The same thing happened to me on a flight from Munich to Chicago (9 hours š). Thankfully, I was able to grab an FA before takeoff as there were several empty aisle seats available and he let me switch š. My original seat was a window so I canāt imagine the claustrophobia had I not been able to move seats.
And I agree. There absolutely should be some type of rule of being able to comfortably fit in your seat - otherwise, the person needs to buy two seats or something.
There is. It's in United's contract of carriage.
Well, you need to be able to sit in your seat, belted in (can use an extender), and be able to sit with the armrests down for the entire flight.
In other words, as long as you can jimmy your waist between the armrests, the rest of you can overflow in both directions in unlimited amounts, seat mates be damned.
I was flying on a pretty short flight out of ORD (MSP). The occupant of the window seat walked right in as the door closed, talking loudly on his cell phone, and plopped down right next to me with the arm rest up (no way he'd fit otherwise), and had his own seat extender. The dude was a pro at sucking up space.
So let me tell you what happened when I did this.
I was
middle seat. Like the OP I'm not tiny, I have beer belly.
Two guys show up. 6'5" and shoulders as wide as the plane wing.
I called the flight attendant.
Explain, gonna be a long flight stuck in the middle. Are there any seats, even if I need to upgrade.
She looks at me and says, "So is there a problem? Do you need to be removed from the plane?"
Everyone around us got the WTF look on their face.
I just said, "Never mind."
This is exactly how airlines lose customers.
Yea, you pick your battles. There was no good outcome. I get 500 extra airline miles, she loses her job. Then she gets hired by an airline I fly more often. No she can stay where she is.
How incredibly awkward though. I would hate to embarrass someone else or hurt their feelings, to the point that I would probably just do what OP did and sit awkwardly for the whole flight. I probably need to work on that lol
I'm confused on this.
Does the obese person not know they are oversized?
I don't think there is anything wrong with telling the flight attendant it's a tight fit and is there more room elsewhere. You aren't identifying the person.
Saying there is an obese person next to you who's fat ass can't sit in a seat would be wrong. But I'm sure the oversize person is uncomfortable in the situation also.
Everytime someone large has sat next to me they have said something like "I'm sorry these seats aren't built for someone with my frame ( or size). We joke and understand it's an unfortunate outcome for both of us.
I imagine they'd be aware that they're over sized (but I guess not well enough to book a second seat). I imagine it would be pretty humiliating for your seat mate to draw the attention of flight attendant and everyone else in the vicinity to this fact by pointing out that you're overlapping into their seat
Quite awhile ago I read a similar story but it was from the perspective of the ālargeā person. The man in the middle seat kindly asked her if she wouldnāt mind lifting up the arm rest to make her more comfortable. She was so moved by his kindness and non judgmental looks that shortly afterwards she saw a nutritionist and herself self esteem grew and she turned her health into a priority.
Almost everyone, yes. Not everyone though, and it's right to be sensitive about the issue, but for most of us it's one where we could have some level of control over.
So wait, are you saying everyoneās weight is out of their control? Well, thatās not accurate at all.
Edit: this guy blocked me after calling me a moron. I hope he is doing okayā¦ wild behavior.
Of course genetics, metabolism, medical conditions etc play into it but yes, even taking all those into account, it is physiologically impossible to gain weight on a caloric deficit in the long term.Ā
The problem is the comment from this alleged 1K guy was saying the only reason someone might be overweight was created solely by them eating too much. That's simply not true and not the only possible factor in those situations. I can't believe I have to explain this on a United subreddit, but this sub is well known for downvoting factual statements. It's whack.
I didn't say that. You have to eat to live. My point was that some people may be obese due to other contributing factors with medical issues. It's not simply "someone is eating too much". Yes, that reason exists, but it's not the answer to every situation and the commenter was basically saying the only reason people could be overweight. That's simply not true. But the truth never wins on a United sub LOL
There is a magic spell to disable the law of conservation of energy. Using that one can eat less, burn more, and still gain weight. /s
I am not so lean myself but it's because I eat a little more than ideal and exercise a little less than I ideal. No magic there!
I tried that with a full grown man once and he straight up assaulted me the rest of the flight. He said my ask was ridiculous and he couldnāt do anything about touching me because there wasnāt room (there was) I had bruises by the end because he was actively elbowing me and being awful the whole flight but at this point i was straight up scared of him and didnāt want to involve an FA. I was also by my friend and didnāt want to leave them alone with this creep.
Men are sick and we normalize it
Please let us know when stuff like this happens. You can discreetly tell us by coming to the galleys or passing us a note. We will not tolerate this behavior. I had an incident similar to this a couple weeks ago. We were full but had a deadheading pilot that switched seats with her and had police meet the aircraft. Do not let behavior like this slide as they will undoubtedly do it again.
Thanks for the tip, I will definitely stand up for myself more next time and going to find you guys sounds like a much better idea then doing it in front of the rude seatmate!
I canāt imagine what he would have done if he was so awful when i was respectful first. Calling the FA would have for sure been seen as aggressive by him. Also youāre right about the some men thing, i was just frustrated. Violence is correlated to testosterone and itās super interesting
Maybe the FA couldāve moved you. I get that itās frustrating and itās easy for me to play Monday morning quarterback though. Sorry you had to go through that.
Nah i have actually gotten some good advice on here about what to do next time without arousing suspicion and i appreciate your comments. I definitely should have done a better job standing up for myself. I think first of all i had to get some courage up to ask in the first place that he stay in his space and then after he was treating me that way i kinda froze. Next time i know ill be able to handle it better (hopefully it doesnt happen again haha)
>men are sickĀ
ā¦yet you, presumably not a man, are the one refused to deploy the solution literally designed and enforced by the carrier to resolve this kind of problem. Surely that problem is also the fault of 4 billion men.Ā
Way to victim blame great job clapclap. Those solutions literally shouldnt have to exist. Youāre right tho, someone told me i can get up and go talk to an FA discreetly away from my seat which was a great idea. I was a little frozen in the moment because being assaulted does that to you.
Good advice given. Definitely know you can confidently walk up and report something like this ā you wonāt be the one suffering any consequences.Ā
And because I didnāt make it clear in the last comment, absolutely fuck that guy and sorry you had to deal with that situation. I just overreacted. Getting sick of seeing these blanket generalizations generally being accepted, and also tired of being ridiculed when I suggest that itās offensive and mentally draining to see something like it a dozen times in half an hour of scrolling. Sorry for being an ass.Ā
I am also sorry for being an ass and making blanket generalizations. I said it because I was upset which isnt an excuse but yeah I donāt think every single man is terrible that would be unhinged. Hope you have a good rest of your day.
Actually, we can not do anything about this . This matter is a very sensitive issue that must be handled with a great level of expertise and care . We do turn around and contact the CSR , customer service resolution officer who is trained to handle these situations.
I have seen either the passenger of size or the person next to them reseated several times so if there is space on the aircraft, something can be done.
Yes and no as we cannot force people to change their seats. If someone wants to move voluntarily to a different seat , then we are ALL happy but understand that our hands are tied when it comes to these sensitive matters. I personally will NOT risk my job over it .
On a large UA plane with 4-3-4 configuration, the bulkhead in the middle could have babies, yes, but if you get the emergency row seats, they have the same hard / permanent seat dividers and there are no babies there. Example: Look at Row 40 on a UA 777-200 (used for Houston-Buenos Aires); 40ABC/JKL are good seats. 40DEFG are where the bassinet can go. (I think this is right. I tend to sit in 40 A, C, J, or L.
Imagine the crew. We feel so sorry for you guys. Iāve played peek a boo. Taken a toddler for a ātourā of the plane to give the mom/Dad a break, even comped nearby Passengers cocktails or snacks to appease them. I know itās a lot. If youāre in Polaris , most flight attendants donāt mind if you escape to the forward area to stretch and get a little break. As long as the seatbelt sign is off, and passenger donāt burst into the galley, I think itās a fair reprieve. Polaris is not cheap. Other passengers deserve a pleasant experience in spite of crying babies or unruly tots. Many times I believe the little ones feed off of the parentās anxiety or discomfort. Youād be amazed at how excited the little ones are to play with a plastic cup. Or just get a break from their ācaptivityā! š¤
A couple weeks ago, I did 16 hours in Polaris with a toddler in the seat behind me, and at least two other kids in the Polaris cabin. It was ridiculous, I want to know who has that kind of money š
And bassinets can result in fun upgrades. Couple needed the bassinet spot I had on my way to Alabama one time. Gate crew upgraded me to premium plus so they could have it. Was fine with me.
The left and right side bulkheads are often (or always??) Exit row so no babies. I pick those almost exclusively.
You get more knee space, but less feet space if that makes sense. I can stick my legs out pretty much all the way on a normal seat, but my toes hit the wall way before that in a bulkhead seat. If you are like 5'7" or less you probably wont even notice that.
Had similar issue on overnight LIH-DEN, only had access to 2/3 of my seat. Armrest was down but her body spilled into my seat over and under the armrest and pressed up against me. Discretely asked flight attendants after takeoff, they acknowledged the situation but the flight was full. FAs lifted the aisle armrest so I could more easily lean into aisle, and also offered free wine. It was still a miserable flight. Reached out to United customer care after flight & received a disappointing $100 voucher. Airlines need better policies for passengers of size.
