Originally Posted by
jonu
Are FAs under any compulsion (official policy or social pressure) to go along with the action of the GAs, particularly if the GA has already stated firmly that the bag MUST be checked?
Social pressure, maybe. I don't believe it's an official policy. I've seen some FAs stop people from bringing on bags that have already been checked, despite there being room still. I've also seen some do the exact opposite (though less frequently). I've also seen lead rampers go up into the plane and see if there is still room for bags (in instances where the flight is not full and there should be no reason for there to be any/many gate checks), then take the tags off and have them put the bags on board.
Some GAs will start checking bags after X amount of people have boarded (based on plane type), no matter what. Simply because it makes things quicker and easier for them during the final 5-10 min before departure, to avoid a situation of people getting on the plane, finding out there is no room, then having to swim upstream to get back off the plane and have the agent tag their bag anyway. Last minute gate checks are the
#1 cause of short delays, so it makes sense to me that the GA would rather tag a few too many bags and be safe, than not preemptively tag them and take a delay as a result of doing it last minute.
My advice would be the same as LarryJ's. If you're boarding near the end, ask the FA if there is still space. If you want to go the extra step and take the tag off and give it to them so it can be removed from the system, that's nice. But realistically it doesn't really matter, in my eyes.