Some people over pack—it’s just the way it is. My mother is one of those people; she would probably take her entire wardrobe if she could, but fortunately my father has gotten quite good at making her reduce her baggage quantity and size, knowing full well that if she is left unchecked, he will be forced to schlep all her stuff around. Multiple, large bags can be cumbersome; but in this day and age, it is also expensive, as most airlines slap hefty fees on checked bags. The more bags you have, the higher the prices. As a result, more and more people carry their bags on the plane—jamming them into cramped and limited overhead stowage space. These regulations and tariffs are having a positive effect as well (in my book); they are pushing people to become more efficient packers. Excess baggage is dwindling, as passengers try to escape incidental fees. There is one category of traveler, however, that has seemed to miss the boat on consolidation. I’m talking about my cohorts, the flight attendants.
Most passengers see flight attendants rolling through the airports, but I wonder how many really pay attention to the sheer quantity of baggage these men and women are hauling around. Many airlines allow working flight attendants 3-4 carry-on bags of various sizes; yes twice as much as everyone else. Everything from a roll-a-board suitcase to a garment bag, computer bag, purse/briefcase, lunch bag, grocery sack, or body bag (no, just kidding about that last one, although I feel that some women’s purses are akin to a body bag, and I am almost certain I could fit an entire village into them). Granted, some flight attendants work multi-day trips—ranging from a few days to 8 or more days. Some Asian carriers even make round-the-world journeys and can be gone for weeks at a time. Plus, some flight attendants back up their trips and may commute to their assignments from a remote city, therefore necessitating more undies, hence more bags. Most trolley dollies, however, work trips that range from 1 to 4 days and take several days off between trips. So, why do these flight attendants need enough match luggage to outfit a safari, a jaunt to the beach, a nightclub outing, dinner with the pope, a cocktail dress for Vegas, skiing in the Pyrenees, scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, and a trip to the moon if they are only going to be gone for a couple of days? I’m pretty certain you don’t need any of that stuff to visit Wichita.
Seriously, the amount of flight attendants that over pack is astonishing. I have asked a number of such flight attendants why they need to bring so much stuff, and the answer is usually the same: ‘you never know where they might reroute us…and I want to be prepared.’ And prepared they are…for any and all destinations. Seemingly even for a nuclear holocaust! To be fair, this desire for preparation at all costs stems from events like September 11th and the Icelandic volcano, when aircrews and passengers from around the world found themselves stranded in unfamiliar locales for days at a time. It’s smart to think like a boy scout and be prepared. But, I do think some of the ‘preparatory measures’ many of these flight attendants take are just a bit extreme. The relative chance of needing half the crap in their bags is pretty minimal. I have even worked turnarounds (one leg out and one leg back) with stewards and stewardesses with a flotilla of luggage. When I inquired on one such occasion if the woman commuted from somewhere, she replied that she was a local. And then she asked me to help lift her bevy of bulging bags into the overhead bin because they were too heavy for her. Yeah, I don’t think so, sister… Its’ really not uncommon to see a storage closet (normally reserved for coats) brimming to the max with flight attendant bags that were too heavy or large to fit in the overhead bin. I’ve also known many a flight attendant to do some light (or heavy) shopping on a layover and swell their already large bags to breaking point. And ladies, just because I’m a chivalrous guy doesn’t mean I want to hoist your bags into the bin or help you retrieve them after you’ve wedged them in there.
Flight attendants also like to pack what can be equated to the contents of an industrial sized refrigerator for their trips. Airport food is unhealthy and expensive, and the obvious option is to bring your own food. Thrifty and wise, for sure. But does one really need to bring an entire Thanksgiving dinner with enough sustenance to feed the gang from The Last Supper? I can’t imagine how much food is actually thrown away or goes bad, as refrigeration is often shoddy at best in hotels and on airplanes. Bring some snacks, bring a couple of easy meals—but leave the Chinette at home.
Long story short, we’re all culprits when it comes to hoarding our stuff on the road with us, but one would think seasoned road warriors would be better at limiting themselves and packing more efficiently. Personally, I like to take as little as possible and hope for the best. And if it comes to the worst: hey, at least it’s an excuse to buy some new stuff. But for now, it seems that I’m among the minority. I’ll save my back and save the heavy lifting for someone else.
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