That would be useless to me. I donāt drink wine and Iām only going to be flying United as part of a trip of the US from Australia. They need to do better.
There need to be rules that folks of certain size have to purchase seats that are large enough to accommodate them. You have to pay extra for overweight / oversized luggage. If they donāt, they should be refused boarding.
I said something similar here once and was told it isnāt possible to have that kind of rule because obesity is considered a disability. Apparently a rule that very large people who cannot fit comfortably into the seat with the armrests down need to buy two seats would be in violation of the ADA. š¤ØIt doesnāt seem right to me that another passenger should have to be uncomfortable because a passenger of size didnāt purchase two seats.
Obviously one can ask to be reseated, but what if there arenāt any seats? Then the person who isnāt causing the problem is being inconvenienced (either by sharing a seat they paid for with a larger person or by choosing to get off the plane and take a later flight). It seems to me the person who is responsible for the situation should be re-accommodated on a later flight where two seats are available. But apparently this violates the ADA.
On another note..by the airlines not addressing the issue, they can keep putting smaller seats on the plane without a ton of backlash.
I have broad shoulders. I've taken flights on the same aircraft with different seats. I 99% fit in the old seats comfortably, and I 99% hang over on the newer seats.
I try to get aisle so I can lean my shoulders over because I can't scrunch them up like my legs.
Obesity alone isnāt considered a disability under the ADA. Resulting mobility issues could be, but theyāre not being denied boarding or asked to buy an additional seat because of those issues. Theyāre being asked to buy an additional seat because they physically occupy two seats.
Itās not a disability if we are honest. There are seats that can accommodate the size. I donāt care if the airlines sells these to the ādisabledā (obese) at a discount or basic economy cost. Maybe health insurance or the government will reimburse the airline. The poor Schmuck sitting next to the person who is too large for the seat should not pay with his / her space and comfort that he / she paid for.
Obesity isnāt a disability under the ADA so they were just jerking your chain. Most airlines state someone who is obese has to buy a second seat. This is just like the āservice dogā issue, people push the rules and count on others being non confrontational.
Obesity is not a disability under federal law in the United States. There are a few cities that have obesity to ālookismā anti-discrimination statute but it would not apply to passenger aircraft in interstate routes even if the airport was in the city.
You get what you tolerate. Sometimes you need to be the main character a lil bit because only you can take care of you.
Itās not fun to be put in a position where you need to ask the FA for assistance with another passenger. If youāre able, get up and find the FA do that so you donāt have to complain about the person sitting next to you in front of them.
I know some people are really non-confrontational and get anxiety about doing something like this. You always have a choice, would you rather ask for help, or continue to tolerate more of the same for the duration of the flight?
Ideally no one would ever be put into this sort of situation, but the world is not perfect and on occasion people just get dealt a bad hand. How you play it is up to you.
Sometimes there isnāt another option. I was on a completely full flight from EDI to IAD and was sat next to a massive man. Iām not small myself and it was extremely uncomfortable the entire flight.
The guy was doing everything he could to not get in my space, but it was not physically possible for him to stop touching me or me to stop touching him despite me having the armrest up between my seat and my wifeās, who had the window.
The guy didnāt get food or beverage the entire flight and had his arms awkwardly pinned between his legs to try to pull his shoulders in, but it made no difference.
The only solution would have been to not sell him a single seat or prevent his boarding once they realized they could not accommodate his size without affecting other customers.
I donāt blame the guyāhe was doing his best and took a flight that was presented as an option to himāI just think they shouldnāt present it as an option.
Unfortunately, Iām part of the problem too. Instead of not flying United transcontinental again, Iāve just started booking Polaris when my party isnāt big enough to fill a row.
Oh puleese! If you cannot fit in a seat then you ARE the problem. Buy another seat! If your seatmate was larger than you, then pretty sure he knew he wasn't fitting in the seat. Trying to suck it in, doesn't count!
Buy two seats or don't fucking fly. Quit being a fucking douchebag.
I brought this up in another reply . As flight attendants , we can not get ourselves involved in these highly sensitive issues when it comes to accommodation of " certain size." We turn around and get a hold of a CSR customer service resolution officers who are highly trained in how to deal and resolve these situations.
This topic comes up every few days. There should be non-negotiable physical limitations per seat, just like there are for carry-on size, luggage weight, etc. Itās not discriminatory against larger people, itās just facts. You must be āthis tall to rideā works fine for roller coasters. You must be āless than this wide to rideā in a single seat should not be a stigma for an airline ticket, should just be a fact. You canāt fit in your seat, you need 2 seats or first class. Simple. If an airline wants to discount or provide second seat for free, I think thatās a marketing decision.
Just to add, I donāt understand how pilots account for weight and balance variance for someone who should have booked two seats but is literally squeezing in to one. Just eating in to the safety factor I guess
The moment you realize you cannot let the armrest down and have personal space, notify the flight attendants, who will then notify the ground agents. They will discreetly find a solution. Even on a completely full flight. There is ALWAYS a solution. Also, the armrests on the aisle must be down for pushback from the gate. Itās a safety measure, not meant to make anyone uncomfortable in their seat. But if someone is spilling into the aisle (including very tall people with their knees and legs )and canāt have the armrest down on either side, itās not safe for that passenger or the passengers around them. I have sons over 6ā and family members āof sizeā and do not wish to insult or berate any member of the thread. Just here to observe and provide feedback based on my professional experience and information. Thanks. Welcome aboard š¤šŗš«
My fear is always that if I complain, they will bump *me* off the flight and put me on a later one.Ā
I also donāt love confrontation and would feel terrible getting someone removed from the flight because I am uncomfortable. It would be awesome if this could be established discreetly before boarding (think test seats at Disneyā¦)
Unfortunately an airline was sued because they had a woman step on a scale in front of others and her weight was displayed. She was not denied boarding , at least as far as the story I read, but sued the airline for pain and suffering and stated that she was horrified, bullied, and humiliated. There used to be a luggage sizer at the podium. If a passengerās bag didnāt fit in the sizer, the bag was checked. For some reason I donāt see them anymore. Likely a result of shenanigans and unnecessary arguments about whether or not āit fit on the last flightā. I agree there should be some way of determining whether or not someone needs 2 seats prior to boarding. Itās such a delicate situation, but one that definitely needs to be addressed.
Thatās a great idea. In my opinion, it may be seen as embarrassing for those who couldnāt squeeze through. With so many lawsuits, this would turn into a nightmare of litigation due to āpain and sufferingā due to humiliation or some other consequence.
Frontier has the luggage sizer and they make people who did not pay for carry on put their bag in it. If it doesn't fit they get charged I think $100 as it is carry on not personal item that has to fit under the seat. I heard the gate agents get $5.00 for every passenger they flag for oversized bag.
I agree. As the number of morbidly obese people is increasing and the taboo concept of body shaming is gaining acceptance, some rational approach is needed.
It's okay for an extremely overweight person to take up someone else's space on the plane, but it's offensive to point out that the person who's obviously overweight is overweight?
Can you explain more about the potential solutions if the flight is full? Iām not small myself, but I recently flew transatlantic with an executive from my company who is of significant size, and might be subject to one of these complaints. Had he been removed from the flight, I would have had to remove myself too ā because as the lower ranking person, I was handling 100% of the logistics for the trip. I could see us getting into this situation on a future trip and it would helpful to understand how it would be handled.
unfortunately this is not an option with our employer. trust me, if he could have, he would have. due to the way our organization books tickets, it was also impossible for him to pay out of pocket for an upgrade (both the admin and I spent hours on hold trying to do this). we did end up getting him a premium economy seat, but that wonāt always happen.
honestly, he should get a note from his doctor indicating that due to health reasons he needs to be booked into business or better for flights over an hour - have had a number of coworkers do this over the years for various (legit) reasons and it forces the company into a corner with stupid travel rules that apply to everyone and dont take into account frequent flyers or exceptions. Ā Without documentation they are always a pain, even if business is cheaper than coach, or within whatever arbitrary fare difference limit they have defined (which iāve dealt with a few times and is always fun)
There are incentives offered to other passengers who are willing to take a later flight for compensation. Miles, travel vouchers, free hotel accommodations with meals, etc. can be offered to remedy a potential FAA issue or a breach of company policy. The airline will take many measures to rectify a potential problem with ADA or any other protected group. For passengers who live in the origination city and are traveling for leisure, this is a great perk and many are willing to accept the request. Any legitimate scenario will be taken Into consideration to the best of the ground crew ,Inflight crew and operations departmentās ability. The end goal is to get passengers to their final destination without incident. After all, no company wants to be known as the major carrier who doesnāt give a hoot. š¦š«
Just complain to [United Customer Care](https://www.united.com/en/us/customercare) and theyāll hook you up with a few $$$ travel voucher. Really all you can do in this situation
I left MIA back to EWR. This girl took 25% of my seat. Her friend/sister was by the window spilling on to her seat. The middle seat spilled on to me. Her hot sweaty leg was getting my shorts and leg sweaty. I never felt so violated for a 3 hour flight. I feel your pain. I kept looking at my mom who was laughing at me across the aisle.
I didnāt know you can ask for another seat after reading the commentsā¦.
