In a surprise move, United Airlines is reopening Flight Attendant applications on July 14. Yes, that’s right, just a few months after the airline held a massive recruitment campaign, applications are reopening again, already.
Given that United’s recruitment team is still working its way through thousands of applications from the airline’s last recruitment, you might be wondering why applications are opening again so soon. The answer is pretty simple: United is expecting a significant wave of veteran crew retirements over the next year. So many, in fact, that United has had to dramatically rethink the number of new flight attendants it plans to hire.
Applications are submitted through United’s official careers website, and shortlisted candidates are then put through a multi-stage recruitment journey.
Worth Knowing: If you already applied in United’s last recruitment round and haven’t heard back, you do not need to apply again. United is still working through applications from that previous wave, and a second submission won’t move you up the line.
If you were previously rejected, there’s a specific rule worth knowing: you become eligible to reapply 12 months after the date you submitted your last application, not 12 months after you were rejected. Mark that date rather than guessing.
The Role and Where You’ll Be Based
New hires find out their assigned base during the first week of training, not before, so this isn’t something you can plan around in advance. New hires are assigned to one of United’s domestic hub bases in Chicago O’Hare, Houston, Denver, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Washington Dulles.
You don’t get much of a choice with what base you are assigned, and many new hires find themselves ‘commuting’ to their base for the first couple of years. Once you have picked up some seniority, all have more freedom in getting reassigned to a base of your choice.
What’s the Package?
- Pay: A new contract was only ratified in May 2026, delivering one of the largest single pay corrections in recent US airline labor history. Read all the detail is our guide – United Airlines Flight Attendant Salary and Benefits guide.
- Training pay: A $140 weekly stipend plus two meals a day during the 6.5-week training program, with a $1,000 bonus on successful completion.
- Training accommodation: Hotel provided for the full training period. In most casesm you will share your room with another trainee.
- Probation: Six months, with scheduled monthly check-ins with a supervisor rather than being left to figure things out alone.
- Career progression: Realistic and seniority-driven, covered in full in the salary guide above.
Worth Knowing: $140 a week during training will cover incidentals but not much else. Given that new hire training is 6.5 weeks along, that’s a significant amount of time to go without a proper salary. Budget for that gap rather than assuming training pays functions like a normal wage.
What Does United Look For?
No previous flight attendant experience is required, but at least one year of customer service experience (retail, hospitality, food service, teaching, or similar) is a hard requirement. Beyond that:
- Age 21 or older at time of application
- High school diploma or GED
- Fluent in spoken and written English
- A valid passport with at least 12 months’ validity and two consecutive blank pages
- Ability to pass a functional reach assessment: 76 inches vertical and 43.5 inches horizontal, combined, without shoes.
- Legal authorization to work in the US
- Willingness to work a genuinely flexible schedule, including weekends and holidays
Two common misconceptions worth clearing up:
- First, you do not need to know how to swim, though you will need to demonstrate you can manoeuvre in a pool wearing a life jacket during training, under lifeguard supervision throughout.
- Second, tattoos are permitted on arms, wrists, ankles, and feet, provided they’re no larger than a United badge or covered by uniform, and provided the content isn’t violent, obscene, sexual, racist, or otherwise offensive.
Tattoos on the head, hands, or neck, including behind the ear, remain barred.
What to do now
Applications open on July 14, so you only have a few days at most to prepare. If you haven’t already done so, prepare your resume and ensure that it is tailored for United specifically.
If you don’t know where to start, we have you covered. Just start our Ultimate Recruitment Guide to learn all about writing a winning flight attendant resume, along with everything else in United’s talent process, including online assessments, on-demand video interviews, and the Assessment Day.
For a detailed rundown of what the United Airlines recruitment process looks like, along with how to prepare for and pass each stage, check out our extensive step-by-step recruitment guide.
How to Apply
United’s process runs in stages: an online application, a Talent Assessment, an optional Flyer Friendly Q&A session with the recruiting team, a pre-recorded video interview, a 30-minute live virtual interview, and, for those who make it through, an in-person day in Houston with group and one-on-one assessments. Successful candidates receive a Conditional Training Offer, complete background and drug screening, and then begin 6.5 weeks of training in Houston ahead of graduation and base assignment.
Apply directly at United’s careers site
