Did you know that flight attendants are not required to put your baggage in an airplane’s overhead compartment?
This was what aviation digital content creator and entrepreneur Mond Ortiz said in a viral Facebook post on June 14.
“Just a friendly reminder that it is not a flight attendant’s job to stow passenger luggage unto the overhead compartments. Indeed, it’s true!” he said.
Ortiz stressed that flight attendants are “not required” to lift bags “especially when the passenger is capable of doing it themselves.”
“However, they CAN HELP passengers with physical disabilities (PWDs), seniors, pregnant women, or those who are unable to reach the compartments to lift their luggage,” the aviation enthusiast said. “PWDs” refer to persons with disabilities.
Ortiz also shared that constantly stowing passengers’ bags overhead without back support “could cause long-term damage to their backs and shoulders, potentially making them unfit for work,” referring to flight attendants.
Physical conditions of the body are a huge factor among flight attendants since they must be able to move easily through the airplane and perform their duties without difficulty in a limited space.
This includes standing in prolonged periods and being physically able enough to lead evacuation efforts in case of plane emergencies, among others.
“So, if you’re a capable passenger who has carried your luggage from the car to the check-in counter to the boarding gate, you should be able to stow it in the overhead bin too! Plus, it’s likely that once the plane lands, you’ll be the first to retrieve it,” Ortiz said in his post.
He recommends PWD, senior citizens, pregnant women and passengers with short stature to travel “light” instead.
“If you have complimentary check-in luggage privileges, utilize them. If you must carry it on board, try to stow it under the seat in front of you. Or, you may ask for assistance to lift your luggage,” the aviation content creator said.
“I’d also like to remind passengers NOT to leave their luggage on the floor, expecting flight attendants to stow them. That’s a no-no! They might end up calling security to recheck it or ask ramp agents to check it in for you,” Ortiz added.
His Facebook post has garnered 25,000 likes and reactions, 2,700 comments and over 8,100 shares so far.
Flyhigh MNL, a publication catering to flight attendants and their lifestyles, also reported in 2021 that cabin crew members are not obliged to stow passengers’ baggage in the overhead cabin.
The publication messaged six airline companies about the concern, including Philippine Airlines.
The flag carrier reportedly said the following:
Our cabin crew will be ready to assist the passengers with their carry-on baggage. Our crew may help the passenger while the passenger lifts and puts baggage [in] the bin. Thank you.
Other airlines with similar responses were Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Thai Airways and Delta Air Lines.
Flyhigh MNL further said that flight attendants are not required to lift baggage “due to health hazards.”
“Cabin crew members have to be [in] tip-top shape at all times in order for them to fulfill their primary role in saving passenger lives in case of any emergency situation,” it said.
“They may end up carrying injured passengers on their backs, just like what happened with Asiana Airlines 214,” the report added, referencing the Korean transpacific passenger flight in 2013 which crashed on final approach into San Francisco, USA.
The publication said that flight attendants, however, are encouraged to assist passengers needing help stowing their baggage overhead.
It stressed that to assist means “to give support or aid,” citing an authoritative dictionary.