There are rules about this, you must be able to sit in your seat buckled in, with or without a seatbelt extender, and you must be able to fit in the seat with an armrest down between you and your neighbor. Passengers who are not able to meet these requirements may be required to purchase an extra seat or a larger seat, and if it is not available on this flight the passenger after purchase of such accommodations will be rebooked to a later flight where that is available.
My wife is a nutritionist with a Masters degree in exercise science. Iāve told her for years she should work out a deal with United to clip her business card to those extender beltsā¦
That will work great, because I've heard that people who need seat belt extenders (aka the morbidly obese) are known for always being on the lookout for a good nutritionist or exercise coach. /s
The incentive is to handle everything possible on the ground. Once youāre 35k feet in the air, not much can be done. Rules on the ground ,prevent fools in the air.
They have bigger seats, they just aren't in economy. If you can't fit in an economy seat, you need to buy two of them or one first class seat. There is some personal responsibility here.
As already stated, these are the rules. You need to get up and speak to the purser. The solution is to move you or the other person to another seat, if available. If not, someone will be offloaded to a different flight. If you don't speak up, nothing will happen. You are not wrong to expect to have the use of your seat.
3 config seat - I was the the window, someone in the middle and aisle seat was FREE.
The person in the middle decided that they would lean over to my side and into my seat area
Happened to me yesterday. Tha fully flight had a lot of empty seats, so I just moved.
The times I can't are some of the most miserable experiences.
Sadly all airlines don't care.
Demand that the armrest be all the way down. If the passenger doesnāt fit in the seat notify the FA (push the call button). Its less clear with the wide shoulders crown however fit youāre not comfortable ring the FA and see what they can do.
United has the shortest belts of all major airlines. Iām a big girl, my fiance is a big guy. Due to my shape (pear) I need an extension in economy if I want the belt placed properly but he doesnāt. I promise his shoulders and arms spill into my space more than my hips spill into his. For the record, I can sit with arm rests down for a 9 hour flight and be reasonably comfortable.
Not trying to deny you an upgrade for being uncomfortableā¦but the extender rule may not be the best benchmark.
I am sure when we are milling about at the gate pre-flight people think āshit I hope they arenāt in my row!ā But we know weāre big and go out of our way to make sure anyone else in our row is as comfortable even if it means we arenāt. Our arm rest up and me snugged next to him under his arm is usually how it goes. Or we fly first class and then itās a non-issue.
On one flight I (6ā1ā male) had a center seat that was right next to a very large man. Definitely spilled over my seat area and made me uncomfortably lean to my left.
Started talking to him and had a very nice conversation the entire 3 hour flight.
Amazing how being a courteous person and treating other humans with grace leads to positive experiences. The exception is people who put their carry on in a bin 15 rows before their seat or stick their roller bag in sidewaysā¦ no grace for those animals.
So you think putting your carry on in an overhead bin that isn't directly over your seat is more of a problem for other flyers than being so large you can't put the armrest down?
On one flight I was on I was already seated in the aisle and a very large man came to sit in the middle seat. Before he even sat down, he looked at me and said āas soon as this plane gets in the air Iām gonna have to go and take a pissāhe then said that it would be better if he sat in the aisle and I sat in the middle because he was going to have to get up and āpiss so much āthat it would be such an inconvenience for me sitting in the aisle. When he asked me to move to the middle I politely declined. He sat in the middle seat, the whole flight and didnāt get up a single time to use the bathroom.
I was once seated in a middle seat of three as I witnessed a very large dude stroll down the aisle. All my thoughts were āplease have this guy pass the aisle seat next to meā! He plops in the seat next to me and immediately overflows into my space where I instantly feel his heat. I turned to him, and explained how I paid for and will be using my whole seat. He was the one that had to lean uncomfortably into the aisle for the flight.
lol - that could backfire easily. I am a wide person, mostly across the shoulders and legs. ~225 lbs but (mostly) muscular. I am aware itās not super comfortable to sit next to me in coach and usually try to scrunch into my seat. If someone gave me that kind of attitude right off the jump, however, you can bet Iād be leaning into the armrest, and not risking getting my knees clipped by the beverage cart. Being courteous works both ways.
Iāve witnessed that type of solution turn into an immediate fiasco. For one, this passenger knew well in advance that purchasing more than one seat would be more comfortable for themselves. Perhaps they could not afford one. However, the person sitting next to them should not be the āput on the spotā to confront another passenger. Whether itās done politely or not, the entire flight will be uncomfortable for everyone. Similarly, when there is a pet on board , not service animal, they are required to remain in their kennel. The person sitting next to them is not obligated to say anything to them about keeping the pet in the kennel. The pet owner knows the rules. The crew is advised to keep these scenarios from escalating. Itās better to advise a crew member and allow them to put out one fire,than to crank it up with your seat mate and have another issue to deal with. Best regards from someone who has seen this go very,very, very wrong. Why person who needs seatbelt extender vs entitled passenger trying to get something free while humiliating another human being. Or bully using their size to intimidate the person next to them. Either way itās mean. And at exactly 5ā , I wonāt STAND for it! š Buckle up and letās be kind.
The āperson of sizeā issue has gotten out of hand. All major U.S. carriers seem to be terrified of lawsuits. Despite the safety concerns, the passengers who pay for their own seat should have the right to their leg space,use of armrest and tray table, outlets, and any other basic amenities that come standard with the purchase of their ticket. The seats have become much smaller in basic economy. I once had a family of four purchase all 12 seats of the emergency exits rows. They each had 3 seats for a transcontinental flight from LAX -EWR( Newark). I know itās not feasible, and they were still required to use the seatbelt extensions, but it just made sense. They took the responsibility out of everyone elseās hands and did what they had to do to have a pleasant flight. No one was embarrassed or shamed. And no one felt slighted by not having enough room. After takeoff many questions were asked as to whether or not passengers of a certain weight/size could perform duties possibly required of them by sitting in the emergency exit row. š¤
Yes agreed and I didnāt want to feel like she was being shamed and didnāt want to be a spectical. I do wish the FAs had some authority to make sure people had 2 seats if needed.
I had this happen to me on a 6 hour flight before a connecting 12 hour flight. I was smashed up against a window because the guy in the middle was LARGE. Flight was full - nothing the FAs could do. My back was jacked up for weeks. United ended up giving me a refund on my seat and a credit but I had to do about a month of chiropractor and massages to feel normal again. Blah
I had something like this on an 8 hour flight with the added annoyance that the HUGE woman in the middle seat had a stick of a husband in the aisle seat who refused to swap with either me or her (I did offer). And that was the last time I booked a window seat on a flight.
They need to make seats for people under 200 that are like the ācompact carā parking only. Have to get on a scale to be able to sit in them. Iām sick of bigger people spilling into the area that I paid for.
It's a tough spot. I am 6' and 290# when I fly I am very concerned of encroaching on others space: listen I carry my weight well but I understand I am a big guy. If I feel I would make others uncomfortable I would request another seat before the others around me. š¤·š»āāļø
Southwest has a pretty great person of size policy that encourages a proactive approach towards booking an extra seat. Iām surprised more airlines havenāt taken it on. That would address most of these issues.
This exactly. Just make the option more available and I'm sure most overweight people will chose that in a heartbeat.
This situation is not just uncomfortable for the slim person getting encroached on. Being on a long flight trying to make yourself smaller may lead to a ton of pain, specially if you are already not that fit to begin with.
It's apparently much easier to just say "that fatso shouldn't be allowed to fly! How dare they!" than to actually realize people come in all sizes and they have a right to exist and and sometimes they need to fly too.
I'm not saying that means people should just be uncomfortable and deal with it, I'm saying airline companies should stop pretending this is not an issue and try to make it simpler to allow basic comfort and safety to every one of their paying customers.
I swear I saw a video about this recently. A particularly wide woman had trouble navigating the aisle. Not fat-shaming as I am a big guy myself but that's why I just go ahead and buy two seats or get business class.
Iāve had to insist on the armrest being down before and it sucked. But if if have to get someone else involved, my go to line with a staff member will be, āI canāt fit in my seatā, instead of āThey are taking up some of my seatā. As an aisle seat person, this argument works no matter who gets to their seat first. If Iām there first, Iāve demonstrated that I did fit, but no longer can. And if Iām there second, I just wonāt sit down. Instead of āI can fit, but itās uncomfortableā, I feel that focusing on the airline not providing access to your purchased seat is the argument. Iād further argue that the middle seat is unimpeded by my use of the aisle seat. Iām aware this will likely not work in my favor and Iāll be the one to have to change flights. Even if they give the seat to a standby, that person fitting is irrelevant. But if I insist I canāt fit versus I donāt want to be uncomfortable for a few hours, my argument about the airline not providing access to my seat stands up better. Choosing whether to have constant body contact or an aching back from sitting awkwardly is unreasonable. Unfortunately, itās the hill Iāll die on.
I'm 5ft 10 and 175 pounds.
When travelling in the new southwest planes, my shoulders go beyond the confines of the seats.
If fit in the seat fine but if it's three males across we have to alternate shoulders. Generally the person in the middle has to lean forward the whole trip.
