Originally Posted by
WaytoomuchEurope
As a matter of fact, they are the second last people off the aircraft...why don't they just gate/sky check? Their bags could be waiting for them in the jetway.
Sky check is not always available. The folks you see bringing surplus / excess luggage down to the hold during non-sky check boarding processes are essentially adding checked luggage airside; whatever they bring down will ultimately appear at the passenger's destination baggage carrousel, not at the immediate next jet bridge. This simply doesn't work for cabin crews.