American Airlines (AAL.US) air attendants voted to approve a new five-year labor agreement, ending one of the most contentious contract negotiations in the industry, with crew members beginning in October to receive a pay increase of more than 20 percent.

The union says 87% of American Airlines attendants approve the new contract. Julie Hedrick, president of the United States Air Service Association, said the agreement was an important milestone for air service attendants, providing up to a 20.5% increase in real-time pay while avoiding the time spent on massive backdated pay negotiations.