Airlines donāt want to get in the business of denying passengers because of sizeā¦ because that will lead to lawsuits and regulations that wonāt be in line with airlines desire to shrink lavs, add more seats per row, add more rows, etcā¦
That happened to me years ago, from MCI to DEN after a funeral of my grandfather, I didn't say anything just sat in misery (full flight and I was young). By the end of the flight my whole left side was asleep and sweaty. The husband was across from her...which I didn't know until the end of the flight when she called him 'honey'...I was so mad.
The seats are very narrow and we blame the airlines. Now I'm 55 and not as slim, not as large to have my body lay ontop of others but I fill that seat. I feel for you.
If one can be asked to see if their carry-on will fit in a metal test frame, why not a sample seat for large bodies?
I'm sorry but a large person must buy two seats or one in first class.
Been in this situation too many times. If we have a baggage size control device at the gate desk, there's no reason we shouldn't have a human size control device of a similar nature.
I'm not trying to shame anyone, but it's not fair to have you sitting on me because you can't fit in the seat you paid for.
I blame the airlines for the size of the seats not the passengers for being normal sized for modern America. Even if a large passenger tried to book a seat that accommodated them better, it is all too easy to get bounced into a middle seat.
At least you got a fraction of a seat. Some years back, on a 100% booked flight, I got to my row, and there was a couple in the aisle and middle. My seat was the window. Between the two of them, they were crammed into the three seats, and there was *zero* room for me to fit. I pointed to my seat, and the guy just shrugged. The FA saw me and motioned me to the back of the plane. I sat in the FA jump seat for the flight. Iām sure that was some policy violation, but she probably had concerns about doing anything else about it.
Whatever flight attendant allowed that should be fired immediately. Likely a new hire who panicked as you said and froze. One of the first things you learn is that no one but another flight attendant with a reciprocal Jumpseat agreement or the airline operating the flight can occupy the Jumpseat at any time. Pilots cannot even sit in a flight attendant Jumpseat. The only exceptions are severe turbulence which would cause the passengers injury or harm to get back to their seat. Or an incapacitated passenger with no other options to be examined or closely monitored. Under no other circumstances. If that were the case, flight attendants would just implement seniority parameters to bring their friends and families on oversold flights and have them buckle up next to them on the Jumpseat. So unless this flight was 35+ years ago, this is a huge violation which leads to immediate termination.
I know dear. Just trying to help people know what accommodations can be offered and what circumstances will not compromise your right to a pleasant experience.
In the 1990s I was flying as an unaccompanied minor on America West Airlines (RIP) and my flight was cancelled. I was rebooked on a southwest flight. They flew me in The front jump seat and just left me with a basket of honey roasted peanuts while they did service š I was probably 8-10 yo
This is actually why I no longer fly southwest. As a very thin person traveling with my extremely thin child taking up not even 2/3 seats, we were an easy target.
This is a real tough one. Iām 6ā tall, 270 and based on my physical frame, my shoulders are about 23ā across. In a 17.3 inch seat Iām spilling 5 inches total. I do my best not to encroach on anyone, but Iāve been on at least a dozen flights with guys that make me look tiny, and were always in the same aisle. You should contact FA as soon as you realize itās an issue. Get up and talk to them in the galley, to be decent about it.
I'm sorry but that's disgusting. No one should have to lean so far over to the point of pain to avoid being touched by a stranger. It's really time to stop this insanity.
do not worry about offending the fatty. They knew EXACTLY what they were going to do to their seat mates. You do not have to be rude, but be firm. Get the FA and tell them that you paid for your seat and demand that you have a full one.
They usually will move you to another empty seat, but I would really try to politely, but firmly tell the FA that the fatty should move. Maybe their embarrassment about having to switch will make them think twice before they pull this crap again.
It is not your problem that someone of size failed to plan ahead; the armrests must be fully down between passengers, this is an FAA requirement.
In today's society, unfortunately we've forgotten what the term duty is, and all passengers have a duty to speak up when there is a safety issue present such as armrests not being in the full down position.
Personally, if I ran an airline, to ensure that this issue was addressed correctly I'd suspend individuals from being able to fly on my airline if they are not able to safely sit in the seating accommodation purchased following all FAA safety regulations. One chance, and that's it.
Edit: If you really want to prove a point, politely inform the flight crew that if action isn't taken you'll be communicating your concerns to the FAA. Amazing how fast people get moved after that.
Politely informing the flight crew disguised as a threat will get your record locator number and status associated with rude/aggressive/threatening comments to flight crew. The crew is following the FAA mandates and standard operations procedures of the airline they are employed by. Surely a seasoned traveler such as yourself knows better. No one will get moved. Unless you mean a passenger being moved to another flight for āpolitelyā threatening to report the crew for actually following Federal Aviation Regulations š¤š
The crew is following FAA mandates? Not in your scenario; seat rests being down is 100% the requirement of the FAA, for the flight crew to not enforce is a violation of both FAA regs and United policy.
Obviously this is not MY scenario. As I previously started, armrests must be down for take off, taxi and landing. And another reply stated that the armrest will go down if someone is able to squeeze in, even if it causes a person of size to āspillā over into the passenger next to them and that passengerās personal space. This post was originally for a passenger who had a less than pleasant experience on a recent flight. If you want to encourage others to be petty and use threats, by all means go ahead. Just be aware, those who do so will not likely receive the perks and extra service they deserve for being inconvenienced or not. After all, being threatened to be tattled on, doesnāt give much incentive for extra kindness, attentiveness, nor compassion. The flight crew is comprised of human beings. There are better ways to communicate dissatisfaction without being passive aggressive.
I had a really obese man sit next to me on a short flight onceā¦after being uncomfortable for a bit, i just ended up using the side of his āspare tireā as a ad-hoc arm restā¦.
He didnāt mindā¦
My approach to try to resolve it and not put the other passenger on the spot: Tell the other passenger that you think we are going to have trouble flying like this. Then call the FA and repeat. The WE is very important. Share the problem and the blame.
This shouldn't be a customer's problem - the airline should be screening passengers if they don't fit in a seat properly - without affecting adjacent passengers. Period. I've had plenty of long hauls and asked to be reseated due to oversized individuals. There could even be an argument for safety/egress. The attendants that are saying they can't do anything about it, complete cop out. Passengers are not allowed by airline regulations to resolve issues on a flight. It's up to the airline.
They should probably have some sort of disability seating that has more space for larger people and people in wheelchairs and such. or just make all the seats bigger and it benefits everyone lol.
We've all had to deal with this at one time or another. The hardest part is determining when to make a stink about it. Some people are just really fat and also need to travel, and you can't blame them for not wanting to buy 2 seats. At the same time, you paid to use all of your seat.
The right move here would be to notify the flight attendant as soon as you realized it was a problem.
The same thing happened to me on a flight from Munich to Chicago (9 hours š). Thankfully, I was able to grab an FA before takeoff as there were several empty aisle seats available and he let me switch š. My original seat was a window so I canāt imagine the claustrophobia had I not been able to move seats. And I agree. There absolutely should be some type of rule of being able to comfortably fit in your seat - otherwise, the person needs to buy two seats or something.
There is. It's in United's contract of carriage. Well, you need to be able to sit in your seat, belted in (can use an extender), and be able to sit with the armrests down for the entire flight.
In other words, as long as you can jimmy your waist between the armrests, the rest of you can overflow in both directions in unlimited amounts, seat mates be damned.
I was flying on a pretty short flight out of ORD (MSP). The occupant of the window seat walked right in as the door closed, talking loudly on his cell phone, and plopped down right next to me with the arm rest up (no way he'd fit otherwise), and had his own seat extender. The dude was a pro at sucking up space.
Lol, the visual of thisā¦.š¤£
It would be funny if I had not seen in too many times before. Ugh
Iāve seen it. And just thought whyyyyy???
Only ONE extender, too. If they need more than that, itās a no-go.
There is. They made my sister pay for two seats, but then they tried to put a standby passenger in the empty seat beside her.
So let me tell you what happened when I did this. I was middle seat. Like the OP I'm not tiny, I have beer belly. Two guys show up. 6'5" and shoulders as wide as the plane wing. I called the flight attendant. Explain, gonna be a long flight stuck in the middle. Are there any seats, even if I need to upgrade. She looks at me and says, "So is there a problem? Do you need to be removed from the plane?" Everyone around us got the WTF look on their face. I just said, "Never mind." This is exactly how airlines lose customers.
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Yea, you pick your battles. There was no good outcome. I get 500 extra airline miles, she loses her job. Then she gets hired by an airline I fly more often. No she can stay where she is.
What airline?
Am 6'5" with airplane shoulders frequent flyer. But I do try to sit on the aisle seat so I can lean out š¤£
How incredibly awkward though. I would hate to embarrass someone else or hurt their feelings, to the point that I would probably just do what OP did and sit awkwardly for the whole flight. I probably need to work on that lol
I'm confused on this. Does the obese person not know they are oversized? I don't think there is anything wrong with telling the flight attendant it's a tight fit and is there more room elsewhere. You aren't identifying the person. Saying there is an obese person next to you who's fat ass can't sit in a seat would be wrong. But I'm sure the oversize person is uncomfortable in the situation also. Everytime someone large has sat next to me they have said something like "I'm sorry these seats aren't built for someone with my frame ( or size). We joke and understand it's an unfortunate outcome for both of us.
