B737-700
Flight Attendant Current
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Weather; Human Factors; Company Policy
We were instructed by the Captain to clean up the service early; secure the cabin; and be seated for the remainder of the flight. The following issue is common practice and quite honestly makes no sense as it precludes us from performing the final compliance check and ensuring the cabin is indeed secured for landing.'B' made an announcement for trash collection only and that the rest would be on the 'honor system.' Not for seat backs; tray tables; seat belts; or bag stowage. When I was walking through collecting trash; several people in that section still had service items and when I asked to collect them; I was told; 'She said we could keep them.'Upon the 10;000 foot bell; I went to do the final walk through because the cabin was most definitely not secure; but the Captain called and told me to stay seated. So we landed with tray tables down in the back; some [seatbelts] not fastened and dangling in the aisle; and bags in laps and blocked egress; as well as service items out. 'B' made an announcement as acknowledgment to the pilots that we were ready; 'cabin secure.' It was not.When the pilots instruct us to clean up and be seated for the remainder of the flight; they are expecting that we are securing the cabin and taking our seats for safety. We should be doing that; all of it. This honor system announcement is not one I have found in the manual and it is not completing our obligation for the compliance check for landing. And it doesn't happen. People have earphones in and don't hear; some are sleeping and don't hear; others don't see the risk to safety in not complying. Bottom line is those things are a hindrance in an emergency and valuable time is wasted; and injuries that could be avoided become a factor. The instructions to 'clean up the cabin and be seated for the remainder of the flight' need to followed; and our actions include securing the cabin so we do not have these issues.
The B737 Flight Attendant reported that final cabin checks are not accomplished if the flight attendants are advised by the Captain to be seated early.