A B737-200 FLT ATTENDANT BECAME ILL ON AN OVERNIGHT. THE TRIP WAS CONTINUED WITH LESS THAN THE MINIMUM FLT ATTENDANTS TO THE NEXT STOP WHERE A REPLACEMENT COULD BE ADDED. ACR PERSONNEL INVOLVED THOUGHT THAT THE ONLY LEGAL REQUIREMENT WAS 1 FLT ATTENDANT FOR EACH 50 PAX SEATS.

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ON AN OVERNIGHT AT AN OUT STATION AWAY FROM OUR HUB; ONE OF OUR 3 FLT ATTENDANTS BECAME ILL AND COULD NOT RPT FOR DUTY THE NEXT MORNING TO CONTINUE OUR FLT PAIRING. NO RESERVE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE AVAILABLE AT THIS STATION. THE ACFT WAS A B737-200 WITH 10 FIRST-CLASS SEATS AND 90 COACH SEATS; FOR A TOTAL OF 100 SEATS. THE CAPT; MYSELF; DISPATCHER; CREW SCHEDULER; AND LOAD PLANNER WERE ALL CONSULTED AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT WE NEEDED 1 FLT ATTENDANT FOR EVERY 50 SEATS. SINCE WE ONLY HAD 100 SEATS; WE COULD DEPART WITH THE 2 REMAINING FLT ATTENDANTS TO OUR NEXT DEST; WHERE WE COULD PICK UP ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT; WITH PAX ON BOARD. OUR COMPANY ALSO OPERATES B737-100 WITH 95 SEATS AND THIS HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE ON THE B737-100'S. WE DEPARTED ON SCHEDULE WITH THE 2 REMAINING FLT ATTENDANTS. THE TRIP WAS OPERATED NORMALLY AND A THIRD FLT ATTENDANT WAS ADDED TO THE CREW AT THE NEXT STOP. ABOUT 9 DAYS LATER I GOT A CALL FROM THE CHIEF PLT WHO INFORMED ME THAT IN REALITY WE SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED CHS WITH ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. WE WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS TO DEPART. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOME COMPANY DOCUMENTATION SOMEWHERE THAT STATES THAT OUR B737-200 ACFT WILL BE OPERATED WITH A MINIMUM OF 3 FLT ATTENDANTS. IF THE ACFT HAD BEEN A B737-100 EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL; BUT THE B737-200 REQUIRES 3 FLT ATTENDANTS. THE COMPANY VOLUNTARILY RPTED THE VIOLATION TO THE FAA. FROM OUR STANDPOINT AS THE FLC; WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO HAVE 1 FLT ATTENDANT PER 50 SEATS OR PART THEREOF; AND WE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING IN THE COMPANY MANUALS WE HAD IN OUR POSSESSION THAT STATED OTHERWISE. APPARENTLY THE CREW SCHEDULER; DISPATCHER; AND LOAD PLANNER WERE ALSO UNDER THE WRONG IMPRESSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 322257: ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS GOT ILL. THE COCKPIT CREW TOLD US WE COULD FLY WITH 2 FLT ATTENDANTS BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY 100 SEATS ON THIS ACFT. SO WE FLEW WITH 71 PAX ON BOARD WITH ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS.