When Southwest Airlines reached its latest pay deal with flight attendants, the TWU 556 union claimed it would make crew members at the Dallas-based airline the best paid in the industry, earning roughly 14% more than Delta flight attendants on average.
That claim is a little less certain now, given that since the contract was ratified in 2024, new contracts have been reached at American Airlines and United Airlines, and Delta flight attendants have received a few pay raises. For now, it looks like flight attendants at United lead the industry pay standard, but Southwest crew members aren’t far behind.
This guide breaks down exactly what that pay structure looks like in practice, what the benefits package actually includes, and the honest realities of reserve, commuting, and base assignment that every new hire should understand before they start.
Southwest Pay, In Plain English
Before the numbers, it’s worth understanding the specific unit Southwest’s contract is built around.
Southwest flight attendants are paid per TFP, which stands for Trip For Pay. This is not the same thing as an hour of flight time, and it’s worth understanding the difference properly.
TFP is a mileage-based unit rather than a time-based one. It originates from Southwest’s pre-contract work rules dating back to the 1970s, and the calculation is built from point-to-point mileage rather than the clock. In practical terms, this generally works out in flight attendants’ favour: 1 TFP is commonly calculated as roughly equivalent to 1.15 hours of flight pay, since Southwest’s route network is built around shorter sectors where a mileage-based system tends to produce a better rate than a pure block-hour calculation would.
For a working estimate, take the TFP rate shown in the tables below and multiply by roughly 1.15 to get an approximate hourly equivalent. It won’t be exact, since the underlying mileage calculation varies by route, but it gives a realistic sense of how the pay actually compares to a straightforward hourly wage.
Almost every figure in this guide, base pay, per diem, premiums, and reserve guarantees, is expressed per TFP rather than per hour. When you see a rate like “$32.62 per TFP,” that translates to roughly $37.51 an hour once the mileage-based uplift is factored in.
The Contract
Southwest flight attendants are represented by TWU Local 556, and the current agreement was ratified in 2024 after a lengthy negotiation. The deal runs from May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2028. This is a fairly standard contract term length, with built-in raises scheduled for each year of the agreement:
- May 1, 2024: 22.325% increase
- May 1, 2025: 3% increase
- May 1, 2026: 3% increase
- May 1, 2027: 3% increase
Southwest Flight Attendant Pay
New hire pay starts at the first-year rate and progresses through a 13-step scale based on years of service. Southwest’s current contract, ratified in 2024, includes scheduled raises every May through 2027. Here is the full pay scale across the life of the contract:
| Pay Rate | May 1, 2024 | May 1, 2025 | May 1, 2026 | May 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 6 months | $30.75 | $31.67 | $32.62 | $33.60 |
| 2nd 6 months | $31.14 | $32.07 | $33.03 | $34.02 |
| Step 1 | $34.14 | $35.16 | $36.21 | $37.30 |
| Step 2 | $36.61 | $37.71 | $38.84 | $40.01 |
| Step 3 | $39.60 | $40.79 | $42.01 | $43.27 |
| Step 4 | $42.83 | $44.11 | $45.43 | $46.79 |
| Step 5 | $48.83 | $50.29 | $51.80 | $53.35 |
| Step 6 | $51.61 | $53.16 | $54.75 | $56.39 |
| Step 7 | $54.24 | $55.87 | $57.55 | $59.28 |
| Step 8 | $57.47 | $59.19 | $60.97 | $62.80 |
| Step 9 | $60.83 | $62.65 | $64.53 | $66.47 |
| Step 10 | $63.93 | $65.85 | $67.83 | $69.86 |
| Step 11 | $68.44 | $70.49 | $72.60 | $74.78 |
| Step 12 | $73.20 | $75.40 | $77.66 | $79.99 |
| Step 13 (top out) | $77.43 | $79.75 | $82.14 | $84.60 |
All figures are per TFP (Trip For Pay).
Southwest officially estimates first-year pay at around $38,000, based on reserve or line minimums assigned to a new hire. Reserve flight attendants are guaranteed a minimum of 78 TFP per month; line holders are guaranteed at least 80 TFP. Actual take-home varies with how much you fly beyond the minimum, and many flight attendants pick up additional trips to increase their income.
What Does This Look Like in Your Currency?
Based on the guaranteed monthly reserve floor for a new hire in 2026 — 78 TFP at the applicable new hire rate, before per diem or any premiums — the guaranteed contractual minimum works out to approximately $2,544 to $2,576 USD a month, depending on which six-month step applies. Converted:
| Currency | Monthly Estimate |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 British Pounds (GBP) | £1,997 to £2,022 |
| 🇪🇺 Euros (EUR) | €2,338 to €2,367 |
| 🇦🇺 Australian Dollars (AUD) | AU$3,877 to AU$3,926 |
| 🇨🇦 Canadian Dollars (CAD) | CA$3,485 to CA$3,529 |
| 🇮🇳 Indian Rupees (INR) | ₹211,400 to ₹214,100 |
| 🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (PHP) | ₱142,400 to ₱144,200 |
Converted at approximate rates as of mid-2026. These figures represent the guaranteed contractual floor before US federal and state income tax, and before per diem, premiums, or any additional flying — real take-home is typically higher. Currency rates change; check current rates before making any financial decisions. Southwest’s own official estimate of $38,000 for a full first year works out to roughly $3,167 a month on average, reflecting typical per diem and flying beyond the bare minimum
Remember, this estimate is based on flight pay only, and does not include add-ons like per diems.
