It is possible for two elbows to be on each armrest: one toward the front of the armrest, the other toward the back. This precludes either of you from laying your entire forearm on the armrest, but I think you will find that having an elbow on the armrest, with your hands in your lap, is much better than having no armrest at all.
If you are the first to claim armrest space, you can offer the other end to your neighbor. If enough people start doing this, maybe it can become a thing.
If they give you grief, start singing the old Arrid Extra Dry tune: “Get a little closer… don’t be shy… get a little closer… with Arrid Extra Dry.”
Discriminatory would be to charge more for the same product (one seat). Anyone who wants or needs two seats can pay for two. If person has large feet, they may have to pay more for shoes, that’s not discriminatory either.
“Medicine induced obesity.” But obesity is obesity. Though I still fit in a bus seat without spilling over since almost all of my weight is in my belly. (Essentially, I look pregnant.) I haven’t attempted to fly since getting sick so I don’t know if I’d fit in an airline seat.
When I used to fly, I was 6’ and skinny. Lack of leg room was torture. I did deal more than once with someone spilling into my seat… but I’m too passive to say anything.
‘If person has large feet, they may have to pay more for shoes.’ But they wouldn’t have to buy 2 pairs. I don’t recall that size 12 costs more than size 6, but maybe you will get skinned if you wear a 16EEE. (And maybe clowns really pay big bucks for those big orange shoes, when I read on the Interweb somewhere that clowns really have tiny feet, and the whole clown occupation is a ‘strategy for overcompensation.’)
The obese are often blamed for their condition. But if a guy is driving (sober or drunk) at 90 mph and wrecks and becomes a paraplegic, do we deny him ACA benefits?
I don’t remember any issue with an obese seatmate when I’ve flown. (Less than 20 times lifetime). A few crying babies, but the worst passengers are chatterboxes behind me. And unowned flatulence, which at least is brief and even funny if it is sounded out.
@ucbalumnus , the whole issue with being able to fit in a seat with the armrests down as a measure of whether one needs a second seat is that the person is already on the plane, and it’s a humiliating thing to do to someone. It may be ‘objective,’ but it is unkind.
I don’t care how a person becomes obese. It just seems wrong to single them out. Airlines need to solve this problem before the person completes the purchase.
I agree with @Massmomm and that’s why the Southwest policy linked previously seems to me like a fair and pragmatic solution. It minimizes the embarrassment and cost to the Customer of Size and it helps prevent situations that lead to lawsuits and/or unhappy customers which is good for the company and its employees.
