personal lives or plan accordingly. In a job where time is literally everything, this was a constant source of stress.

Workload and Expectations: The demands placed on flight attendants were often unreasonable. United Airlines tends to pack as many flights into a day as possible, and fatigue became an issue. The airline’s policies seemed more focused on profit and efficiency than the well-being of its employees. I experienced days where I worked long shifts with minimal breaks, while the company’s focus remained on customer satisfaction (which, of course, should always be a priority, but not at the expense of staff). We were expected to go above and beyond for every passenger, but the resources to make that happen were frequently lacking.

Crew Scheduling: Crew scheduling at United is notorious for being chaotic. There were instances where I had to scramble for a last-minute replacement for a sick colleague, or worse, find myself on standby for flights that were overbooked. You don’t have much control over your schedule, and any attempt to take time off — even for health reasons — felt like a battle. Many of us would be on the phone with scheduling at all hours, desperately trying to get a break. And when we needed time to rest or recuperate, it often felt like we were being penalized.

Employee Treatment: As a flight attendant, you’re the face of the airline, dealing with passengers who sometimes aren’t very kind, all while working in a physically demanding and high-pressure environment. But when you need support, it’s often not there. Some passengers’ behaviors toward flight attendants were downright disrespectful, and there were times I felt like the airline didn't have my back. There were instances where complaints were taken more seriously than our own well-being or safety concerns.

Lack of Respect for Flight Attendants: This was, without a doubt, one of my biggest grievances. At times, the company treated us like a secondary priority to the customers — even though we were the ones ensuring their safety and comfort. The management culture at United didn’t seem to foster much respect for its employees. Flight attendants often felt like they were just another cog in the wheel, rather than valued members of the team.

The first thing I would do in the morning would be to audit the maintenance paperwork from the DC-10 work done the night before. I’d input, into a database that I created, the jobs that each mechanic performed in order to rotate their jobs from night to night. I would go over the flight schedules of each of the 48 DC-10’s in United’s fleet to make sure they were scheduled into Chicago for their timed overnight maintenance check. I would contact United’s scheduling controllers to make schedule changes when necessary. Go through engineering notes and FAA notes in order to make sure our maintenance check was current with engineering changes and FAA mandates. Often I would go to the engineering department to clarify changes made to the DC-10 that impacted our check. I added new procedures into the maintenance manuals, and purged out of date materials throughout United’s O’Hare aircraft maintenance facilities. I ordered parts and tooling if there were special assigned tasks due beyond our regularly scheduled tasks. On occasion, I would escort the FAA through United’s O’Hare facilities. At the end of my day I would set up the paperwork and assign the maintenances tasks to the 48 union mechanics that worked for me.
I learned how to work with internal and external customers, multitask, and work with a variety of different people.
The manager’s in Aircraft Maintenance changed several times while I worked there. Some were great some were horrible; morale fluctuated based on who was in charge.
I really didn’t have co-workers. My office and the maintenance check were located in a separate hangar not close to the other facilities. I worked alone, only getting a morning turnover from a 3rd shift clerk that worked for me. The other employees in my hangar were union mechanics, at the time that I worked in Chicago there were issues being dealt with that made the unions unhappy with United and I was management so I was lumped into the United camp.
The hardest part of the job was dealing with management. For many of the years I was in Chicago I was the only female in management. My position in Chicago was secured by a vice president of aircraft maintenance from San Francisco. There were family issues and I needed to return to the Midwest, as close to Milwaukee as I could. I had done some work on a special project while I was employed in San Francisco, where I worked on a team set up by the vice president. When I handed in my resignation so I could return home he made phone calls to Chicago so that I could stay with the company.
The most enjoyable part of the job was that for the most part I was able to do my job without anyone looking over my shoulder and second guessing my decisions. I was competent in what I was doing and was able to do my job without much interference.

When you 1st start,  don't expect any money unless you give up your sleep and life. The management isn't on the same page EVER, and they're so quick to write you up even though you constantly get awards for great customer service.  RUN AWAY... STAY AWAY... You have no freedom and don't expect to use your flight benefits because you wont be able to afford a hotel. The schedule is hectic, you don't get paid for boarding (you get paid when the plane is in the air only and less than $2 whenever you're laid over at a hotel - which you usually spend more than what you make to feed yourself while on a layover). 

This job is HORRIBLE until YEAR 5.... SO prepare to make less than minimum wage for 5 years. Can you survive off of a paycheck that is less than a McDonald's employee? 

They restrict what you can do when you 1st start (you can't pick up trips that would really give you the money you need... but instead, give you the minimum trips that no one wants because you need to "pay your dues" for the 5 years until you can finally choose your schedule. 

As much good I've done for the customers and awards I received,  I get in trouble for things that aren't my fault. Not to go into details because I don't want to give myself away, but they just dont care. I record conversations and have screenshots to cover myself but yet it still useless when you state your case. 

One supervisor says this.... then you do that... the next day you get written up by a different supervisor because "its not the right way" or "that supervisor shouldn't have told you that, but even so, it is still a strike on your record"

And forget about not even having proof... you'll be fired or written up more often without thay proof (at least the proof lessens the strikes or points against you... but still .... its still strikes regardless on your record). 

No work/life balance because they will call you whenever and send you wherever without a moments notice... and most of the times it's somewhere you wouldn't like.... this whole dream of beung sent to Hawaii or the Caribbean is only reserved for those who can choose their own schedules (the ones who paid their 5 year dues).

BTW..  a fellow Flight Attendant had to get 2 extra jobs to make ends meet... just FYI. 

Do yourself a favor and get a real career... unless you don't need money, don't mind being taken advantage of, and don't mind not having a life... THEN BY ALL MEANS. 

THIS COMPANY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THEIR NEW FLIGHT ATTENDANTS.... They don't take their feedback without reprocussion, and they belittle you any time you try to expose your humanity to them. 

Im only here because I don't want to quit and turn my $1400 A MONTH into $0 a month until I find sometging better. Yes, you read that right... a full $1400 a month after taxes and the "loans" taken out for the uniforms they make you buy. 

Working as a flight attendant was interesting. I wanted to travel and take a couple months after graduation to clear my head and make money while I tried to gain a focus for what I was looking for in life after graduation. Months of not knowing what day it was, what time it was, or where I was, but getting up and working 14-16 hour shifts but only being "on the clock" for 5 or 6, taught me that if you are going to dedicate your life to a career, you must have your heart in it. I did enjoy working with the various crews, serving people and meeting all types of different personalities every day, but not being able to maintain a regular exercise and health routine was what killed the idea for me. I did learn how to be flexible as the first two months working I was on reserve, which meant that I had to be at the airport or at home, basically waiting for them to tell me where I would be going that day, or even for the next 5 days, so we had to make sure to be ready for anything at all times. I learned to adapt to living with 16 people at what the airline industry calls a "crash pad" where pilots and flight attendants cram together in a hotel room or house so they can have a cheap place to sleep on the nights when they are back in their base and have to work the next morning. 
At this particular airline, we as employees experienced a little more hardship and issues than most of the other ones. I worked at a regional airline, which means that I flew United Jets but I got paid from a company called Mesa, who gets paid from United to fly domestically, (Around the US, Canada, and Mexico). We got paid less and we worked more hours consistently than the other airlines. There were so many flights during the day that this particular airline had 720 hours of flying that they could not cover because of a shortage of flight attendants. They would assign us, after a 5-day trip, and if we answered the phone, we had to do it or points would be added to our records. This was probably the hardest part of the job, never knowing if you could go home or not because "Crew Tracking" could call you at any moment, even on your days off, and require you to work. The best part of the job was the people I met, whether it were the pilots and other flight attendants, people from this country or another flying on the jets, or people I met in the airports or around the cities of the places I've stayed. I learned so much about myself just from throwing myself into the world surrounded by strangers. I now know that I can maintain a secure and grounded sense of self no matter where I am, who I am with, or what I am doing.

Probably the most fun I've had in a workplace! I loved the fast-pace workings, the fair treating of co-workers and just everything about this job. I love working in wide places.

I was probably one of two people to be an inbound agent at the time I joined. An inbound agent looked over all the cargo coming into Hawaii and into our workplace and made sure they were distributed/transferred to the proper places. It was hardest in the mornings because that is when a lot of cargo comes in, but I enjoyed being able to time everything and get them where they need to be; whether it was to be transferred to other places or to be picked up by clients. Morning shifts were also on time limit since produce needed to be checked first before they can be released to clients. This is where I learned how to manage my time and to work with the warehouse guys in order to make sure we get everything scheduled to arrive in our flight. Talking to clients on the phone also grew more pleasant over time due to building their trust that I can get their cargo in and ready before they come to pick it up.