I imagine they'd be aware that they're over sized (but I guess not well enough to book a second seat). I imagine it would be pretty humiliating for your seat mate to draw the attention of flight attendant and everyone else in the vicinity to this fact by pointing out that you're overlapping into their seat
Quite awhile ago I read a similar story but it was from the perspective of the ālargeā person. The man in the middle seat kindly asked her if she wouldnāt mind lifting up the arm rest to make her more comfortable. She was so moved by his kindness and non judgmental looks that shortly afterwards she saw a nutritionist and herself self esteem grew and she turned her health into a priority.
Eat stupid portions, win stupid prizesĀ
So wait, are you saying everyone's weight is completely predicated on how much they eat? Well, that's not accurate at all.
Almost everyone, yes. Not everyone though, and it's right to be sensitive about the issue, but for most of us it's one where we could have some level of control over.
So wait, are you saying everyoneās weight is out of their control? Well, thatās not accurate at all. Edit: this guy blocked me after calling me a moron. I hope he is doing okayā¦ wild behavior.
99.99999% yes.
Of course genetics, metabolism, medical conditions etc play into it but yes, even taking all those into account, it is physiologically impossible to gain weight on a caloric deficit in the long term.Ā
This is the truth, everything else is semantics.
The problem is the comment from this alleged 1K guy was saying the only reason someone might be overweight was created solely by them eating too much. That's simply not true and not the only possible factor in those situations. I can't believe I have to explain this on a United subreddit, but this sub is well known for downvoting factual statements. It's whack.
You don't become "need two seats on an airplane" without extreme overeating.
could you explain how to gain weight without eating
I didn't say that. You have to eat to live. My point was that some people may be obese due to other contributing factors with medical issues. It's not simply "someone is eating too much". Yes, that reason exists, but it's not the answer to every situation and the commenter was basically saying the only reason people could be overweight. That's simply not true. But the truth never wins on a United sub LOL
There is a magic spell to disable the law of conservation of energy. Using that one can eat less, burn more, and still gain weight. /s I am not so lean myself but it's because I eat a little more than ideal and exercise a little less than I ideal. No magic there!
I did that and they moved me to a seat next to a slightly smaller man whose arms were in my back the rest of the flight.
Tell him politely to get out of your space and stop touching you
I tried that with a full grown man once and he straight up assaulted me the rest of the flight. He said my ask was ridiculous and he couldnāt do anything about touching me because there wasnāt room (there was) I had bruises by the end because he was actively elbowing me and being awful the whole flight but at this point i was straight up scared of him and didnāt want to involve an FA. I was also by my friend and didnāt want to leave them alone with this creep. Men are sick and we normalize it
Please let us know when stuff like this happens. You can discreetly tell us by coming to the galleys or passing us a note. We will not tolerate this behavior. I had an incident similar to this a couple weeks ago. We were full but had a deadheading pilot that switched seats with her and had police meet the aircraft. Do not let behavior like this slide as they will undoubtedly do it again.
Thanks for the tip, I will definitely stand up for myself more next time and going to find you guys sounds like a much better idea then doing it in front of the rude seatmate!
SOME men are sick. FFS you shouldāve called a FA
I canāt imagine what he would have done if he was so awful when i was respectful first. Calling the FA would have for sure been seen as aggressive by him. Also youāre right about the some men thing, i was just frustrated. Violence is correlated to testosterone and itās super interesting
Maybe the FA couldāve moved you. I get that itās frustrating and itās easy for me to play Monday morning quarterback though. Sorry you had to go through that.
Nah i have actually gotten some good advice on here about what to do next time without arousing suspicion and i appreciate your comments. I definitely should have done a better job standing up for myself. I think first of all i had to get some courage up to ask in the first place that he stay in his space and then after he was treating me that way i kinda froze. Next time i know ill be able to handle it better (hopefully it doesnt happen again haha)
>men are sickĀ ā¦yet you, presumably not a man, are the one refused to deploy the solution literally designed and enforced by the carrier to resolve this kind of problem. Surely that problem is also the fault of 4 billion men.Ā
Way to victim blame great job clapclap. Those solutions literally shouldnt have to exist. Youāre right tho, someone told me i can get up and go talk to an FA discreetly away from my seat which was a great idea. I was a little frozen in the moment because being assaulted does that to you.
Good advice given. Definitely know you can confidently walk up and report something like this ā you wonāt be the one suffering any consequences.Ā And because I didnāt make it clear in the last comment, absolutely fuck that guy and sorry you had to deal with that situation. I just overreacted. Getting sick of seeing these blanket generalizations generally being accepted, and also tired of being ridiculed when I suggest that itās offensive and mentally draining to see something like it a dozen times in half an hour of scrolling. Sorry for being an ass.Ā
I am also sorry for being an ass and making blanket generalizations. I said it because I was upset which isnt an excuse but yeah I donāt think every single man is terrible that would be unhinged. Hope you have a good rest of your day.
Take the magazine out of the back of the seat and wedge it between the armrest and the cushion.
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Put a piss disc on his seat when he gets up for the lav. Also spray his carry on with liquid ass.
Actually, we can not do anything about this . This matter is a very sensitive issue that must be handled with a great level of expertise and care . We do turn around and contact the CSR , customer service resolution officer who is trained to handle these situations.
I have seen either the passenger of size or the person next to them reseated several times so if there is space on the aircraft, something can be done.
Yes and no as we cannot force people to change their seats. If someone wants to move voluntarily to a different seat , then we are ALL happy but understand that our hands are tied when it comes to these sensitive matters. I personally will NOT risk my job over it .
Well of course, but when you have two people trying to occupy the same space, offering one of them another seat is a solution.
Going a bit off topic here. Now you are making this " general." I'm addressing a specific issue here.
This is the only way to get it resolved.
Trial by combat?
This is a sneaky added benefit of the bulkhead seats. The fixed armrests help prevent others from spilling into your seat.
True, but bulkheads = babies (that's where the bassinet attachments are). Found that out on a 14 hour flight.
On a large UA plane with 4-3-4 configuration, the bulkhead in the middle could have babies, yes, but if you get the emergency row seats, they have the same hard / permanent seat dividers and there are no babies there. Example: Look at Row 40 on a UA 777-200 (used for Houston-Buenos Aires); 40ABC/JKL are good seats. 40DEFG are where the bassinet can go. (I think this is right. I tend to sit in 40 A, C, J, or L.
What airplanes have 4-3-4?? (I assume you mean 3-4-3)
Noise cancelling headphones fix babies, nothing fixes someone spilling into your seat
You know what's really fun? Being in Polaris right next to a baby for a 9 hour flight. Now that's fun.Ā
Imagine the crew. We feel so sorry for you guys. Iāve played peek a boo. Taken a toddler for a ātourā of the plane to give the mom/Dad a break, even comped nearby Passengers cocktails or snacks to appease them. I know itās a lot. If youāre in Polaris , most flight attendants donāt mind if you escape to the forward area to stretch and get a little break. As long as the seatbelt sign is off, and passenger donāt burst into the galley, I think itās a fair reprieve. Polaris is not cheap. Other passengers deserve a pleasant experience in spite of crying babies or unruly tots. Many times I believe the little ones feed off of the parentās anxiety or discomfort. Youād be amazed at how excited the little ones are to play with a plastic cup. Or just get a break from their ācaptivityā! š¤
A couple weeks ago, I did 16 hours in Polaris with a toddler in the seat behind me, and at least two other kids in the Polaris cabin. It was ridiculous, I want to know who has that kind of money š
Pick your poison I guess. I can tolerate a crying baby much better than being touched by a stranger.
Actually a lot of people do. But itās definitely easier when you bring the Nanny along. Wouldnāt dream of it otherwise.
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And bassinets can result in fun upgrades. Couple needed the bassinet spot I had on my way to Alabama one time. Gate crew upgraded me to premium plus so they could have it. Was fine with me. The left and right side bulkheads are often (or always??) Exit row so no babies. I pick those almost exclusively.
Oh sir, Iāve seen some real slobs hoop over into my space even in those seats
Unfortunately, they donāt help too much when you get placed next to an absolute unit of a land whale
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Why is this being down voted?
That's the bonus, but lose out on leg stretch.
You get more leg room
You get more knee space, but less feet space if that makes sense. I can stick my legs out pretty much all the way on a normal seat, but my toes hit the wall way before that in a bulkhead seat. If you are like 5'7" or less you probably wont even notice that.
Had similar issue on overnight LIH-DEN, only had access to 2/3 of my seat. Armrest was down but her body spilled into my seat over and under the armrest and pressed up against me. Discretely asked flight attendants after takeoff, they acknowledged the situation but the flight was full. FAs lifted the aisle armrest so I could more easily lean into aisle, and also offered free wine. It was still a miserable flight. Reached out to United customer care after flight & received a disappointing $100 voucher. Airlines need better policies for passengers of size.
You can lift the aisle armrest yourself as well. I do when disembarking. Thereās a little release button near the back bottom part of the armrest.
I always thought this was common knowledge, but on a solid half of my flights (I'm an aisle girl) I get a "hey! How'd you do that?".
I feel kind of bad telling people thisā¦ now they know how my magic trick works
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Southwest probably has the best XS policy - you book two tickets and then they refund you one.
