American Airlines to raise pay for pilots, flight attendants

American Airlines wants to raise pay for its pilots and flight attendants to keep up with its rivals. American committed after merging with US Airways Group in 2013 to keep compensation competitive with pay at Delta and United Continental. On Wednesday, American’s CE Doug Parker and President Robert Isom wrote to employees that they want to raise pilot and attendant pay as early as next month to keep up with that pledge, if their unions agree. “Today’s news is not about buying trust because we all know trust cannot be purchased,” they wrote. “Today’s news is about doing the right thing." Hourly pay for American’s 15,000 pilots is about 8% lower than the highest rates Delta and United set in recent labor agreements. Hourly pay for its 26,000 flight attendants is about 4% lower than at those rivals. American’s contract negotiations aren’t up for renewal with its pilots until 2020 and its attendants until 2019, meaning its employees would have fallen behind at least until then. Other American employees aren’t affected by the steps outlined on Wednesday because their pay is near industry standards, American said.<br/>