Originally Posted by flyastrojets
Working crew are exempt from the same carryon limitations as the rest of us.
Back to the original question... some of our F/A readers can chime in on this, but I believe there have been a few instances of F/A's getting injured while assisting customers with bags who have subsequently had their OJI claims denied by AA? This may be a case of AA workers comp folks being extra judicious about a few questionable cases, or perhaps is a systematic refusal to cover such claims. I have heard this story before, but honestly can't remember the details.
But that aside, I have to fall into the category of you pack it, you lug it on this one. If you pack more than you can lift into the overhead, check it.
The main reason you don't see us helping too much with baggage is that we are NOT covered if we are injured.
If we do it and hurt ourselves we are not covered under our sick pay. The claim goes in to workmans comp. While you are waiting for workman's comp to kick in AA pays you for your full schedule. The workman's comp that you get paid is a flat rate of whatever the bottom rate is at your pay scale. This does not cover what is usually on your schedule because most FA's fly about 10 to 20 more flight hours than what is the regular schedule. Once AA realizes that they have paid you and paid you too much they dock your next pay check for the money. Many times it winds up that you owe AA money.
If you are out for a significant period of time you can wind up losing a lot of income.
Other reasons are:
Have you ever seen the size of some of the baggage on AA? I came running to help a Dominican lady who was at the door in a wheelchair. She had a tote bag in between her legs on the chair. She moved the bag aside and stumbled out of the chair and ambled inside the door and down the aisle. When I bent down to pick up the seemingly normal sized bag I couldn't lift it. It had to weigh over a hundred pounds. I tried a few times thinking each time that it couldn't possibly be as heavy as I first thought it was. It was. As I tried the third time the old lady pushed me out of the way, bent down and heaved the bag over her shoulder like it was a bag of candy, and turned around and hobbled down the aisle with the bag on her shoulder.
Some of us have been injured previously. I helped a businessman with his luggage one day who was having trouble getting his monster bag in the overhead. He pulled and pushed and it came out and almost landed on a passengers head and I pushed my hand out to grab it and tore my rotator cuff. That was a few years ago and I still have trouble with it.
The most frustrating thing is having people assume I am there to carry their bag. I am not. AA pays baggage handlers to handle bags and offers you the opportunity to carry your own bags.
If you want someone to handle your bag and stow it then check it. If you want to do it yourself then carry it onboard.
The underground saying is " you pack it you push it 'cause if I touch it I tag it."