That would be useless to me. I donāt drink wine and Iām only going to be flying United as part of a trip of the US from Australia. They need to do better.
There need to be rules that folks of certain size have to purchase seats that are large enough to accommodate them. You have to pay extra for overweight / oversized luggage. If they donāt, they should be refused boarding.
I said something similar here once and was told it isnāt possible to have that kind of rule because obesity is considered a disability. Apparently a rule that very large people who cannot fit comfortably into the seat with the armrests down need to buy two seats would be in violation of the ADA. š¤ØIt doesnāt seem right to me that another passenger should have to be uncomfortable because a passenger of size didnāt purchase two seats. Obviously one can ask to be reseated, but what if there arenāt any seats? Then the person who isnāt causing the problem is being inconvenienced (either by sharing a seat they paid for with a larger person or by choosing to get off the plane and take a later flight). It seems to me the person who is responsible for the situation should be re-accommodated on a later flight where two seats are available. But apparently this violates the ADA.
On another note..by the airlines not addressing the issue, they can keep putting smaller seats on the plane without a ton of backlash. I have broad shoulders. I've taken flights on the same aircraft with different seats. I 99% fit in the old seats comfortably, and I 99% hang over on the newer seats. I try to get aisle so I can lean my shoulders over because I can't scrunch them up like my legs.
Obesity alone isnāt considered a disability under the ADA. Resulting mobility issues could be, but theyāre not being denied boarding or asked to buy an additional seat because of those issues. Theyāre being asked to buy an additional seat because they physically occupy two seats.
Itās not a disability if we are honest. There are seats that can accommodate the size. I donāt care if the airlines sells these to the ādisabledā (obese) at a discount or basic economy cost. Maybe health insurance or the government will reimburse the airline. The poor Schmuck sitting next to the person who is too large for the seat should not pay with his / her space and comfort that he / she paid for.
Obesity isnāt a disability under the ADA so they were just jerking your chain. Most airlines state someone who is obese has to buy a second seat. This is just like the āservice dogā issue, people push the rules and count on others being non confrontational.
Obesity is not a disability under federal law in the United States. There are a few cities that have obesity to ālookismā anti-discrimination statute but it would not apply to passenger aircraft in interstate routes even if the airport was in the city.
You get what you tolerate. Sometimes you need to be the main character a lil bit because only you can take care of you. Itās not fun to be put in a position where you need to ask the FA for assistance with another passenger. If youāre able, get up and find the FA do that so you donāt have to complain about the person sitting next to you in front of them. I know some people are really non-confrontational and get anxiety about doing something like this. You always have a choice, would you rather ask for help, or continue to tolerate more of the same for the duration of the flight? Ideally no one would ever be put into this sort of situation, but the world is not perfect and on occasion people just get dealt a bad hand. How you play it is up to you.
Sometimes there isnāt another option. I was on a completely full flight from EDI to IAD and was sat next to a massive man. Iām not small myself and it was extremely uncomfortable the entire flight. The guy was doing everything he could to not get in my space, but it was not physically possible for him to stop touching me or me to stop touching him despite me having the armrest up between my seat and my wifeās, who had the window. The guy didnāt get food or beverage the entire flight and had his arms awkwardly pinned between his legs to try to pull his shoulders in, but it made no difference. The only solution would have been to not sell him a single seat or prevent his boarding once they realized they could not accommodate his size without affecting other customers. I donāt blame the guyāhe was doing his best and took a flight that was presented as an option to himāI just think they shouldnāt present it as an option. Unfortunately, Iām part of the problem too. Instead of not flying United transcontinental again, Iāve just started booking Polaris when my party isnāt big enough to fill a row.
Oh puleese! If you cannot fit in a seat then you ARE the problem. Buy another seat! If your seatmate was larger than you, then pretty sure he knew he wasn't fitting in the seat. Trying to suck it in, doesn't count! Buy two seats or don't fucking fly. Quit being a fucking douchebag.
I brought this up in another reply . As flight attendants , we can not get ourselves involved in these highly sensitive issues when it comes to accommodation of " certain size." We turn around and get a hold of a CSR customer service resolution officers who are highly trained in how to deal and resolve these situations.
Thank you
This topic comes up every few days. There should be non-negotiable physical limitations per seat, just like there are for carry-on size, luggage weight, etc. Itās not discriminatory against larger people, itās just facts. You must be āthis tall to rideā works fine for roller coasters. You must be āless than this wide to rideā in a single seat should not be a stigma for an airline ticket, should just be a fact. You canāt fit in your seat, you need 2 seats or first class. Simple. If an airline wants to discount or provide second seat for free, I think thatās a marketing decision.
Just to add, I donāt understand how pilots account for weight and balance variance for someone who should have booked two seats but is literally squeezing in to one. Just eating in to the safety factor I guess
Because for every 350lb'er, theres 2 grandma's/teens/etc that get counted the same but weigh 110 lbs soaking wet
But what about the airlines continuing to decrease seat size and space allotment per seat?
The moment you realize you cannot let the armrest down and have personal space, notify the flight attendants, who will then notify the ground agents. They will discreetly find a solution. Even on a completely full flight. There is ALWAYS a solution. Also, the armrests on the aisle must be down for pushback from the gate. Itās a safety measure, not meant to make anyone uncomfortable in their seat. But if someone is spilling into the aisle (including very tall people with their knees and legs )and canāt have the armrest down on either side, itās not safe for that passenger or the passengers around them. I have sons over 6ā and family members āof sizeā and do not wish to insult or berate any member of the thread. Just here to observe and provide feedback based on my professional experience and information. Thanks. Welcome aboard š¤šŗš«
My fear is always that if I complain, they will bump *me* off the flight and put me on a later one.Ā I also donāt love confrontation and would feel terrible getting someone removed from the flight because I am uncomfortable. It would be awesome if this could be established discreetly before boarding (think test seats at Disneyā¦)
They're not going to involuntarily bump you for bringing something like this to the attention of a FA
and theyāre not gonna bump the fat guy either. this poster is just anxious about nothing.
Unfortunately an airline was sued because they had a woman step on a scale in front of others and her weight was displayed. She was not denied boarding , at least as far as the story I read, but sued the airline for pain and suffering and stated that she was horrified, bullied, and humiliated. There used to be a luggage sizer at the podium. If a passengerās bag didnāt fit in the sizer, the bag was checked. For some reason I donāt see them anymore. Likely a result of shenanigans and unnecessary arguments about whether or not āit fit on the last flightā. I agree there should be some way of determining whether or not someone needs 2 seats prior to boarding. Itās such a delicate situation, but one that definitely needs to be addressed.
Maybe they should make the self scan gates the width of a seat. Canāt fit through, then you wonāt fit in your seat.
Thatās a great idea. In my opinion, it may be seen as embarrassing for those who couldnāt squeeze through. With so many lawsuits, this would turn into a nightmare of litigation due to āpain and sufferingā due to humiliation or some other consequence.
Frontier has the luggage sizer and they make people who did not pay for carry on put their bag in it. If it doesn't fit they get charged I think $100 as it is carry on not personal item that has to fit under the seat. I heard the gate agents get $5.00 for every passenger they flag for oversized bag.
They still have the luggage sizer at a lot of gates, they just rarely check to see if a bag will fit.
I agree. As the number of morbidly obese people is increasing and the taboo concept of body shaming is gaining acceptance, some rational approach is needed. It's okay for an extremely overweight person to take up someone else's space on the plane, but it's offensive to point out that the person who's obviously overweight is overweight?
Can you explain more about the potential solutions if the flight is full? Iām not small myself, but I recently flew transatlantic with an executive from my company who is of significant size, and might be subject to one of these complaints. Had he been removed from the flight, I would have had to remove myself too ā because as the lower ranking person, I was handling 100% of the logistics for the trip. I could see us getting into this situation on a future trip and it would helpful to understand how it would be handled.
Someone of significant size should book two seats, or bus/first class, to accommodate their mass and not inconvenience other passengers.
unfortunately this is not an option with our employer. trust me, if he could have, he would have. due to the way our organization books tickets, it was also impossible for him to pay out of pocket for an upgrade (both the admin and I spent hours on hold trying to do this). we did end up getting him a premium economy seat, but that wonāt always happen.
honestly, he should get a note from his doctor indicating that due to health reasons he needs to be booked into business or better for flights over an hour - have had a number of coworkers do this over the years for various (legit) reasons and it forces the company into a corner with stupid travel rules that apply to everyone and dont take into account frequent flyers or exceptions. Ā Without documentation they are always a pain, even if business is cheaper than coach, or within whatever arbitrary fare difference limit they have defined (which iāve dealt with a few times and is always fun)
There are incentives offered to other passengers who are willing to take a later flight for compensation. Miles, travel vouchers, free hotel accommodations with meals, etc. can be offered to remedy a potential FAA issue or a breach of company policy. The airline will take many measures to rectify a potential problem with ADA or any other protected group. For passengers who live in the origination city and are traveling for leisure, this is a great perk and many are willing to accept the request. Any legitimate scenario will be taken Into consideration to the best of the ground crew ,Inflight crew and operations departmentās ability. The end goal is to get passengers to their final destination without incident. After all, no company wants to be known as the major carrier who doesnāt give a hoot. š¦š«
thank you for your response ā this is good to know!
