American Airlines will head back to the bargaining table with its 18,000 flight attendants on Tuesday in Nashville, renewing hope that a contract may soon be reached after two years of negotiations.

The newest meetings are scheduled to take place over three days with a new federal mediator present.

Laura Glading, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said she is keeping an open mind heading into the meetings but admitted that she saw no early signs the airline is willing to up its previous offer. "They always seem to have the money to spend on (other) things they want," she said.

In a Monday posting on American’s website, managing flight director Cathy Scheu said the company is excited to continue negotiations.

The union rejected American Airlines’ last offer which included a three percent signing bonus in addition to pay raises that would amount to 9.9 percent over five years. Union concerns were said to center on health care and other benefits.

Source: NBC Dallas-Fort Worth