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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think airline seats no longer fit average-sized adults?

237 replies

Frequency · 04/04/2026 20:21

Do any airlines have adult-sized seats? Not obese adults, just regular adults?

We've just flown with Jet2 and my back is still in agony from the trip there. I was in the middle seat between my friend, who is slightly overweight but also short, so proportionately, she is not much wider than an average height, average weight woman, and a man who was maybe bordering on obese, his ass fit in his own seat, but his shoulders took a good three/four inches of my seat. My friend's shoulders took maybe a cm or 2 of my seat.

I'm not on the small side myself; I'm not overweight, but I am not what you'd describe as skinny. I needed all my shoulder space to myself. I was unable to sit back the entire flight because I literally didn't fit. I had to hunch forward with my shoulders rolled in.

On the way back, I was sitting between my friend, a short, slim lady. I could sit back, but I was touching both people on either side of me, and there was no elbow space or wriggle room.

For next year, I need either my shoulders shaved down and a few ribs removed or actual, people-sized seats. Do such seats exist?

OP posts:
Flamingojune · 05/04/2026 07:43

Frequency · 05/04/2026 01:15

It's ridiculous. I have stated in almost every post that no one on the row was obese, yet they are still determined to blame obese people.

Why? How? Did they eat the seats?

Show quote history

To someone who is not obese, the phrase 'bordering on obese' sounds pretty large

notimagain · 05/04/2026 07:29

DallazMajor · 05/04/2026 07:10

I hate plane seats. I’m sure they were designed by sadists. There’s literally nothing comfortable about them. It’s not just the size it’s all the clunky metal bits as well.

One problem is the designers sometimes have to compromise pure comfort to (dare I mention this) meet crash/impact resistance requirements.

DallazMajor · 05/04/2026 07:10

I hate plane seats. I’m sure they were designed by sadists. There’s literally nothing comfortable about them. It’s not just the size it’s all the clunky metal bits as well.

notimagain · 05/04/2026 07:05

OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 01:10

If one airline makes the seats bigger and charges more to accommodate this, people will just book with the cheaper airline that has the smaller seats. And then probably moan about how small the seats are and how the airline should make them bigger.

Yep.....

Look at discussions about Long Haul flights and "should I upgrade" - very often the answer is "nah, put up with the discomfort for a few hours and save the money for the holiday itself".

The successful airlines have worked out exactly what makes their customers tick, and mostly it's the ticket price.

Malasana · 05/04/2026 06:37

Cherry8809 · 04/04/2026 22:52

Planes should have a test seat at check-in, much like the ones at theme parks that riders can sit in and see if they fit.

Anyone that doesn’t fit should have to pay for an extra seat instead of encroaching on the passenger next to them.

And who do you suggest is bumped from the flight for the extra seat? You volunteering?
Shall we all try and squeeze into the seat in full view of a jeering crowd?
Let’s just make the chubby folk stay home and sit in the dark and think about their gluttony shall we?

Tamtim · 05/04/2026 02:34

I think spacing needs to be reconsidered in all places. People are getting bigger and taller. I was sat next to quite an overweight person in a theatre a couple of weeks ago and they were spilling into my seat and space. It’s unpleasant for everyone, no one wants to be touching anyone else.

Worriedreparents · 05/04/2026 01:47

We normally fly Ryanair but last October flew on Jet2 on a 3 hour flight, I had the middle seat and could not get comfy and at the end of the flight my back was in excruciating pain. The return flight was ok in that I could get in a good position but my back was still hurting from the outbound flight. I don’t want to alarm you OP but I’d obviously trapped a nerve on the outbound flight and it’s only just better

sunflower85 · 05/04/2026 01:43

I’m 5ft6 and 9 and a half stone and I feel a bit hemmed in.

Original poster
Frequency · 05/04/2026 01:21

I actually think I would have been more comfortable sitting between 2 obese, short women. Their shoulders would have been lower in the seat than mine, and probably narrower, so I would have had more space to sit back.

OP posts:
Original poster
Frequency · 05/04/2026 01:15

bagsandmags · 05/04/2026 01:13

It doesn’t matter OP. it’s still a klaxon for some posters

Show quote history

It's ridiculous. I have stated in almost every post that no one on the row was obese, yet they are still determined to blame obese people.

