Reasons Flight Attendants Won’t Assist with Your Bags

We’ve all witnessed those viral clips of travelers struggling to fit oversized carry-on luggage into airplane bins. Even if you choose the correct bag (here’s a helpful guide to carry-on dimensions), you might still wish for a little help to get a heavy load into the bin.

In such cases, don’t count on the flight attendant to lift it for you.

“If a passenger cannot lift a bag into the overhead bin, then the bag should be checked,” states Taylor Garland, spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. This union represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants across 19 U.S. airlines, including Spirit, United, Alaska, and Frontier.

That’s solid advice for travelers; no one wants to injure themselves while trying to manage a roller bag. However, it’s also the primary reason flight attendants are trained not to be responsible for lifting bags into bins.

“Flight attendants are trained not to lift bags for passengers as it’s a major cause of injury,” says Garland. “Besides the financial and health implications for flight attendants, this could result in delays or even cancellations of flights.”

Indeed, most airlines typically have an information section on their websites addressing this issue. Delta spokesperson Ben Zhang highlights his airline’s specific policy, which states that “flight attendants cannot proactively assist customers in placing carry-on luggage into overhead bins, with certain exceptions.”

However, for Southwest and JetBlue, helping passengers with their luggage is part of their corporate culture. Southwest spokesperson Chris Perry notes in an email that while it’s not mandatory, attendants are permitted to assist passengers. “It’s part of our Southwest hospitality,” he adds.

Remember that “assisting” doesn’t equate to actually lifting your bag—passengers should expect help to be more about guidance rather than heavy lifting. For instance, “assistance” could involve directing passengers to available bin space, advising on how to position the bag (look for visual aids on newer bins; some indicate whether bags should be on their narrow side or how wheels should be oriented), asking fellow passengers to adjust bags for optimal space use, or helping with storage without taking the lead in lifting the bag.

The exception for all airlines, as Perry explains, is for customers with disabilities. “Flight attendants must assist them with their carry-on items unless they explicitly ask not to receive assistance,” Perry states. This aligns with the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, which specifies services and rights, including the obligation for airlines to provide assistance, if requested, such as stowing and retrieving carry-on items, including assistive devices.

Beyond official airline regulations, there’s also an unspoken reason why flight attendants might hesitate to lift your carry-on: they often don’t begin receiving pay until the airplane door closes—meaning they’re not earning a salary or covered by insurance or workers’ compensation if they get injured during boarding. However, this is changing: Delta, SkyWest, and United have recently introduced various forms of boarding and pre-boarding compensation.

Whether this becomes the norm in labor practices or not, the best approach for passengers is to take charge of your own carry-on if you can. As former flight attendant and TikToker Kat Kamalani suggests in one of her videos, try lifting your bag over your head at home. If it feels too heavy, remove some items. Still, if you genuinely need a little help during boarding, a polite request is usually met with a willingness to assist from a flight attendant…or a nearby good Samaritan. Just remember to pack light.