Frontier flight attendants authorize strike. Will your flight be affected?

Flight attendants with Frontier Airlines this week voted overwhelmingly to authorize union leaders to call for a strike.

The strike authorization is a move intended to put pressure on the carrier, as the union claims Frontier is refusing to negotiate over the impact of a business model change on flight attendants.

The Association of Flight Attendants said more than 99% of members favored giving the union the power to strike.

"Frontier flight attendants are struggling to earn a living because of management's new 'out-and-back' model. The impact of this change has turned our lives and our paychecks upside down," union president Jennifer Sala said in a statement . "The harm is real and happening right now. We're ready to do whatever it takes to bring management to the table."

Is there a Frontier Airlines flight attendant strike today?

No. The vote to authorize a strike does not mean a strike is happening now or is imminent.

The union said it can set a strike deadline if necessary. Under the Association of Flights Attendants' trademarked strike strategy of CHAOS, short for Create Havoc Around Our System, a strike could affect a carrier's entire system or just a single flight.

The union can decide when, where and how to strike, without notice to airline management or passengers, according to the union's statement.

However, a strike is not scheduled at this time as negotiations are not at a point where a strike can legally occur.

The federal Railway Labor Act, which governs airline workers, makes it difficult for airline unions to conduct legal strikes — they need a decision from federal mediators that further negotiations would be pointless, which rarely happens.

What Frontier says about a flight attendants strike

In a statement to The Arizona Republic, Frontier Airlines said the airline's staff has been meeting monthly with the union in direct bargaining since December 2023 and "remains committed to negotiating in good faith to achieve an agreement that supports our flight attendants and ensures the continued success of our company."

Frontier also claims the union is "resorting to tactics designed to generate publicity and fuel fear at the expense of the flying public."

"Frontier and the (flight attendants union) are not currently in supervised mediation and, consequently, a strike vote cannot even be considered by the National Mediation Board," Frontier stated. "Even if the parties were in mediation, the NMB would then have to determine that an impasse in negotiations has occurred, followed by a number of additional steps."

After federal mediators decide negotiations reached an impasse, the union is required by law to go through a 30-day cooling-off period before a strike can occur.

Is my Frontier Airlines flight affected?

Frontier Airlines passengers won't notice any difference on their flights, which will proceed as usual.

A vote to authorize a strike is not the same as an actual strike and has no immediate impact on airline operations.

If a strike does occur, it would affect Frontier's ability to staff its flights.

Why did Frontier Airlines flight attendants vote to strike?

Frontier flight attendants claim they are struggling financially because of a "drastic" business model change that lowered their take-home pay.

The ultra-low-cost carrier this year shifted to an "out-and-back" routing model where, instead of traditional multiday trips to multiple cities, flight attendants work on one-day "turns" where they return to their home airport after a single day.

Because flight attendants are paid based on time in the air and time away from home, the "out-and-back" model reduces what they earn per day, according to the union. It also increases their commuting time and expenses.

Flight attendants' per diem on multiday trips is not taxed because flight attendants are identified as away from home, but per diem on one-day turns is less money and taxable, according to the union.

In May, the union filed for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board over the effects of this business model on flight attendants.

Frontier refuted the union's claims that it's not negotiating on the impact of the out-and-back model in its statement to The Republic, saying: "Frontier has been diligently participating in monthly negotiations with (the union) since December 2023 to bargain for the terms of an amended contract and has on several occasions indicated its willingness to discuss any impact proposals made by the (union). The (union) has not presented any impact proposals to Frontier during these monthly negotiations."

Are other airline unions planning to strike?

The strike authorization by Frontier's flight attendants union came weeks after United Airlines flight attendants also voted to authorize a strike .

Air Canada narrowly averted a strike after Canada's flag carrier reached a deal with its pilots union on Sept. 15. A strike would have canceled flights to Canada from Phoenix .

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who's covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic's consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: .

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