Airline to Pay Flight Attendants Nearly $31M in Unpaid Wages

A federal judge in California has ordered Virgin America Inc. and Alaska Airlines to pay $31M in unpaid wages and penalties to flight attendants who claimed Virgin America and Defendant Alaska Airlines failed to pay overtime premiums, provide meal periods and rest breaks, provide accurate wage statements, and other violations of the UCL and the PAGA. The ruling applies to all affected flight attendants who have worked for Virgin America, Inc. in California between March 18, 2011 and January 15, 2023. Hundreds of employees will receive a payout from this airline wage class action.

In the case of Bernstein et al. v. Virgin America Inc. et al., Plaintiff Bernstein and others similarly situated were awarded earned wages for their time being on-call during “reserve shifts”, where they were forced to be within two hours of their respective airport. These airline employees alleged they worked back-to-back shifts with very little time off-duty between shifts and that the airline was willful and deliberate with their late payments to the flight attendants, with many payments arriving four weeks after their shift. This overtime lawsuit also sought owed wages from uncompensated trainings, deplaning time, and pre-flight meetings. In addition to the damages and restitution of the Class, the airlines are instructed to pay PAGA penalties to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Your wage statements and pay stubs contain important information that can help you determine if you’re being paid accurately. However, they can be difficult to understand. If you’re unsure whether you’re receiving all the wages you’re owed, it’s crucial to seek the assistance of an employment lawyer who can review your pay stubs. Our law firm, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP, provides a free and confidential phone consultation, and you can contact us at (212)300-0375 to schedule one. For more information on your employment rights, please visit our website.