Something similar to this happened to my sister when she was flying southwest. I thought that I heard somewhere that FAs don't have to help with luggage.
I'm sure if you said nobody in a wheelchair or otherwise physically challenged was allowed to bring a carryon, some aspect of it or a related law would apply.
They could use thier primary storage space (under the seat in front of them)
I am somewhat kidding, as I would help someone disabled or shorter (male or female). However, I would NOT help someone who had several peices or did have a peice that was too heavy (maybe over 50lbs-ish).... as chivalry doesn't cover spinal fusion
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Sounds just like the FA I had about a month ago! An elderly lady asked him for help storing her carry-on, and after agreeing, he stood there for about ten seconds. Then he said "Oh, you mean you want me to do it for you, not help you with it? There's a big difference."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
Sounds just like the FA I had about a month ago! An elderly lady asked him for help storing her carry-on, and after agreeing, he stood there for about ten seconds. Then he said "Oh, you mean you want me to do it for you, not help you with it? There's a big difference."
Same awful attitude.
shameful.
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This is yet another example of UA employees not even pretending to put on a veneer of customer service. It's just like the "Our Contract requires your seats" thread.
Yes, the pilot contract required those seats.
Yes, FA duties do not include baggage handling and they aren't covered for injuries for non-duty actions.
But there's a way to gracefully deflect requests for baggage assistance while still being customer-centric and polite. There's a way to handle must-ride employee space issues while still making the paying customer feel valued.
But UA employees don't even care anymore.
Not my problem.
Will somebody please buy this dysfunctional lousy excuse for an airline and put it out of its misery? Or NOT buy it and let it put itself out of its misery? We've got NeWDelta now. What do we have to do to get CO to step back up and take UA over?
Of course with UA being $50 to $300 more than NW, DL, CO on every date I checked for upcoming domestic trips over the next few months, UA may be doing the job already.
At this point I'm thinking of just sitting here with 87,893 EQM as of Nov 1 and not bothering to fly my already booked one remaining UA trip and my one AC/UA/LH leisure getaway that will get me back to 1K; just stop at 1P for 2009 and use the ticket value for something next year less change fees to get a minimal 2P for 2010 year just in case CO's entry into *A is delayed into 2010.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Nov 1, 08 at 2:27 am..
Reason: off-topic portion deleted
1. UA (or any airline) WILL handle your luggage for you. It's called "checked baggage". So they charge for it, they charge for a lot of things. So you can't wait for the bags to reach the carousel, that's the penalty for carrying more gear. Freight train or airliner or taxi, more tonnage causes delay.
2. If you decline to use checked baggage service, it's called "carry on". That means you, not the airline, carry it on. If you can't carry it on, including storing it on the plane, then don't expect others to assist. If you aren't capable of carrying it on, then check the luggage and the airline will handle it for you.
3. Instructing FA's not to lift luggage into the overhead bins, including denying insurance or workman's comp is a legitimate tactic to reduce employee injuries, which are a significant expense for UA. Unlike checked luggage, carry on is not weighed, and the potential hazard from a heavy bag exists. This risk also applies to fellow passengers. But like many issues regarding customers, there is blowback as has been expressed in this thread that customer service is being reduced by the policy. Presumably UA management has taken this into account. Other examples are ICC, lost baggage kiosks, BOB in domestic C, etc.
4. As often happens with a large group of employees, some UA FA's forget that they should be nice, not rude or sarcastic, when administering a policy that can cause ill feelings, such as this or no hot meals in F, or no meal at all, or no snacks, or no preflight beverage, etc.
Summary: If you can't store your "carry on" luggage yourself, it's not "carry on", its "checked baggage".
But I am a believer that if you can't lift it yourself..... then it shouldn't be a "carry" on.
HERE HERE!!! If someone carries something on the plane, they need to be ready to put it in a bin. Not excusing the FA's poor response, but I tire of people who carry more than they can manage.
Maybe that is why many Asia based airlines have weight limits for carryon bags. A common weight limit is 7kg for economy class passengers (which is not very much; a rollaboard may be 2kg just by itself, and a lighter backpack of rollaboard dimensions can easily be stuffed beyond 7kg with just clothing). However, such weight limits are often not strictly enforced.
Don't know if those airlines dissuade their flight attendants from helping passengers with their carryons, but many of their flight attendants look like they would have difficulty lifting a moderately heavy carryon into an overhead bin.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tjl
Don't know if those airlines dissuade their flight attendants from helping passengers with their carryons, but many of their flight attendants look like they would have difficulty lifting a moderately heavy carryon into an overhead bin.
Hah, funny you say that. Everytime I fly SQ in J/F the FA's (that are about half my size) are trying to help me stuff my carry on in the overhead. Of course I have no issue getting my bag in the overhead on my own, but they still seem to feel like they need to help. Cracks me up!
I'm sure the ADA would have something to say about these opinions.
As has been mentioned, the ADA does not apply. Such situations are governed by the ACAA.
A passenger with a disability who requests accommodation under the ACAA would receive help in stowing their legal carry on bags (including assistance devices which might exceed the normal carry on baggage allotment). That doesn't mean that an F/A would be required to lift a heavy bag into the overhead compartment, only that they find a way to accommodate it. This might include storing the bag in some location at floor level such as in a closet or bringing a baggage handler on board who was physically capable of lifting the item without risking injury.
Lacking a qualifying disability, the F/As are not required to lift bags into the overhead for passengers but many will do so when they believe that they can do so safely.
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Punishment or education?
Mixed feelings on this thread. I never thought I was engaging in any sort of evil "enabling" activity by helping someone put something into the overhead compartment and, even more often, helping get it down. At 6', I'm probably close to ideal height for working with the overhead bins (without bumping my head into the ceiling). And it's not like this is a recent thing, brought on by the current policies that charge for checked baggage. It's been pretty much since the beginning of my flying days.
But I do see the point; passengers shouldn't be trying to bring the kitchen sink with them into the plane's cabin. However, the policing should really be done ahead of time. Once somebody is already in the cabin, trying to get their stuff loaded up overhead, refusing to help them comes across more as punishment rather than education. And shouldn't education be the point?
Seriously, the airlines need to do a better job getting people to understand the various limitations and expectations involved with flying. Forget about contrasting flying today with yesterday... those days are gone. We have to deal with the here & now. And the here & now says that airlines should try to rationally explain, on websites, on the on-line check-in site and at the airport, when you need to be checking baggage. And that might even have to include an extra fee if you get as far as the gate and have to check something there.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryJ
Lacking a qualifying disability, the F/As are not required to lift bags into the overhead for passengers but many will do so when they believe that they can do so safely.
It occurs to me that there may be something inherently flawed in the design of in-cabin storage if there has to be such conern for bodily safety when stowing luggage. Not that there's much that can be done about it now, but seriously, if this is a major issue, it seems like there's room for improvement. How? I have no idea. Then again, I've never had a back issue (or much of any other muscular/skeletal issue) so the present setup works just fine... for me. Perhaps there are too many people like me designing such things???
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shameful.
