AN MLG ACR CREW FOUND THAT THEY HAD 13 MORE PAX THAN THE COCKPIT CREW KNEW ABOUT.

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TOOK OFF FOR FLT FROM CHICAGO TO PHOENIX WITH 13 MORE PAX ON BOARD THAN WE THOUGHT. APPARENTLY; THE AGENT WHO BOARDED THE FLT RPTED AN INCORRECT NUMBER OF PAX TO LOAD CTL WHO THEN CALCULATED A LIGHTER THAN ACTUAL TKOF WEIGHT. FOR REASONS NOT ENTIRELY CLR TO ME; THE AGENT DID NOT; UPON LEARNING OF THE PROBLEM; IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY US OF THE DISCREPANCY. HE ELECTED TO SIMPLY NOTIFY THE CAPT TO CALL UPON ARR IN PHOENIX. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS LED TO SEEMINGLY ERRONEOUS THRUST MGMNT PROBLEMS ENRTE AND A 'HARD' LNDG IN PHOENIX. UPON DISCUSSION WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS THEY SAID; 'DIDN'T YOU HEAR THAT THEY WERE PAYING PEOPLE TO GET OFF THE FLT?' WE OBVIOUSLY DID NOT. DURING BOARDING; PLTS ARE TYPICALLY OCCUPIED WITH CHKLISTS; CLRNCS; ETC. I HAVE NOW FLOWN WITH 3 DIFFERENT PART 121 OPS. THIS IS THE FIRST THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE EITHER THE AGENT OR FLT ATTENDANT TO NOTIFY THE COCKPIT OF A FINAL PAX COUNT. THIS PROC MAY HAVE HELPED THE PLTS TO CATCH THE OVERSIGHT. LOADS OFTEN 'FALL APART' SO A REDUCTION IN EXPECTED PAX LOAD WAS NOT BY ITSELF CAUSE FOR CONCERN.