Originally Posted by
Freightpuppy
Ok, so do you carry your own bags up or does someone do it for you?
Yes!
Domestically, we haul our own bags.
Outside of the US they are generally hauled upstairs by the local ramp/vendor. In some places we drop our bags off in the pax terminal to get screened while we clear immigration, and then our bags meet us on the plane while we preflight. Someplaces we take them to the plane with us, but they are carried in a baggage cart and then hauled up by the local muscle. There are a few variances, (ie. in SYD, when Menzies took over our ramp operation the hauling of our bags by the locals went away - something about health risk to them yada yada.) but this is generally how it is done.
It seems its mostly logistical in nature, with some thought to international bags being larger and heavier and many intl pilots tending being more senior and older (and larger ad heavier?
). Crew stairs and heavy bags have been a HUGE drain on sick leave and disability accounts at FedEx.
But as far as FedEx going out and hiring Boy Fridays to haul bags, no!