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Why do AA Flight Crews Travel with so much Luggage?

Why do AA Flight Crews Travel with so much Luggage?

Old Mar 24, 2019, 11:21 pm
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Why do AA Flight Crews Travel with so much Luggage?

Honest question.....I’m watching the same crew I had to Maui board with 3-4 different bags each (not to mention obvious flowers and items they’ve picked up while here)....some garment bags like they’re going to a ball.

I have just a backpack for the same destination.

What on earth do you need for a 2 day trip?
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 12:37 am
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They may be on a longer rotation than just the 2 flights you shared with them?
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 5:16 am
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My hunch is that they like to bring back stuff from their destination. Also I would assume they like to have multiple clothes for a variety of occasions. And since they pay no baggage fees and have room for their bags.......
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 5:55 am
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Originally Posted by trooper
They may be on a longer rotation than just the 2 flights you shared with them?
this. Sometimes you dont go home for a while.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 6:46 am
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Because they can?
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 8:30 am
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I think in old days flight crews had to carry printed manuals but I think those are quickly changing to electronic device fast. I think at AA typically crews are away from the base three to four days, especially on domestic I do think they often do not have that much time on each overnight location to do stuff, and especially for FAs they do not get paid enough to buy stuff at every overnight locations.

One guess I have is that crews may carry another pair of uniform? On the road they do not have time to do laundry if uniform got dirty or time to repair. But yes, it is true that it looks a lot for three to four days trip when pretty much all they do is turn around at hotels.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 8:56 am
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I also think that some crews bring food along to avoid buying it at the destination so that they can keep their per diem as a form of extra pay. Hotel restaurants can get pretty expensive pretty quick (and probably more than most per diems).

That being said, the real question to me is: should FAs be able to bring so much luggage along (or at least be required to check some). I've had numerous instances where I'm the first one on the plane, and already two entire overheads are taken up by crew bags. I've also seen many FAs getting on the plane with four(!!) bags. They should be required to check extra baggage just like the rest of us (especially since it would be gate valet and they would get it back in the jetway). It just irks me that FAs get to bring an unlimited number of bags along when overhead space is so limited.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:08 am
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Originally Posted by tacostuff
...should FAs be able to bring so much luggage along (or at least be required to check some). I've had numerous instances where I'm the first one on the plane, and already two entire overheads are taken up by crew bags. I've also seen many FAs getting on the plane with four(!!) bags. They should be required to check extra baggage just like the rest of us (especially since it would be gate valet and they would get it back in the jetway). It just irks me that FAs get to bring an unlimited number of bags along when overhead space is so limited.
their view is that the plane is their workspace (which it is) and we are all just temporary interlopers. You think you're entitled to all the overheads, and they disagree. Their stuff got there first.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:20 am
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Originally Posted by tacostuff
I also think that some crews bring food along to avoid buying it at the destination so that they can keep their per diem as a form of extra pay. Hotel restaurants can get pretty expensive pretty quick (and probably more than most per diems).

That being said, the real question to me is: should FAs be able to bring so much luggage along (or at least be required to check some). I've had numerous instances where I'm the first one on the plane, and already two entire overheads are taken up by crew bags. I've also seen many FAs getting on the plane with four(!!) bags. They should be required to check extra baggage just like the rest of us (especially since it would be gate valet and they would get it back in the jetway). It just irks me that FAs get to bring an unlimited number of bags along when overhead space is so limited.
I have a good friend who is an AA FA with 44 years seniority and she flies mostly TATL flights. I often catch up with her in Rome and the hotel is good about comping her a bottle of wine and a try of appetizers. It’s not a meal but it’s a regular event and a nice thing for the flight crews. As for the luggage, they can only bring what they can carry so it would be a rare event to see one boarding with four large carryons. On the long hauls, she carries a rollaboard, personal item and a purse normally. They carry at least three pairs of shoes, fresh uniforms for each flight and all the normal stuff the rest of us carry. My friend carries four pairs of shoes, the extra being for jogging and the gym.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:21 am
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Originally Posted by tacostuff
That being said, the real question to me is: should FAs be able to bring so much luggage along (or at least be required to check some).
As an industry they don't want crews checking luggage. Not only is AA luggage handling unreliable, crew get rerouted routinely. They walk off the plane and think they're headed to San Diego only to be told to run to crew an Austin flight.