But heaven forbid my luggage is .5 lb over weight or else I must pay extra.
Just complain to [United Customer Care](https://www.united.com/en/us/customercare) and theyāll hook you up with a few $$$ travel voucher. Really all you can do in this situation
Too big = two seats.
I left MIA back to EWR. This girl took 25% of my seat. Her friend/sister was by the window spilling on to her seat. The middle seat spilled on to me. Her hot sweaty leg was getting my shorts and leg sweaty. I never felt so violated for a 3 hour flight. I feel your pain. I kept looking at my mom who was laughing at me across the aisle. I didnāt know you can ask for another seat after reading the commentsā¦.
There are rules about this, you must be able to sit in your seat buckled in, with or without a seatbelt extender, and you must be able to fit in the seat with an armrest down between you and your neighbor. Passengers who are not able to meet these requirements may be required to purchase an extra seat or a larger seat, and if it is not available on this flight the passenger after purchase of such accommodations will be rebooked to a later flight where that is available.
My wife is a nutritionist with a Masters degree in exercise science. Iāve told her for years she should work out a deal with United to clip her business card to those extender beltsā¦
That will work great, because I've heard that people who need seat belt extenders (aka the morbidly obese) are known for always being on the lookout for a good nutritionist or exercise coach. /s
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
She doesnāt think it. Her spouse does.
The incentive is to handle everything possible on the ground. Once youāre 35k feet in the air, not much can be done. Rules on the ground ,prevent fools in the air.
I refuse to do this ever again. I threw my back out accommodating someone who took up half my seat.
They need bigger seats just a couple inches wider would make a huge difference but they won't
They have bigger seats, they just aren't in economy. If you can't fit in an economy seat, you need to buy two of them or one first class seat. There is some personal responsibility here.
As already stated, these are the rules. You need to get up and speak to the purser. The solution is to move you or the other person to another seat, if available. If not, someone will be offloaded to a different flight. If you don't speak up, nothing will happen. You are not wrong to expect to have the use of your seat.
3 config seat - I was the the window, someone in the middle and aisle seat was FREE. The person in the middle decided that they would lean over to my side and into my seat area
Haha thatās wild
Happened to me yesterday. Tha fully flight had a lot of empty seats, so I just moved. The times I can't are some of the most miserable experiences. Sadly all airlines don't care.
what happens if you notify the FA but it's a full flight and there are no empty seats?
Demand that the armrest be all the way down. If the passenger doesnāt fit in the seat notify the FA (push the call button). Its less clear with the wide shoulders crown however fit youāre not comfortable ring the FA and see what they can do.
Like by default if someone needs the belt extender, the people next to them should be offered an upgrade on a later flight.
United has the shortest belts of all major airlines. Iām a big girl, my fiance is a big guy. Due to my shape (pear) I need an extension in economy if I want the belt placed properly but he doesnāt. I promise his shoulders and arms spill into my space more than my hips spill into his. For the record, I can sit with arm rests down for a 9 hour flight and be reasonably comfortable. Not trying to deny you an upgrade for being uncomfortableā¦but the extender rule may not be the best benchmark. I am sure when we are milling about at the gate pre-flight people think āshit I hope they arenāt in my row!ā But we know weāre big and go out of our way to make sure anyone else in our row is as comfortable even if it means we arenāt. Our arm rest up and me snugged next to him under his arm is usually how it goes. Or we fly first class and then itās a non-issue.
Good idea! Maybe except preggers women
On one flight I (6ā1ā male) had a center seat that was right next to a very large man. Definitely spilled over my seat area and made me uncomfortably lean to my left. Started talking to him and had a very nice conversation the entire 3 hour flight.
Amazing how being a courteous person and treating other humans with grace leads to positive experiences. The exception is people who put their carry on in a bin 15 rows before their seat or stick their roller bag in sidewaysā¦ no grace for those animals.
So you think putting your carry on in an overhead bin that isn't directly over your seat is more of a problem for other flyers than being so large you can't put the armrest down?
On one flight I was on I was already seated in the aisle and a very large man came to sit in the middle seat. Before he even sat down, he looked at me and said āas soon as this plane gets in the air Iām gonna have to go and take a pissāhe then said that it would be better if he sat in the aisle and I sat in the middle because he was going to have to get up and āpiss so much āthat it would be such an inconvenience for me sitting in the aisle. When he asked me to move to the middle I politely declined. He sat in the middle seat, the whole flight and didnāt get up a single time to use the bathroom.
What a nightmare.
As if I wasn't self-conscious enough when flying on these planes, the comments in here give me great hope. /s
I was once seated in a middle seat of three as I witnessed a very large dude stroll down the aisle. All my thoughts were āplease have this guy pass the aisle seat next to meā! He plops in the seat next to me and immediately overflows into my space where I instantly feel his heat. I turned to him, and explained how I paid for and will be using my whole seat. He was the one that had to lean uncomfortably into the aisle for the flight.
lol - that could backfire easily. I am a wide person, mostly across the shoulders and legs. ~225 lbs but (mostly) muscular. I am aware itās not super comfortable to sit next to me in coach and usually try to scrunch into my seat. If someone gave me that kind of attitude right off the jump, however, you can bet Iād be leaning into the armrest, and not risking getting my knees clipped by the beverage cart. Being courteous works both ways.
And youād be kicked off the flight. Stay home
I said leaning into the armrest, not the person. Reading comprehension goes a long way.
You can bet Iād be reporting you to a FA for touching me without my consent if you intentionally leaned INTO me for the flight to harass me
I said into the armrest, Karen.
Iāve witnessed that type of solution turn into an immediate fiasco. For one, this passenger knew well in advance that purchasing more than one seat would be more comfortable for themselves. Perhaps they could not afford one. However, the person sitting next to them should not be the āput on the spotā to confront another passenger. Whether itās done politely or not, the entire flight will be uncomfortable for everyone. Similarly, when there is a pet on board , not service animal, they are required to remain in their kennel. The person sitting next to them is not obligated to say anything to them about keeping the pet in the kennel. The pet owner knows the rules. The crew is advised to keep these scenarios from escalating. Itās better to advise a crew member and allow them to put out one fire,than to crank it up with your seat mate and have another issue to deal with. Best regards from someone who has seen this go very,very, very wrong. Why person who needs seatbelt extender vs entitled passenger trying to get something free while humiliating another human being. Or bully using their size to intimidate the person next to them. Either way itās mean. And at exactly 5ā , I wonāt STAND for it! š Buckle up and letās be kind.
The āperson of sizeā issue has gotten out of hand. All major U.S. carriers seem to be terrified of lawsuits. Despite the safety concerns, the passengers who pay for their own seat should have the right to their leg space,use of armrest and tray table, outlets, and any other basic amenities that come standard with the purchase of their ticket. The seats have become much smaller in basic economy. I once had a family of four purchase all 12 seats of the emergency exits rows. They each had 3 seats for a transcontinental flight from LAX -EWR( Newark). I know itās not feasible, and they were still required to use the seatbelt extensions, but it just made sense. They took the responsibility out of everyone elseās hands and did what they had to do to have a pleasant flight. No one was embarrassed or shamed. And no one felt slighted by not having enough room. After takeoff many questions were asked as to whether or not passengers of a certain weight/size could perform duties possibly required of them by sitting in the emergency exit row. š¤
Yes agreed and I didnāt want to feel like she was being shamed and didnāt want to be a spectical. I do wish the FAs had some authority to make sure people had 2 seats if needed.
They have the authority, but don't really have an incentive to enforce the rule unless it becomes a problem.
They do. Every airline has very specific rules about what to do in that situation and FAs can enforce them.
It is the rule. Unfortunately, Reddit is not the Rules Enforcer ā¢ here.
I had this happen to me on a 6 hour flight before a connecting 12 hour flight. I was smashed up against a window because the guy in the middle was LARGE. Flight was full - nothing the FAs could do. My back was jacked up for weeks. United ended up giving me a refund on my seat and a credit but I had to do about a month of chiropractor and massages to feel normal again. Blah
I had something like this on an 8 hour flight with the added annoyance that the HUGE woman in the middle seat had a stick of a husband in the aisle seat who refused to swap with either me or her (I did offer). And that was the last time I booked a window seat on a flight.
They need to make seats for people under 200 that are like the ācompact carā parking only. Have to get on a scale to be able to sit in them. Iām sick of bigger people spilling into the area that I paid for.
I can only imagine if your boarding pass actually had ācompactā printed near the seat assignment. Hilarious.
It's a tough spot. I am 6' and 290# when I fly I am very concerned of encroaching on others space: listen I carry my weight well but I understand I am a big guy. If I feel I would make others uncomfortable I would request another seat before the others around me. š¤·š»āāļø
Iād say something to a flight attendant.
This happened to me before. I didn't say anything. I felt bad for her ...I was sweating. Her body on mine was creating heat. Very uncomfortable.
Southwest has a pretty great person of size policy that encourages a proactive approach towards booking an extra seat. Iām surprised more airlines havenāt taken it on. That would address most of these issues.