Premium Pay Rates
On top of base pay, several premiums apply:
- A Position pay: $4 per TFP, additional, applying to the lead/A position on a flight, and also carried through to vacation pay, sick leave, and medical leave calculations if the flight attendant’s assigned pairing was in the A position
- LODO pay: $5 per TFP for LODO (low-density/low-occupancy) flights
- Meal stipend: an additional $20 for any flight scheduled over 4 hours
- Holiday pay: double time (2.0x) for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day
Worth knowing: The TFP system takes some adjustment if you’re used to thinking in straightforward hourly pay. Per diem, premiums, and most contractual protections are layered on top of your base TFP rate rather than being separate flat payments, which means your actual take-home in a busy month with irregular operations can look very different from a simple base-rate calculation.
Per Diem
Southwest pays an hourly per diem allowance for every hour a flight attendant is away from their assigned base, starting at check-in. Rates are scheduled to rise steadily through the life of the contract:
| Effective Date | Domestic | International/Hawaii |
|---|---|---|
| February 1, 2024 | $2.90 | $3.45 |
| January 1, 2025 | $2.97 | $3.54 |
| January 1, 2026 | $3.04 | $3.63 |
| January 1, 2027 | $3.12 | $3.72 |
| January 1, 2028 | $3.20 | $3.81 |
Retirement and Profit Sharing
Southwest’s retirement package is not to be sniffed at. Flight attendants participate in the Southwest Airlines Retirement Savings Plan, which includes a 401(k) match of up to 9.3% of eligible earnings, which is amongst the most generous matches in the industry. This sits alongside a separate profit-sharing plan, which distributes a share of company profits into eligible retirement accounts in years the company performs well.
Insight: The 9.3% 401(k) match is frequently cited by current Southwest flight attendants as one of the best parts of the compensation package — it compounds significantly over a career and is worth weighing seriously against airlines offering a lower match but a marginally higher base salary.
Reserve and Scheduling
Most new hires start on reserve, and understanding how that system works is genuinely important before you accept a base assignment.
- Reserve daily guarantee: 6.5 TFP per day
- Monthly reserve line guarantee: between 78 and 110.5 TFP, depending on the specific reserve line
- Reserve shift structure: five shift types — two AM shifts, two PM shifts, and one late PM shift, each with defined contactable hours
- Contact protections: reserve flight attendants can only be contacted once during crew rest and are guaranteed seven consecutive hours of uninterrupted rest
The current contract also introduced new protections during irregular operations (IROPs), including extended duty day premiums that pay above all other guarantees, late return override pay if you’re delayed getting back to your domicile, and rescheduling protections that prioritize reassigning reserve crew before disrupting a line holder’s schedule.
Flight Attendant Benefits
- Uniform allowance: new hire uniforms are paid up to $500 through a company allotment
- Staff travel: free standby travel on any open seat across the Southwest network, extending to eligible dependents
- Maternity leave: 19.5 TFP paid for 6 weeks (natural birth) or 8 weeks (cesarean), with continued healthcare coverage
- Paid parental leave: 19.5 TFP for 2 weeks, with continued healthcare coverage
- Extended bonding leave: up to one year unpaid, with continued healthcare coverage
- Sick leave: reserve sick calls paid at 6.5 TFP per day, with expanded provisions for recovering sick leave hours
Worth knowing: The paid maternity and parental leave provisions in this contract were specifically highlighted by TWU as an industry-first for US flight attendants, including continued healthcare coverage during leave. It’s a genuinely significant benefit relative to many other US carriers at the time this contract was ratified.
Bases and Commuting
TWU Local 556 represents flight attendants across twelve bases nationwide. Base assignment for new hires depends on seniority within your training class and the airline’s operational needs at the time. As a result, you may not get your first choice, and it’s common to start at a less popular base before bidding to transfer once you have seniority.
Southwest’s commuter policy is distinctive within the industry: as long as contractual requirements around reporting to the airport within a set timeframe are met, flight attendants are not penalized for being unable to reach their base in time due to circumstances like cancelled flights or airport disruption. The current contract also added specific protections for commuters affected by cancellations, airport closures, or technology failures beyond their control.
Training and Probation
Initial training runs approximately four weeks, based in Dallas. Training pay has varied over time — candidates should confirm the current pay structure directly with Southwest recruitment, as third-party reports suggest training is currently unpaid with a stipend issued on graduation, which may differ from the position at any given time.
Southwest does not require flight attendants to share hotel rooms during training, which is a genuine point of difference from several other airlines. The probationary period is six months from the date of graduation, during which new hires are supported by dedicated supervisors and base leadership, and typically remain on reserve status throughout.
This page is part of our ongoing coverage of Southwest Airlines flight attendant recruitment, covering pay, the application process and what to expect at each stage. If you're getting ready to apply, here's where to go next.
