The picture above shows a flight attendant assisting a passenger lift her luggage unto the overhead compartment. This photo was taken before the pandemic. If you will look at the photo however, both the flight attendant and the passenger are lifting the luggage, and not solely the cabin crew. Why is this so? It is a fact that flight attendants are not obligated to lift passenger luggage.
However these days, airlines have further limited the weight of carry-on luggage so flight attendants need not even lend assistance. This is also to lessen the chance of any possible viral transmissions on board.
Just for information purposes though, it is a general rule that flight attendants are not obligated to lift passenger luggage unto the overhead compartments. For some airlines, they are only encouraged to lend assistance to PWDs, elderlies, children, height challenged individuals, etc. If you are an abled-passenger, it is your duty to lift your own luggage unto the overhead bins.
We ask the airlines if flight attendants are obligated to lift passenger luggage
Before we go on to discuss why, we asked different airlines if they obligated their cabin crew to lift passenger luggage unto the overhead compartments. Here were their answers:
These were asked before the pandemic, hence, you now know that things are more strict today. Airlines do want to reduce further direct contact between the passenger and cabin crew as to avoid any possible untoward transmission.
Way back, flight attendants had never been obligated to lift passenger luggage unto the overhead compartments. This was clearly answered by airlines from different rating levels, from 5-star all the way to 3-star. What more for low cost airlines.
That being said it is time to understand why.
Why are flight attendants not obligated to lift passenger luggage
There is a reason why airlines do not obligate flight attendants to lift passenger luggage unto the overhead compartments. The reason is due to health hazards. Cabin crew members have to be on tip top shape at all times in order for them to fulfill their primary role in saving passenger lives incase of any emergency situation. They may end up carrying injured passengers on their backs just like what happened with Asiana Airlines 214. A flight attendant was carrying an injured passenger on her back and went back in to get more after the aircraft crashlanded in SFO.
“So if they can’t lift hand carry luggage, what more carrying injured passengers?” Ma’am, an emergency situation does not happen everyday and we would never want that.
It has been proven countless times that the repetive lifting of hand carry luggage unto the overhead compartments usually results to back problems and injuries in the long term run. Let’s do the math and maybe, you’d want to experiment on this.
Repetitive lifting of passenger luggage have long term serious health hazards on flight attendants
The standard ratio of a flight attendant to passengers is 50:1. This means that for every 50 passengers on board at most, there must be 1 flight attendant. Each of thoese 50 passengers bring 7kgs or 15lbs of hand-carry luggage. If flight attendants were obligated to lift each luggage unto the overhead compartment, this would mean lifting 15lbs 50 times for every leg of flight. What if the cabin crew is to fly two legs, that would mean lifting 15lbs a hundred times. If he or she would fly four legs, that would mean lifting 15lbs 200 times a day! If the cabin crew is to fly five times a week, that would mean lifting 15lbs 1,000 times ever week. That alone equates to 4,000 times every month or approximately 24,000 to 48,000 times every year!
Try doing that and let’s see if you will not suffer any back problems in the long run. Add also the fact that not all will stick to the 7kgs limit, some go beyond!
There are proven numbers of flight attendants facing injuries due to this, hence, the stand of the airlines themselves.
Flight attendants have the option to lend assistance in lifting luggage
Flight attendants are ENCOURAGED to LEND ASSISTANCE to passengers in need of HELP in the stowage of their carry-on items unto the OSBs. That means if you are an able passenger without any physical hindrance, then please you have to lift it by yourself unto the overhead stowage bin.
Let’s look at the word “ASSISTANCE” or “ASSIST”. By definition taken from the Meriam-Webster Dictionary, it means “to give usually supplementary support or aid to”. To use it in a sentence, “She assisted the boy with his lessons”. This is synonymous to “The flight attendant assisted the passenger in lifting her luggage unto the overhead compartment”, in other words, BOTH the passenger and flight attendant lifted the luggage. This is far from “She did the lessons of the boy” or “The flight attendant lifted the passenger’s luggage unto the overhead bin.” Do you now get it?
So going back, flight attendant are simply encouraged by most airlines to ASSIST passengers who need help and these are usually PWDs, pregnant women, elderlies, or anyone with any physical hindrance when it comes to the lifting of luggage unto the OSBs.
Many rules have changed due to the covid-19 pandemic
Airlines are currently working ways to minimize contact between flight attendants and passengers. One of them is when it comes to lifting luggage. Different airlines have different policies. However, one policy still exists, and that is you should be able to lift your luggage on your own. Some airlines have totally forbidden flight attendants from coming into contact with passenger luggage, while some still allow the lending of assistance.
We now hope this clears the issue that it is not part of a flight attendant’s duty to lift passenger luggage unto the overhead bin. Travel lightly, and be safe!
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