This exactly. Just make the option more available and I'm sure most overweight people will chose that in a heartbeat. This situation is not just uncomfortable for the slim person getting encroached on. Being on a long flight trying to make yourself smaller may lead to a ton of pain, specially if you are already not that fit to begin with. It's apparently much easier to just say "that fatso shouldn't be allowed to fly! How dare they!" than to actually realize people come in all sizes and they have a right to exist and and sometimes they need to fly too. I'm not saying that means people should just be uncomfortable and deal with it, I'm saying airline companies should stop pretending this is not an issue and try to make it simpler to allow basic comfort and safety to every one of their paying customers.
I swear I saw a video about this recently. A particularly wide woman had trouble navigating the aisle. Not fat-shaming as I am a big guy myself but that's why I just go ahead and buy two seats or get business class.
Iāve had to insist on the armrest being down before and it sucked. But if if have to get someone else involved, my go to line with a staff member will be, āI canāt fit in my seatā, instead of āThey are taking up some of my seatā. As an aisle seat person, this argument works no matter who gets to their seat first. If Iām there first, Iāve demonstrated that I did fit, but no longer can. And if Iām there second, I just wonāt sit down. Instead of āI can fit, but itās uncomfortableā, I feel that focusing on the airline not providing access to your purchased seat is the argument. Iād further argue that the middle seat is unimpeded by my use of the aisle seat. Iām aware this will likely not work in my favor and Iāll be the one to have to change flights. Even if they give the seat to a standby, that person fitting is irrelevant. But if I insist I canāt fit versus I donāt want to be uncomfortable for a few hours, my argument about the airline not providing access to my seat stands up better. Choosing whether to have constant body contact or an aching back from sitting awkwardly is unreasonable. Unfortunately, itās the hill Iāll die on.
Man spreading is an issue too,,,
I usually just assert my dominance in those situations and counter the manspread.
What did you say to the flight attendant?
I'm 5ft 10 and 175 pounds. When travelling in the new southwest planes, my shoulders go beyond the confines of the seats. If fit in the seat fine but if it's three males across we have to alternate shoulders. Generally the person in the middle has to lean forward the whole trip.
What if all economy seats are made bucket seats, like in the exit rows of some aircraft? That will leave only elbows to fight space.
The airlines should seats that fit most.
Airlines donāt want to get in the business of denying passengers because of sizeā¦ because that will lead to lawsuits and regulations that wonāt be in line with airlines desire to shrink lavs, add more seats per row, add more rows, etcā¦
My son in law is a big boy and he and my daughter book the 3 seats in the row.
That happened to me years ago, from MCI to DEN after a funeral of my grandfather, I didn't say anything just sat in misery (full flight and I was young). By the end of the flight my whole left side was asleep and sweaty. The husband was across from her...which I didn't know until the end of the flight when she called him 'honey'...I was so mad. The seats are very narrow and we blame the airlines. Now I'm 55 and not as slim, not as large to have my body lay ontop of others but I fill that seat. I feel for you.
If one can be asked to see if their carry-on will fit in a metal test frame, why not a sample seat for large bodies? I'm sorry but a large person must buy two seats or one in first class.
Been in this situation too many times. If we have a baggage size control device at the gate desk, there's no reason we shouldn't have a human size control device of a similar nature. I'm not trying to shame anyone, but it's not fair to have you sitting on me because you can't fit in the seat you paid for.
I blame the airlines for the size of the seats not the passengers for being normal sized for modern America. Even if a large passenger tried to book a seat that accommodated them better, it is all too easy to get bounced into a middle seat.
At least you got a fraction of a seat. Some years back, on a 100% booked flight, I got to my row, and there was a couple in the aisle and middle. My seat was the window. Between the two of them, they were crammed into the three seats, and there was *zero* room for me to fit. I pointed to my seat, and the guy just shrugged. The FA saw me and motioned me to the back of the plane. I sat in the FA jump seat for the flight. Iām sure that was some policy violation, but she probably had concerns about doing anything else about it.
Whatever flight attendant allowed that should be fired immediately. Likely a new hire who panicked as you said and froze. One of the first things you learn is that no one but another flight attendant with a reciprocal Jumpseat agreement or the airline operating the flight can occupy the Jumpseat at any time. Pilots cannot even sit in a flight attendant Jumpseat. The only exceptions are severe turbulence which would cause the passengers injury or harm to get back to their seat. Or an incapacitated passenger with no other options to be examined or closely monitored. Under no other circumstances. If that were the case, flight attendants would just implement seniority parameters to bring their friends and families on oversold flights and have them buckle up next to them on the Jumpseat. So unless this flight was 35+ years ago, this is a huge violation which leads to immediate termination.
Definitely less than 35 years ago. I didnāt know that rule but I also didnāt argue.
I know dear. Just trying to help people know what accommodations can be offered and what circumstances will not compromise your right to a pleasant experience.
In the 1990s I was flying as an unaccompanied minor on America West Airlines (RIP) and my flight was cancelled. I was rebooked on a southwest flight. They flew me in The front jump seat and just left me with a basket of honey roasted peanuts while they did service š I was probably 8-10 yo
This is actually why I no longer fly southwest. As a very thin person traveling with my extremely thin child taking up not even 2/3 seats, we were an easy target.
This is a real tough one. Iām 6ā tall, 270 and based on my physical frame, my shoulders are about 23ā across. In a 17.3 inch seat Iām spilling 5 inches total. I do my best not to encroach on anyone, but Iāve been on at least a dozen flights with guys that make me look tiny, and were always in the same aisle. You should contact FA as soon as you realize itās an issue. Get up and talk to them in the galley, to be decent about it.
I'm sorry but that's disgusting. No one should have to lean so far over to the point of pain to avoid being touched by a stranger. It's really time to stop this insanity.
do not worry about offending the fatty. They knew EXACTLY what they were going to do to their seat mates. You do not have to be rude, but be firm. Get the FA and tell them that you paid for your seat and demand that you have a full one. They usually will move you to another empty seat, but I would really try to politely, but firmly tell the FA that the fatty should move. Maybe their embarrassment about having to switch will make them think twice before they pull this crap again.
Pull what crap; flying?
Buying a single seat when a person knows that their body will not fit in it.
It is not your problem that someone of size failed to plan ahead; the armrests must be fully down between passengers, this is an FAA requirement. In today's society, unfortunately we've forgotten what the term duty is, and all passengers have a duty to speak up when there is a safety issue present such as armrests not being in the full down position. Personally, if I ran an airline, to ensure that this issue was addressed correctly I'd suspend individuals from being able to fly on my airline if they are not able to safely sit in the seating accommodation purchased following all FAA safety regulations. One chance, and that's it. Edit: If you really want to prove a point, politely inform the flight crew that if action isn't taken you'll be communicating your concerns to the FAA. Amazing how fast people get moved after that.
Politely informing the flight crew disguised as a threat will get your record locator number and status associated with rude/aggressive/threatening comments to flight crew. The crew is following the FAA mandates and standard operations procedures of the airline they are employed by. Surely a seasoned traveler such as yourself knows better. No one will get moved. Unless you mean a passenger being moved to another flight for āpolitelyā threatening to report the crew for actually following Federal Aviation Regulations š¤š
The crew is following FAA mandates? Not in your scenario; seat rests being down is 100% the requirement of the FAA, for the flight crew to not enforce is a violation of both FAA regs and United policy.
Obviously this is not MY scenario. As I previously started, armrests must be down for take off, taxi and landing. And another reply stated that the armrest will go down if someone is able to squeeze in, even if it causes a person of size to āspillā over into the passenger next to them and that passengerās personal space. This post was originally for a passenger who had a less than pleasant experience on a recent flight. If you want to encourage others to be petty and use threats, by all means go ahead. Just be aware, those who do so will not likely receive the perks and extra service they deserve for being inconvenienced or not. After all, being threatened to be tattled on, doesnāt give much incentive for extra kindness, attentiveness, nor compassion. The flight crew is comprised of human beings. There are better ways to communicate dissatisfaction without being passive aggressive.
Yeah. If they make the bags fit in the sizer, why not the people?
I had a really obese man sit next to me on a short flight onceā¦after being uncomfortable for a bit, i just ended up using the side of his āspare tireā as a ad-hoc arm restā¦. He didnāt mindā¦
Gross
My approach to try to resolve it and not put the other passenger on the spot: Tell the other passenger that you think we are going to have trouble flying like this. Then call the FA and repeat. The WE is very important. Share the problem and the blame.
This shouldn't be a customer's problem - the airline should be screening passengers if they don't fit in a seat properly - without affecting adjacent passengers. Period. I've had plenty of long hauls and asked to be reseated due to oversized individuals. There could even be an argument for safety/egress. The attendants that are saying they can't do anything about it, complete cop out. Passengers are not allowed by airline regulations to resolve issues on a flight. It's up to the airline.
They should probably have some sort of disability seating that has more space for larger people and people in wheelchairs and such. or just make all the seats bigger and it benefits everyone lol.
News flash: United couldnāt care less about you, or human beings in general. I fly them because I have to, never because I want to.
Itās not just United, itās any carrier in the US
We've all had to deal with this at one time or another. The hardest part is determining when to make a stink about it. Some people are just really fat and also need to travel, and you can't blame them for not wanting to buy 2 seats. At the same time, you paid to use all of your seat.
It was Delta.