This is where I learned to always consider my time and to get things done when no one else could. My boss taught me that if there was something missing, I don't just wait for it to arrive, I should go and look for it. I got to coordinate and befriend a lot of different departments within the cargo world in order to find things missing in our warehouse. 

My co-workers were amazing and hilarious people. Sometimes we'd have our off days, but we always encouraged each other that we could do better and we always helped each other. It was a pretty equal environment. I even got to help with outbound cargos every now and then. 

The most enjoyable time I had within the workplace was on holidays where we would still be working, we'd be gifted food by some of our clients, or we'd buy them and just have a dang good time! 

Management switched around for a while, but it wasn't much of a hindrance. 
Overall, even when it was a bumpy start for me, I learned a lot of my work style in this job, and it was probably the best place I worked for a while!

This is one of the best jobs I've ever had.

 Being a flight attendant has allowed me to travel the world, to meet and work with diverse people, and to find real fulfillment in customer service. I've been able to be there for people on the best and worst days of their lives and to help  people connect with family, loved ones, friends, or friends they have yet to meet. It's truly been a fulfilling and rewarding career. The flight attendant work group has been one of the kindest and most invested work groups I've been a part of. People here love to fly, to provide professional and caring service, and that is why they continue to do it. They also HIGHLY (and rightly) prioritize safety of fellow crew and customers and are consummate professionals. Where else can you find a workgroup of people that genuinely love their job, travel the world, and get paid to do so? 

That said, there will be plenty of sacrifice, especially at the beginning. Most incoming flight attendants will be looking at several years on reserve minimum and this will include periods of 24 hour on call phone availability and the ability to get to the airport within hours. You will be dealing with fatigue and jet lag from inconsistent sleep schedules and this will be an adjustment. Initial travel and comprehensive health benefits start immediately after training, but starting pay is low and is the same no matter what city you are based in (no cost of living adjustments for expensive base cities). You will be working holidays and busiest during the summer when most people are on vacation. This is not the career for people that wish to be home at the end of the day or are unable to adjust to change (the only constant in aviation).

If you stick with it, this career is one of the best out there. There are incredible travel/health benefits immediately after training. Things like pay and a flexible work schedule will come with time. Like any US airline, United is seniority based and the longer you have been there, the better the job will be. 

So far, United Airlines has been a great place to work. Yes, there are some inconveniences stemming from the United/Continental merger, such as those with migrating Intranet/email/etc systems. And expensive (self-paid, as a contractor) parking! It's also not exactly comfortable or conducive to my working/learning style to share a work space with someone else, but it's understandable that all the other spaces were occupied and we got a decent size space, at least.

However, as a contractor, the management directly above has bent over backwards to get everything aligned as fast as they humanly possibly could so that our jobs as contractors could go forth as planned. I was really surprised at how willing they were to help; I've had places just let me flounder around, asking for help over and over, for months.

Not to mention, the atmosphere is really relaxed and friendly, but still professional. You can wear jeans (nice ones) any time, if you want (big plus); sodas are only .55 cents (although missing water bottles); it's pretty quiet; everyone seems to like each other or at least get along so it's not tense and stressful; they treat you with respect and appreciate what you have to bring to the table, degree or no degree; and - so far - the people I've met have had pretty darn good senses of humor.

I like the people around me and don't hear a lot of badmouthing, and everyone seems ready to pitch in and lend a hand if needed. In addition to management's aid, multiple people on the floor have brought supplies to us, showed us where things were, and tried their hand at solving technical issues.

All things combined, it's been fantastic and I willingly put in overtime (lots) to see the project becomes a success - mostly because of the things I've mentioned above (but also because I have high work quality standards, of course).

