United Airlines flight attendants traveling on standby may soon receive permission to use crew rest bunks on long-haul international flights under a new agreement reached between the airline and its cabin crew union.
Currently, these private rest areas are reserved only for working crew members during flights. Standby employees often have to occupy regular crew seats when passenger cabins are full, making long journeys less comfortable.
Under the proposed changes, non-working flight attendants could use available crew bunks to sleep or relax when those spaces are not needed by active crew members. However, the rollout is being delayed until both sides finalize clear guidelines to protect the rest needs of working cabin crew.
The expected rules may allow standby crew to use empty bunks during the main passenger meal service but require them to leave before scheduled rest periods begin for operating crew members. The goal is to balance employee benefits while ensuring flight attendants responsible for passenger safety receive proper rest.