It’s what the airlines use @CCDD14 but I think you know that and per usual you are just trying to push buttons and your comment doesn’t make any sense as no one is taking issue with short people.
DH is a large person, and always take window seats so he can lean into the side of the plane, reducing any spillage issues. He has status on United, so he is guaranteed at least an Economy Plus seat, which helps in terms of leg room at least. Business class is MUCH more comfortable, so he uses his upgrade vouchers/miles on some of his international flights, esp. when he needs to work on the flight and/or he’s on an overnight flight and is going directly to meetings.
S2 is 6’4", 265 lb. No spillage, but he’s miserable when he flies. Heck, I’m 5’8" and my knees hit the seats! Can’t imagine even crossing my legs on a plane.
I know someone else who flies periodically and truly does need two seats. Don’t know what he he does, though.
I’ve seen pilots move folks based on weight on puddlejumpers when flying on the last leg to my dad’s city. balance on each side of the plane is important in small aircraft.
Before an online customer clicks the “purchase” button, a pop-up window should come up, defining the seat proportions and asking the customer whether he/she would like to buy the adjacent seat.
Maybe include a weight/height chart like in pantyhose sizing. If you’re on the line between pantyhose sizes, the instructions always say to buy the next size up.
I can assure you that a person who weighs 175 lbs can easily fit into a standard seat.
People who can’t fit into one seat with the arms down.
I am a bit torn on this as while I see legitimate points for the obese to buy 2 seats, obese folks are another group who tends to be dumped upon and marginalized by the rest of us.
I personally don’t think it’s too much to extend a smile and goodwill to folks who are most likely very embarrassed and concerned about negative reactions/looks from those around them.
It’s not that simple as for folks with thinner bone/body structure, 175 could be on the heavy side. I’m a smidgen under 6’ and felt heavy and sluggish when I weighed 160 whereas I’ve felt better when my weight was south of 145.
Then again, I am currently under doctor’s orders to eat more as my weight as dropped almost to the same level as the end of freshman year of college when I ended the year at 120 pounds after losing 15 pounds.
Even if you think that airlines should give a customer of size the extra seat at no extra charge (as Southwest apparently does), there should be a way for the customer of size to reserve two seats at booking time. Otherwise, a customer of size who just shows up may create an overbooking situation that is otherwise not anticipated. It can be most problematic if the overbooking is noticed only as the customer of size and a passenger in the adjacent seat are boarding.
Clearly, you’ve not experienced flying 6 hours cross-country seated next to an obese passenger who can’t put the armrest down and is occupying half of your seat, too.
Since airline travel is a schedule-critical activity, “passengers of size” who require seating accommodations should make requests ahead of time, just like passengers who require a wheelchair. It’s not like obese passengers are totally unaware that there’s going to be a issue.
Did a ~20 hour flight coming back from China with a jerky middle-aged dude who attempted to edge into my space despite not being obese because he felt entitled to expand his legs and arms well into his neighbors’ areas. Ended up having to keep elbowing him in the side and kicking his leg back into his area for the entire 20 hour flight.
Flight attendant wasn’t eager to get involved as the dude was somewhat well-built and tried intimidating me by stating he was a former infantry platoon commander. Retorted that my father was the same back when he was 20-22 and I don’t allow him to push me around like that.
There have never been 20 hour commercial airline routes to/from China-- only 16 hour ones.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-stop_flight#Longest_flights
It wasn’t a non-stop flight. However, due to the dramatic change in temperature and the hour we arrived, there wasn’t much of a point to get off the plane when we landed in Anchorage during the stopover. .
This is a major problem, and the airlines do nothing about it because they know most passengers are too timid to defend themselves.
The key is the to require that the armrests be kept down between non-related passengers. If a person can’t fly with the armrests down then they need to be required to buy or otherwise obtain two seats. It should NOT be the duty of the neighboring passenger to defend his territory. Yes, there can still be “spillage” with the armrests down, but I’ve seen people who will lift the armrest and take up almost half of the adjoining seat. If people need a second seat they just need to pay for it.
The stewardesses seem to be able to do a bang-up good job of forcing people to have their seat backs in the upright position and tray tables up. They are able to give detailed lectures about how Galaxy Note 7 phones must remain off for the entire flight. Keeping strangers from trying to raise the armrest is 1,000 times more important. A regulation requiring them to make an announcement that armrests must remain down between strangers backed up by a million dollar fine would help a lot.
It’s human nature for people to spend as little as possible on things, but I’m not required to reward this behavior. There are families who will buy the cheapest fare available that is not eligible for seat assignments and then try to browbeat other passengers into trading aisle or window seats for their middle seats so their children won’t have to sit alone. Most super-obese passengers know they will not fit in one seat, but they are just too cheap to pay their own way, preferring instead to steal someone else’s space. I will not sit in a middle seat and I will not allow the armrest to be raised, simple as that.
Last time I saw an old man asking for change of seat because he was feeling squeezed. Flight attendant lead him to an empty seat in front of me, which was next to a 300 lbs young man. That man said “sorry for being not much of help here.” The old man took the seat anyway saying that “You are at least not over 400 pounds.”
But wouldn’t many obese people think, “Oh, not ME! I’m not THAT big!” and
If someone thinks the solution to dealing with seatmate is to elbow them in the side or kick them, then it sounds like The wrong person is being labeled as jerky or entitled
Kind of depends on where you elbow them. As long as you remain within your assigned seat area, it is actually the encroacher who is elbowing or kicking by being is space to which they are not entitled. It’s only improper to elbow someone if you cross over into their area to do it (or if you do it in the common armrest area).
I tend to be a little more passive-aggressive about it, and will just use my laptop or several thick magazines wedged against the armrest to create a wall. I wish they would put a strand of electric fencing between the seats, or at least some razor wire.
I completely disagree, and think that being passive aggressive is the absolute wrong approach. Use your voice, not your elbow. Be polite. Most people are reasonable. I am assuming you are kidding @EarlVanDorn.
Though the razor wire is an interesting idea, @EarlVanDorn X_X
I am sure there are “persons of size” posters on CC but may feel a hostile vibe on this thread (below) and have no wish to comment.
[Quote]
I wish they would put a strand of electric fencing between the seats, or at least some razor wire.
I recently shared an armrest with a stranger for an 8 hour flight. He let me have it alone much of the time but used the front of it sometimes while I used the back. No problem at all!
These stories are amazing. Let’s pause to remind ourselves that they are the exception. I hope the Emirates passenger gets his money and makes his point. The airlines should not contribute to this problem by making the seats smaller, and then ignore it and expect innocent passengers to further contort themselves into an even smaller spot.
What if they had a row of two seats where there is usually a row of three? Those seats could cost more to make up for the airlines’ loss and the websites could state that they were for larger and/or disabled passengers who need more room. I bet plenty of people would sign up for them, maybe even to just “man spread”, lol.