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

People are getting bigger, seats are getting smaller, and both of those issues together make for very uncomfortable journeys!

The last flight I was on (not Jet2), I was struggling for leg room. I don't meet many people who are shorter than I am. I don't remember this being an issue when I was younger, and I definitely haven't got bigger!

I've not flown jet2 is it because they are a budget airline? Probably trying to squeeze more people on perhaps. Flew economy on BA, my other half is overweight and he was fine in the economy seats for 10 hour flight. Not had issue on TUI either but not flown with them for a few years.

They definitely don’t have enough leg space and reclining should be abolished !!

I work overseas and so fly with Easyjet twice a week. I'm a 6'1" man weighing about 15 and a half stone, so there's plenty of me, and I always fit in my seat fine if I'm in the centre or aisle, so long as the person next to me is not obese and coming over the line of the seat arm. Window seats are tighter because they cut in more around the height of my shoulder.

Perhaps Easyjet has more generous seats that Jet2, who I have only flown with rarely and not for several years.

But was that 95 centile in height or width?

Maybe planes need to offer extra wide seats. Something like a seat and half. Very few would want to admit they need 2 full seats, and even if someone does buy two seats, it really can't be that comfortable to have an ass cheek on each seat and you head between the seats with your spine on the arm rest.

Neither of our dhs are average size tbf. I have to angle my legs too and I personally don't find it uncomfortable. I've just accepted it as part of the parcel of being tall haha.

Literally from your OP:

"my friend, who is slightly overweight"

"a man who was maybe bordering on obese"

None of that says "these are normal weight people".

It is leg length not height although sometimes they go together. My husband is a couple of inches shorter than yours but has a short body. All his height is in his legs. He cannot fit into a normal airplane seat without angling his legs.

I vaguely recall once upon a time the seats were supposed to "accommodate" up to the 95.percentile adult.

Of course what that means depends on when the 95th percentile figures were established...may have been some decades back

We flew back from US a couple of years ago on a what must have been an older airplane as it had screens at regular intervals around the cabin, but no individual screens in the back of the seat in front of you.

Oh, the seats!!

Big, leather-effect, comfy, wing-back style. They were by far the best seats I have ever had on a plane (always fly economy) and I definitely had more leg room.

This. If you don't fit in the seat you are fat and you need to do something about it. Seats aren't smaller. People are huge these days

Seats haven't changed size

Obesity is so rife and normalised that the 'average' sized adult has increased in size since the majority of us became porkers

See also, vanity sizing

Clothing increasing in proportion, but the size labels remain the same

Someone who was a size 12 ten years ago and who hasn't gained weight, is more than likely looking towards the size 10 or size 8 end of the clothing racks today

I don’t think seats are any smaller now than when I first flew in 1988

YANBU. Seats have got narrower as people have got larger (both height and, even more so, weight wise). So it's not surprising they feel uncomfortable.

Dh is overweight and fits comfortably, he not had an issue. I’m not overweight and have never had an issue.

Ryan air flights are unbearable. As a plus sized woman who is part of the epidemic of obesity and is just not tackling it ( thanks for the judgement @CassandraCan ) i will not fly with them. However, I have always found jet2 and easy jet to be great. Admittedly I only go as far as spain with them so it's not long to be a little bit tight on space!

I often fly Ryanair and Easyjet and find them a little cramped for legroom (I'm 5ft 11) but enough room.

I think some people are in denial about their width. Seat sizes are clearly stated on the website so people should either pay for a second seat or turn sideways slightly so you don't encroach on someone else's space, as that's just rude.

Try flying with an infant on your lap

I think they need to start putting something rigid in between seats so that everyone gets their full share of space.

Of the three of you, you were the one that fitted in the seat and yet somehow you were the person who had to sit hunched forward? That’s not fair.
You should have been allowed to sit back and only if they could fit should the others do likewise.

A nice rigid seat divider to keep everyone in their own space (and prevent legs from going out at angles) should do it, and encourage those who need to to booked two seats.

It should be possible to ask flight crew to remove them with some sort of tool for those needing to book two seats, or for a parent with a small child who wishes to lie across them.

To be honest you can fly to Europe for cheaper than you can take a train to London, the small seats allow people on tight budget to travel. I don't think there are very comfortable but I keep my mouth shut because with £35 I covered 1500 miles. It is what ot is.

Hmm. I'm 6'2, size 12, and go between 76-80kg. Add 20kg of luggage on and that takes me over your arbitrary 95kg limit. Yet I am far from obese