SkyGuide for Crews
Crew Pay, Reassignment, and Trip-Change Questions
What Is Flight Attendant Reassignment?
Reassignment is a contract-governed change from scheduled flying to replacement work, with limits that can depend on timing, disruption, legality, and return-to-base obligations.
Reviewed against primary U.S. sources - July 15, 2026
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Contract answer preview
"What facts matter before I ask about this contract issue?"
Short answer
Reassignment is the airline's placement of a flight attendant onto different flying or duties after the original assignment changes or becomes unavailable. The agreement determines when reassignment authority begins, the order and scope of replacement flying, maximum duty or days, return requirements, and compensation.
Supported now: United and American flight attendants and pilots, Alaska flight attendants, and Delta pilots.
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Reassignment before report, after report, during a sequence, after a cancellation, or after completing the original trip can be governed by different subsections. Record the exact moment the change was issued.
Legality does not erase contract limits
The replacement trip must satisfy applicable duty and rest law, but it must also comply with negotiated limits. The fact that a crewmember can legally fly does not by itself prove the airline used the right assignment process.
Track the remedy
The agreement may provide pay protection, premiums, hotel, transportation, return-to-base, restored days off, or a claim process. Compare the final trip and paycheck with every applicable remedy.
This page provides general U.S. educational information, not legal advice or an individual legality determination. Regulations, agreements, side letters, policies, and facts can change the result. Use current official channels for safety decisions, discipline, medical or leave issues, and grievance deadlines.
Primary sources
Use the current regulation, agency guidance, and your current collective bargaining agreement for an individual decision.
- National Mediation Board: Representation and Collective Bargaining Overview
National Mediation Board - National Mediation Board: Arbitration Overview
National Mediation Board
Related crew questions
Do flight attendants get paid for boarding?
Boarding compensation is airline- and contract-specific; some systems pay a boarding rate while others compensate through block pay, guarantees, rigs, or other credits.
Pay and trip changesDo flight attendants get paid for deadheading?
Flight attendant deadhead pay, credit, seating, and duty treatment vary by agreement and should be checked separately.
Pay and trip changesWhat is flight attendant pay protection?
Pay protection is contract language preserving some scheduled credit after specified disruptions, subject to eligibility and make-up or reassignment rules.
Pay and trip changesWhat happens to crew pay when a trip is cancelled?
Cancellation pay depends on the cause, when notice occurred, replacement obligations, reassignment, guarantees, and the specific agreement.