Thanks for the reply One9iner.
I'm still not sure though whether you know how many bags have been loaded? Do check-in pass this information to you?
I understand that by law you must know how many passengers are on board and that there is a passenger manifest for this purpose. However, what happens if passengers check-in but then don't board the flight? You know, the ones who go to the pub in departures and then miss the flight. Equally, what about the people who check-in online but then never take the flight?
These passengers are, presumably, factored into your calculations. So how can you be that accurate? Or are you able to calculate everything once the CC have done a manual head-count? That surely doesn't allow you enough time.