September 12, 2025, 9:13 am | Read time: 5 minutes
For passengers, it’s naturally frustrating when processes are delayed, leading to wait times at the gate or already on board. With a bit of bad luck, the plane takes off hours later than planned. But do you know who finds it even more unpleasant? The cabin crew. TRAVELBOOK sheds light on a questionable wage policy at many airlines. This is an issue even when everything runs on time.
Unacceptable Wage Policy at Many Airlines
It probably can’t be emphasized enough: Flight attendants take on important tasks, both on the ground and in the air. They are not only responsible for onboard catering but must also remain highly attentive to ensure the safety of the crew and passengers. Part of their job is also to be consistently friendly. They strive to do so whenever possible–even though they are often the ones who bear the brunt of frustrated passengers when delays or other inconveniences occur. About two years ago, TRAVELBOOK spoke with Michelle P.*, a flight attendant at a major German airline, about the increasing occurrence of burnout in her profession. You can find the full article, with detailed reasons for this development, here. What we didn’t realize back then: A large part of this intensive work isn’t paid at all.
Flight Attendants Are Only Paid for Time in the Air
It’s no longer a secret that flight attendants don’t earn high dream salaries. But did you know that they aren’t paid for the time they have to spend at work before a flight? “This includes the crew briefing, security check, pre-flight checks on the aircraft, and so on,” writes a former flight attendant on Reddit. According to the insider, the same applies after landing as it does before and during boarding.
TRAVELBOOK reached out to Michelle P. again to find out if these conditions also exist in Germany. And indeed: “Yes, it’s true, we don’t receive a salary for the time during boarding.” The cabin crew’s pay begins only when the aircraft is “off-block.” This refers to the moment when a plane leaves its parking position. “There are so-called chocks that the aircraft docks to and undocks from,” explains Michelle P. The flight duty time begins after undocking and ends again when docking. Everything outside this time frame is pre- or post-work time and is covered by the base salary.
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Many (Over)Hours of Unpaid Work
Passengers can probably imagine that boarding is a hectic phase for flight attendants, requiring their full attention. When you’re greeted by smiling crew members upon boarding, it not only provides a friendly welcome: Standing at the door primarily serves safety. The crew must be ready at any time to quickly evacuate the aircraft if necessary. Additionally, flight attendants often assist passengers with boarding or finding their seats, keep an eye on noticeable or possibly intoxicated passengers, and perform many other tasks. All of this happens, in fact, unpaid.
The blame for these questionable circumstances lies with a regulation widespread among most airlines. And this is particularly painful when the departure is delayed. Michelle P. reports on a short-haul flight that was preceded by two hours of waiting on the ground because the airport was suddenly completely closed. The passengers were already on board. During this long time, the flight attendant and her team worked unpaid. The same applies to transit times. These are sometimes hours when Michelle P. has to wait at the airport after a completed tour to see if another assignment comes up for her. “Then I sit at the base and don’t get paid for it,” she sums up.
On Reddit, users add that pilots are only paid once the parking brakes are released. This is, of course, also a point of contention. However, it is noted that pilots receive a significantly higher salary and have objectively fewer tasks before and after the flight. “That’s absolutely crazy. How did they get away with it?” someone asks. By “they,” the airlines are meant.
Airlines Under Pressure to Rethink Their Wage Policy
TRAVELBOOK has asked Lufthansa for a statement on this questionable wage policy. A response is still pending.
In North America, the official “block time” described by Michelle P. is also standard in the industry. But things are changing here. As reported in a “Reuters” article, Air Canada and the flight attendants’ union reached a tentative agreement in August after a strike. According to this, parts of the previously unpaid work–such as boarding–will be compensated in the future. Other airlines are also under pressure. On one side is U.S.-based Delta Airlines, which already pays for boarding time. On the other side are many other airlines, including American and United, which still do not compensate for this time. This is increasingly causing criticism in the industry.
Michelle P. admits that at the major German airline she works for, on certain routes, the normally unpaid work phases, such as boarding or pre-flight preparations, are “partially billed.” This means that these times are included in the pay. As mentioned: only on certain routes, such as long-haul flights. “My dream would be for this article to lead to ground times being paid as well,” Michelle P. confesses. She is certainly not alone in this–for many flight attendants, this would be a long-overdue step toward more fairness in their profession.
*Name changed by the editorial team, the informant wishes to remain anonymous.