United offers flight attendants $100,000 buyouts

CHICAGO, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- United Airlines is offering $100,000 buyouts to flight attendants as it attempts to cut costs after being the only major U.S. airline to report a loss this quarter.

The early-exit plan is available in lump sum payments and United hopes it will have 2,100 takers. It also plans to bring back 1,450 furloughed attendants to work at airports that are thinly staffed, reports Bloomberg.

"The cost is less to have a flight attendant with less experience versus one that has more," said United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy.

United, which merged with Continental in 2010, has been lagging behind its competitors: American Airlines Group, Delta and Southwest. Its shares gained only 31 percent versus the 43 and greater percent gains of other U.S. airlines. The buyouts will affect employees from both United and Continental in order of seniority.