Short-Staffed JetBlue Will Pay Flight Attendants $5,000 To Fly 150+ Hours This Month

JetBlue says it will pay flight attendants a $5,000 bonus to increase flying time as the airline battles staffing pressure. The offer targets crew willing to work at least 150 credit hours in August, which JetBlue’s system converts to roughly double a typical month’s flying. Flight attendants can earn 4,000 Crewbucks (cash equivalent of $5,000) for 150+ hours, and 2,000 Crewbucks for 100–149 credit hours. JetBlue has also pulled temporarily grounded attendants back to line flying, including instructors in Florida, and has added incentives to work scheduled days off. The staffing issues have followed a turbulent July marked by thunderstorms across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and operational breakdowns, including the cancellation of more than 250 flights on July 22.