Flight Attendants are Safety Custodians, Not Luggage Lifters

“Hey, just leave your bag there and let the flight attendant handle it. That’s their job!” Hold on, let’s get something straight. Lifting passenger luggage into the aircraft’s overhead compartments is NOT part of a flight attendant’s responsibilities, particularly for passengers who are physically capable. While flight attendants are willing to assist passengers with disabilities, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and those who might struggle to reach the overhead bins, it’s not their job to stow luggage for every passenger, especially those who are able to do so themselves.

Therefore, managing your luggage and placing it in the overhead bins falls under your responsibility. These compartments are designed for your safety and convenience.

The Reasoning

Repetitive lifting of 7kg luggage has long-term unfavorable effects on the health and well-being of flight attendants. This may hinder flight attendants from carrying out their primary duties as safety custodians in the sky, in charge of the lives of passengers, and not your bags!

Take this into context. For every 1 flight attendant, there are usually 50 passengers. So imagine them lifting 7kg of weight 50 times per flight leg. That means for a roundtrip flight, they would end up lifting 7kg 100 times, without wearing any back brace. This may cause long-term problems to their backs and shoulders, which may even render them unable to work. This is why airlines restrict flight attendants from lifting luggage. Even 5-star airlines do not allow their FAs to lift luggage.

To paint a clearer picture, think of your car. Yes, you can rev your car to the 6th or 7th rpm once, twice, and thrice. However, doing that all the time will slowly damage your engine, rendering your car useless.

Flight attendants are there to meet passenger needs within certain limits. Their health and physical well-being are also a priority for airlines. Like anyone else, they can suffer injuries if overburdened.

Your Luggage is Your Responsibility

If you’re physically able, and you’ve managed to carry your luggage from your car to the check-in counter and then to the boarding gate, you’re certainly capable of placing it in the overhead storage bin. Chances are, you’ll also be eager to retrieve it as soon as the plane lands.

For those who are elderly, have a disability, are pregnant, or face challenges with height, it’s advisable to pack light. If you’re entitled to free checked luggage, consider using that service. However, if you must bring your luggage onboard, aim to store it under the seat in front of you or seek assistance for lifting.

Remember, some airlines strictly enforce policies against flight attendants stowing passenger luggage. If your carry-on is too heavy or if you’re unable to lift it into the bin yourself, don’t expect flight attendants to do it for you. And definitely don’t leave your luggage on the cabin floor expecting them to take care of it; it could end up being rechecked by security or handed over to ramp agents for checking.

Other Reasons

There are also other reasons why flight attendants are not responsible for stowing your bags into the overhead compartments.

• Pre-flight duties: Boarding passengers, conducting safety briefings, and completing pre-flight checks are crucial tasks for flight attendants before takeoff. Assisting with luggage would delay these responsibilities.
• Company policy: Many airlines have policies prohibiting flight attendants from lifting passenger luggage due to liability concerns. If an injury occurred while lifting a bag, the airline might not be covered by insurance.
• Passenger responsibility: Passengers are ultimately responsible for their own belongings, including ensuring they comply with weight and size restrictions for carry-on luggage.

Last but not least, let’s not abuse the kindness of people working in the service industry. While they are there to render services to make our lives easier, there are always limitations to what they are allowed to do, for specific reasons.

Let’s be responsible travelers, shall we? Take care of your own luggage. No one is “entitled” when you step inside the aircraft. All rules have to be followed!