Originally Posted by
traveller001
First off yes they need all FAs to board per the FAA. One FA per 50 passengers at max capacity is the rule for all aircraft. Even if there's only a single seat sold. (with the exception of small aircraft where flight deck doors aren't secured and the FO is usually your FA as well)
Not true! One FA per 50 seats is the rule for operating the flight. For boarding purposes, it may or may not be the same (depending on what the FAA has approved specifically for AirTran). That said, most real airlines have substitute/reserve FA's at the airport specifically for starting the boarding process. This helps with late-arriving FA's (who might be on a delayed flight, stuck in traffic, in a bad mood, etc.).