We are REQUIRED to carry our own personal flashlight and they are given to us by AA. I got mine in training. They are mainly used for compliance checks at night to make sure people are wearing their seatbelts.If an FAA inspector is on board and asks for it, it had better be with you and in working order or it IS a PERSONAL fine...These are treated just like our updated manuals (which is also provided) that must be with. The flashlights on the wall are for emergency purposes only and must remain there. We can't pull those off the wall for any situation.

Although I understand your inconvenience, here is my take on the extra bags issue. It is now a new rule for passengers mainly as a higher security measure. With more random bag checks at security and longer lines at the security checkpoints, it is safer, more thorough and quicker to have people bring less carry-ons...just like frequent flyers are not exempt from random back checks. It's a pain, but it's just the way it is right now. f/a's preboard early and have designated areas for their rollaboards and totes (closets and cubbys) and rarely use overhead bin space unless they are deadheading. Some flight attendants do go over that and of course with a layover at Xmas in NY may bring some shopping bags, but that is one of the perks that are allowed us for being an employee. I've been guilty of buying duty free items in Canada and bringing them on...but I, as most f/a's will, put their added items in their rollaboards or in the same areas that their bags would go anyway. Believe me, if the airlines could allow passengers to bring on everything and anything without it being a boarding, delay, or safety problem, they would. After AA recently spent millions and millions of $$ for bigger bins to entertain the previous rule, do you really think this was desired or expected? They were practically competing against each other on who could allow the most carry-ons on board. Like a previous thread, we are also exempt because of our unpredictable schedules. Then the contents of our tote, which is something that we can not check since it has our required items that must be on board could fit in our rollaboard, but our portfolio like manuals (which we could add a shoulder strap and serve as a carry-on), inflight shoes,aprons, flashlights, calenders, etc would literally fill up our bag...forget fitting anything else in there except our amenity kit..plus the whole purpose of the items to be readily available would be compromising.

We are the working crewmembers...and rather than being a perk, it's a necessity for not only us as flight attendants, but for those passengers that we are there for...to miss a connecting flight would be a huge disservice and we could never check a bag all of the way through. And to whoever said we can gate check (just to cover one comment): If it's not a stroller or wheelchair it would go directly to baggage claim..how could we make a 40 minute connection in MIA if we have to catch a train to the claim area, get our bag and get back to the gate through security. Frequent flyer members fly a lot, but usually it's to get from point A to point B (or c if your making a connection)..then to baggage claim and the ground transportation area. We go point A to point B back to point A to point C and sometimes on to point D back to point A or to point C depending on you hear your name paged while walking to your next gate and it could be F. Bottom line...With only 3-4 crew on an S-80 or 737 of 135 passengers...to 6-9 on a 767 with 190 people, this employee priveledge shouldn't be a big concern to anyone. We have this allowance since there is so few of us and we have been cleared an hour before the flight...take an entire aircraft with the checks they do now at the gate can cause a problem. To whoever wants to change the rules to accomodate themselves, then have at it and write to the airlines or the FAA, but comparing why ME vs. THE EMPLOYEES and how I pack is better than them is not the issue. Once things settle down, there may be changes and it's just a matter of time.

[This message has been edited by Air Kitty (edited 12-20-2001).]