	Experience in working with ASP .NET MVC and Entity Framework as ORM Mapping tool for Data Access layer.
	Extensive experience in Responsive web-based page and site designs using 
	Experience in using JavaScript, jQuery, HTML 5, XHTML, CSS, Bootstrap Telerik, Kendo Controls, GULP JS, AWS and AJAX framework in creating efficient and interactive Web applications.
	Experience in creating dynamic web pages to get faster response time and to obtain partial updates using ASP.NET, Master pages and AJAX framework.
	Expertise in developing windows communication foundation services to expose useful functionality to Web users and Developed Web APIS for backend data communication.
	Well versed in N-Tier Architecture and Web applications using Windows forms, Web forms and Windows services, SOAP, IIS and XLST.
	Worked in Database Design, Development Data migration using SQL Server 2010/2012/2014/2015, MySQL and MS Access.
	Expertise in creating SQL objects like Tables, Stored Procedures, Views, Indexes, Triggers, Cursors, User defined data types and Functions using SQL.
	Excellent knowledge of Object-Oriented Design Patterns and Model View Controller (MVC).
	Hands-on experience with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and Reporting Services (SSRS) packages for import and export of data for creating reports for Business users and Management.
	Experienced at using Subversion (SVN), Visual Source Safe (VSS) and Team Foundation Server (TFS) for integration, code security, version and source control.
	Experienced in working with Unit Testing, User Acceptance Testing to check whether all the Business Objective requirements are archived.
	Experience in writing test cases with N-Unit and Karma for Unit test and Performed End to End test using Protractor.
	Involved in production support and fixing production issues. Strong team player, ability to work independently and in a team as well, ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, commitment

I've been an FA with United for about 4 years now, and I have to say despite everything that I'm quite happy with it. Even though I am indefinitely furloughed, I really feel like United did everything they could to keep as many people as they could. In addition, in comparison to my friends in other airlines, United was absolutely top-notch in communicating with us (sometimes multiple emails a day) about COVID-related issues.

There are hard parts of the job, namely that the current contract has it so you can be on reserve (basically on-call) for basically forever, or until enough people ahead of you leave that you can hold a steady route of flying. I've never actually gotten to vote on a contract (this was supposed to be our year, but... yeah) so I got roped into a contract with arguably the worst reserve out of all four mainline companies (UA, AA, DA, and SW). From what I understand, lineholder life is amazing, so it's a dream for another day.

Pay is not great for the first five years, but it caps out at 13 years and it's quite generous then. This job is 100% about seniority. Once you're in, it's quite hard for them to fire you unless it's for safety-related issues or theft. Additionally, the top 10k flight attendants have been flying since before 1996, so getting up through the ranks takes literal decades. 

That said, it's the weirdest, best job I've ever had. It's somewhere between kindergarten teacher, bartender, and EMT... all during an earthquake. You meet the absolute BEST people, but occasionally the worst people, too. It's a balance. It's not for everyone, but if you can make it work for you, it's a crazy good life.

They said after a year you qualify to transfer out but then the pandemic happened, catering still has no active union after 4 years of collective bargaining, straight-time pay for any time over 40, full time drivers are working 30 hours a week, part time drivers 20 hours a week, CDL B at similar companies making $21/hour but no flight benefits, drivers that have been with Catering for 25+ years are making the same as newly hired CDL B drivers, training program for a driver will take 1-3 months to get into the field but training is paid for, free uniforms, great company culture but the Catering department feels strangely separate from United Airlines even though we are not. 

It used to be near unlimited OT (time and a half) before the pandemic and before DOT rules.

As an Essential worker (CDL B driver) there’s great job security unless you call out excessively. Catering is hiring, we need people but if you need more money per hour look elsewhere. It’s a great job if you are a CDL A or B driver that needs to spend more time at home but other than needing a CDL, this is a job where everyday will be different and it isn’t like any other truck driving job, there’s downtime of course but still better than waiting at Wakefern for 4+ hours getting detention pay while waiting for a dock to back up your 52’ trailer to. 

This is a labor intensive job, you will be pushing, lifting, carrying objects up to 60 lbs in all kinds of weather standing on a platform that goes up 20+ feet depending upon the plane being catered. Stretching before each shift is highly recommended to avoid injuries.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Flight attendant 101 salaries reported	$35.76 per hour
Customer service representative 16 salaries reported	$23.03 per hour
Baggage handler 24 salaries reported	$21.67 per hour
Senior analyst 16 salaries reported	$94,390 per year
Pilot 9 salaries reported	$110,589 per year

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