Why? How? Did they eat the seats?

OP posts:
Thegiantofillinois · 05/04/2026 01:13

I'm 5'9 and slim. I hate, hate, hate aeroplanes because they're so squashed. I don't want to touch people next to me, so I have to make myself as small as possible. And it hurts my knees.

bagsandmags · 05/04/2026 01:13

Frequency · 05/04/2026 00:47

How would that help with seat sizing? NO ONE WAS OBESE. FFS.

Show quote history

It doesn’t matter OP. it’s still a klaxon for some posters

bagsandmags · 05/04/2026 01:12

I’m tall (5ft 9) but have a small frame & find Ryanair etc a bit of a squash.

OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 01:10

If one airline makes the seats bigger and charges more to accommodate this, people will just book with the cheaper airline that has the smaller seats. And then probably moan about how small the seats are and how the airline should make them bigger.

SynthEsjs · 05/04/2026 01:02

Broad shoulders, weight aside, even on slim fit adults often don’t fit. You are not being unreasonable. Due to improving nutrition every generation is getting slightly bigger (torso and height, I don’t mean fatter) and so even if nobody was obese they would be too small.

The minimum size needs to be increased.

Savvysix1984 · 05/04/2026 01:00

I’ve just flew with easyJet and Jet2 and had no issues with the seat size or leg room. My dh is a bigger guy (rugby player though not overly tall) and he has no issue. The problem is oversized adults.

mondaytosunday · 05/04/2026 00:56

Seat sizes haven’t changed much, if they have it’s in pitch, not width.

Original poster
Frequency · 05/04/2026 00:56

OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 00:51

It would encourage people to slim down to get cheaper flights, which would mean more room for passengers in the existing seats.

How much slimmer do you think people should be if a BMI of 22 and body fat % of 27% max is not slim enough to fit comfortably?

Maybe we should ban tall people from flying? That's probably the biggest issue I face. I am tall, therefore my skeleton is wider.

Perhaps we should also ban swimmers? That's how my shoulders got so muscular. My thighs are quite muscular too, that's probably from ice-skating, they fit the seat OK, but someone with slightly bigger muscles wouldn't fit, so maybe we just ban all sports people from flying?

OP posts:
OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 00:51

It would encourage people to slim down to get cheaper flights, which would mean more room for passengers in the existing seats.

Original poster
Frequency · 05/04/2026 00:47

OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 00:46

Maybe airlines could charge passengers by the lb or kg?

So they could advertise for instance, a flight to Lanzarote at £1.20 a lb or something similar.

How would that help with seat sizing? NO ONE WAS OBESE. FFS.

OP posts:
OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 00:46

Maybe airlines could charge passengers by the lb or kg?

So they could advertise for instance, a flight to Lanzarote at £1.20 a lb or something similar.

Neemon · 05/04/2026 00:42

CassandraCan · 04/04/2026 20:25

Adults are overweight and as a normal-sized person (who fits in seats - shoulders and all) I am always scanning the aisle to see if I have the misfortune of having an overweight person sitting next to me.

there is an epidemic of obesity and people just aren’t tacking it.

Edited

I feel sorry for those who have the misfortune of sitting next to you.

Original poster
Frequency · 05/04/2026 00:34

OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 00:26

Something needs to be done about all the obesity. And airlines should charge obese people more to fly.

Again, no one in the seating row was obese.

I just fit the top half of the seat, with not a cm to spare and no space to move for comfort. I pay more attention to body fat %, I cannot remember my weight exactly, but I believe it is roughly 11 stone. My body fat % jumps between 23% and 27% depending on how dedicated I am to training and eating clean. If it starts creeping higher than 27%, I know I am overdoing the pasta and burgers and have a few weeks of clean eating.

Obesity was not the issue.

OP posts:
OonaStubbs · 05/04/2026 00:26

Something needs to be done about all the obesity. And airlines should charge obese people more to fly.

SpiritAdder · 05/04/2026 00:25

AllTheChaos · 05/04/2026 00:12

People are on average taller now, which means their bones are also bigger and their frames are broader, regardless of whether or not they are overweight.

Taller compared to 100 years ago, but shorter compared to 1980 in the US, UK and Europe.