American Airlines has sweetened its new pilot contract by over $1 billion to match a preliminary deal reached between rival United Airlines and its aviators last week.
American said Friday that the overall proposed four-year contract value has been raised to $9 billion.
The airline added that it would match the pay rates and retroactive pay in United’s tentative agreement that was reached July 15 and provide extended sick leave and increased life insurance.
Announcement of the proposed deal comes after Ed Sicher, president of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), a union that represents some 15,000 American Airlines pilots, warned in a message Thursday that he feared the carrier might “attempt to lowball us again with another subpar offer.”…