It's not just AA crews carrying more than 1+1: check any ten United or Delta flights.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:23 am
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In some cases during IROPs, trips could be extended or they could be sent on (or volunteer for) a totally different flight to a location with a very different climate. I recall a TPAC Christmas Eve trip where my flight had a MX and the crew were going to time out, so the airline (not UA) sent the FAs who thought they were going (home) to MSP to HNL instead while the HNL cabin crew were moved to our flight, and ended up at MSP instead of HNL for Christmas.

Uniforms can get spills/stains and it would be nice to be able to change to something in order to maintain a professional appearance for work assignments.

Airlines forbid wearing uniforms during certain off duty periods (to/from airport and hotel breakfast before work is obviously OK) including whenever alcohol is being consumed. It's also common not to be allowed to smoke while wearing a FA uniform so that passengers don't smell the smoke when dinner is being served, and some FAs who still smoke would impose that standard on themselves as part of doing their jobs in a professional manner. This means that FAs must bring sufficient personal clothing on every trip.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:25 am
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Originally Posted by tacostuff
... should FAs be able to bring so much luggage along (or at least be required to check some). I've had numerous instances where I'm the first one on the plane, and already two entire overheads are taken up by crew bags. I've also seen many FAs getting on the plane with four(!!) bags. They should be required to check extra baggage just like the rest of us (especially since it would be gate valet and they would get it back in the jetway)...
Flight attendants should be held to the same requirements as a passenger. One personal item (purse, laptop bag) and one carry on... And allowing one carry on full size bag is being generous. There's simply no need for a FA to have a carry on bag unless they have a tight connection somewhere else right after. In my experience, a lot of flights go back and forth between one airport throughout each day, so I would say it should be the exception, not the rule.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 9:30 am
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Originally Posted by mikesyr18
Flight attendants should be held to the same requirements as a passenger. One personal item (purse, laptop bag) and one carry on... And allowing one carry on full size bag is being generous. There's simply no need for a FA to have a carry on bag unless they have a tight connection somewhere else right after. In my experience, a lot of flights go back and forth between one airport throughout each day, so I would say it should be the exception, not the rule.
That FA with a back and forth schedule (probably on a RJ, so unlikely to be a mainline schedule) might experience MX or WX IROPs and be required to stay overnight for rest and then work the replacement flight bringing the aircraft back the following day. He/she at least needs overnight stuff and a fresh uniform for the next day.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 10:35 am
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
That FA with a back and forth schedule (probably on a RJ, so unlikely to be a mainline schedule) might experience MX or WX IROPs and be required to stay overnight for rest and then work the replacement flight bringing the aircraft back the following day. He/she at least needs overnight stuff and a fresh uniform for the next day.
I've seen back and forth schedules as far as JFK-RSW.
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Old Mar 25, 2019, 10:43 am
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Originally Posted by mikesyr18
Flight attendants should be held to the same requirements as a passenger. One personal item (purse, laptop bag) and one carry on... And allowing one carry on full size bag is being generous. There's simply no need for a FA to have a carry on bag unless they have a tight connection somewhere else right after. In my experience, a lot of flights go back and forth between one airport throughout each day, so I would say it should be the exception, not the rule.
your experience is not the norm. Other than the Regional jets, that may do this more frequently, the vast majority of mainline flights do not.

Also crews are subject to being re-routed and extended. So checking bags would be highly disruptive to timely schedules.
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Last edited by nachosdelux; Mar 25, 2019 at 11:17 am
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