United, flight attendants OK plan

United Airlines and its flight attendants union have agreed to a buyout plan that will enable up to 600 flight attendants to leave the company voluntarily. The plan announced Friday applies to flight attendants who are at least 45 and have spent 15 or more years with United. Participants will be entitled to severance payments and retiree travel benefits. United Vice President Alex Marren says the agreement will mitigate the impact of its recently announced domestic capacity cuts of 14 percent by the end of this year and another 11 percent in 2009. Chicago-based United is working on alternatives to layoffs with its other unions.