It's pretty simple, actually. Flight attendants bid each month on the routes they want to fly for the airline. Their requests are granted, based largely on seniority.
Thus, the longest-serving flight attendants get the best routes. By "best," we mean both the most interesting and exotic -- think longer, international trips to South America or Asia, as opposed to an overnight in Omaha -- but also the most financially rewarding.
So, according to both the airline and the union, senior flight attendants in some cities started bidding on the most desirable trips even when they had no intention of flying them.
Then, they'd turn around and sell those winning bids to more junior flight attendants.
It's not the first time this practice has come to light. In 2018, American Airlines chided flight attendants who were selling their bids -- and reportedly making an average of $200 for each flight.
Quite entrepreneurial and innovative
Reminds of a time in the Danish postal service, where management let us trade shifts as we please, as long as they're all covered. We had made an elaborate changing around of shifts (using rules about min, hours of rest between shifts and such) over some days, so one of us ended up taking his original shift, but on overtime pay. Of course management got wise to it, but just told us not to do it again.
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