Former flight attendant has on-point response to passenger complaining about attendants' onboard luggage

Flying with carry-on luggage is a common concern for many passengers, but one woman blamed it all on the luggage carried by the cabin crew. Recently, a former flight attendant named Kevin (@ichbinvin) recently posted a TikTok video that quickly gained attention. In his video, Kevin responded to a Facebook post that accused flight attendants of taking up valuable overhead bin space with their own bags. The Facebook user, Deidre Palagian, shared a picture of a flight attendant with their luggage and voiced frustration over seeing flight attendants' luggage in the overhead bins. "Anywhere who has even traveled, the concern is 'will there be room for my carry on bag.'"

She then said, "And you wonder why there is no room for yours...one seat, one bag," she wrote in her post. She also noted how it "has become a pain I think for every traveler out there." Kevin addressed this issue head-on in his TikTok sharing the screenshot of the original Facebook post. In the video, he highlighted the absurdity of the complaint. "If you’ve ever wondered why airline crews in general seem like they’re irritated or in a bad mood, this is why," he began. "Do you know what the job of a flight attendant entails? It entails traveling and being away from home," he said.

Kevin proceeded to explain that flight attendants have a legitimate reason for bringing bags on board, often because they are away from home for 9 to 12 days at a time. He pointed out that flight attendants, unlike typical office workers, don’t get to go home every evening; they’re traveling for extended periods and need personal items like a change of clothes. "When I was a flight attendant, I would stack my trips," he shared, noting that even if the flight attendants were only working short shifts, they still needed to pack their luggage. Kevin also used the video to challenge another common complaint about overhead bin space.

He pointed out that the real issue wasn’t flight attendants but passengers who didn’t follow simple boarding instructions. "Nobody listens to the announcements, and nobody puts their one personal item underneath the seat in front of them," he explained. Although the original post was deleted, it made waves online and even re-shared on the A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge Facebook group. As for Kevin’s video, most people agreed with his point, acknowledging that passengers often contribute to the problem by not following instructions and overpacking the bins.

@user92008685145011 shared, "I see these similar posts in the I hate xxx airlines' groups and I will never understand. I hate to be the boarding police but I’ve had to tell so many ppl to hang onto their jackets. It’s ridiculous." @simplyveronicaf said, "This! I need clothes, extra uniforms, sometimes a jacket, hygiene products, FOOD! Like yes, I have 3 sometimes 4 bags." @bernjergi added, "Do people think we just fly for a day and need a tiny carry-on? Bro, I need 5 days' worth of clothing + food all those days. I'm too broke to eat out on my layover. Leave us alone." @taylorost joked, "When they stop putting their 3 purses and coats in the OHB I’ll start caring about my luggage."

You can follow Kevin (@ichbinvin) on TikTok for more content about his experience as a flight attendant.