A321
Physiological - Other
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors
As the A Flight Attendant; I was cleaning up from the pre-departure beverage service when late arriving passengers arrived. The agent had valet checked their bags; but there was still room in the overheads. When they realized that they wanted their bags on board; I went to get the bags off the jetway. Not realizing how heavy it was; I picked it up to put it in the overhead. I immediately felt a sharp pain in my lower right back/hip area. Their second bag wasn't nearly as heavy; so I cautiously lifted it to put it in the overhead; but again the twinge of pain went shooting through me. I stayed on the flight; but by the time I got to the hotel room I could not lay comfortably in bed without severe pain. I was trying to get the flight out on time when we had late arriving First Class passenger. In order to accommodate them and get the flight out; I took it upon myself to stow their bags rather than have them do it. Being a red-eye flight; fatigue is always a factor. I truly think carry on bags need to be weighed. Now that passengers have to pay for checked bags they shove as much as they can in carry on's. There needs to be a restriction on how much a carry on can weigh.
A321 Flight Attendant reports injuring her back while lifting a passenger carry on bag into the overhead compartment.