Allegiant Pilot Contract 2026: New Pay Tables, $300M Bonus, and What TA26 Means for Your Career
- Jul 11
- 4 min read
After more than five years working under a contract that became amendable in 2021, Allegiant Air pilots represented by Teamsters Local 2118 have reached a Tentative Agreement — known as TA26. For anyone weighing Allegiant as a career move, this is the deal that changes the math. Here's a clear, no-spin breakdown of what's in it, straight from the union's official TA26 summary.
The Headline: pay jumps of 38% to 105%
TA26 rebuilds Allegiant's pay scale from the ground up, with retroactive increases to July 1, 2026, followed by scheduled bumps on January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028. Here's how the new hourly rates compare to the current CBA:
Position | Current CBA | TA 07/01/2026 | TA 01/01/2027 | TA 01/01/2028 |
Captain (Yr 4) | $185.36 | $255.67 (+37.9%) | $284.92 (+53.7%) | $293.17 (+58.2%) |
Captain (Yr 12) | $232.00 | $320.00 (+37.9%) | $345.00 (+48.7%) | $355.00 (+53.0%) |
First Officer (Yr 1) | $57.67 | $107.28 (+86.0%) | $115.20 (+99.8%) | $118.54 (+105.6%) |
First Officer (Yr 4) | $116.99 | $161.37 (+37.9%) | $188.40 (+61.0%) | $193.86 (+65.7%) |
First Officer (Yr 12) | $155.61 | $214.63 (+37.9%) | $218.14 (+40.2%) | $224.46 (+44.2%) |
The most striking number is first-year First Officer pay, which nearly doubles on day one and more than doubles by 2028 — moving the entry rate from a long-criticized $57.67 to $107.28, and eventually $118.54. That directly addresses the biggest recruiting knock against Allegiant: a below-market starting wage. You can see how this stacks up against the wider ULCC field on our Allegiant Air pilot profile, and compare it side by side with Frontier Airlines and Avelo Airlines.
A retention bonus worth roughly $300 million
Because the contract sat open for years, Allegiant has been banking a retention bonus for current pilots. Under TA26, upon ratification — expected on or before October 1, 2026 — eligible pilots receive payment of accrued retention bonuses valued at approximately $300 million in total. For pilots already on the property, that's a significant lump-sum payout landing on top of the new rates.
Retirement: a 15% direct 401(k) contribution
Starting January 1, 2027, Allegiant moves to a 15% direct company-funded 401(k) contribution — with no employee contribution required to earn it — replacing the old matching structure. Any amount exceeding IRS limits (the "cash over cap") is paid out to the pilot in cash by March 31 of the following year. A guaranteed 15% employer contribution is a genuinely strong retirement benefit for a carrier in this segment.
Insurance and quality-of-life upgrades
TA26 also strengthens the benefits package:
Life/AD&D: Company-paid $250,000 life insurance and $250,000 AD&D, with an optional buy-up up to 5x yearly income (to $750,000).
Long-term disability: A new plan replacing 60% of income up to $12,000/month, company-paid, running until FAA mandatory retirement age.
Healthcare: TeamCare coverage maintained, with premium increases frozen through the first full year after ratification and capped at 5% annually thereafter.
Parental leave: Three weeks of paid parental leave, plus expanded military, medical, personal, bereavement, jury-duty, and emergency leave protections.
VTO: A new Voluntary Time Off program that preserves seniority, vacation, sick accrual, 401(k), medical, and flight benefits, paid at 45 PCH.
Scheduling: NavBlue PBS replaces the in-house system
One of the biggest structural wins is the move to the NavBlue Preferential Bidding System, replacing Allegiant's in-house CBI. It comes with a joint union-company PBS committee, mutual agreement required for award logic and bid parameters, and company-funded implementation and training. Notably, the deal guarantees a minimum of 12 days off per bid period for both line holders and reserves once NavBlue is live — a meaningful quality-of-life anchor.
Pay rules also improve across the board: a new 5 Pay Credit Hour minimum for every duty period tied to a flight duty period, 1:1 deadhead pay, premium open time paid at 1.5x–3.0x, and junior assignment at 2.0x.
Job security and the Sun Country merger angle
With Allegiant Travel Company and Sun Country now merged, TA26 builds in protections for the road ahead: comprehensive involuntary-displacement protections, right of first refusal after displacement, company-paid moving expenses, fleet-transition protections, and furlough protection tied to PBS efficiencies. Crucially, a Me-Too LOA ensures Allegiant pilots' pay and retirement gains are protected relative to Sun Country ahead of any future Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement.
What happens next
TA26 is tentative until pilots vote to ratify it, with ratification targeted on or before October 1, 2026. If approved, the new pay tables apply retroactively to July 1, 2026, and the retention-bonus payout follows. Pilots should review the full contractual language and redline in the TA 2026 Resource Center — where any conflict exists, the full Tentative Agreement controls over the summary.
With entry-level First Officer pay nearly doubling, expect a surge of applications to Allegiant — and competitive hiring means your records need to be clean before you submit. PilotAudit can audit your logbook to flag discrepancies early, and the interview logbook prep package gets your presentation interview-ready before the big day.
FAQ
How much will Allegiant First Officers make under the new contract? First-year FO pay rises from $57.67 to $107.28/hour immediately, reaching $118.54 by January 2028. Senior FOs (Year 12) move to $214.63 and eventually $224.46.
What is the Allegiant pilot retention bonus? A payout of accrued retention bonuses valued at roughly $300 million total, paid to eligible pilots upon ratification.
When do Allegiant pilots vote on TA26? Ratification is expected on or before October 1, 2026.
Is Allegiant switching to NavBlue? Yes — TA26 replaces the in-house CBI with the NavBlue PBS, with a minimum 12 days off per bid period after implementation.