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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

uncomfirtable journey

401 replies

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:09

Interested in people's opinions.
I had a recent journey from hell when an obese/morbidly obese person sat next to me on a flight for 6 hours.
He and his partner both booked aisle seats next to each other and both were morbidly obese. I was in a middle seat and another passenger in the window seat.
He struggled to get into the seat and had to rearrange himself and move bits around in order to get the armrest down. Once in place, the armrest disappeared. He basically overflowed into my seat and had to cross his arms for me to have any room. His right leg was in my space and his left leg was in the aisle. He was unable to get the table down in front of him.
Unfortunately I had to spend the full journey with body contact with this person. This not only invaded my personal space but was also really hot! It was a night flight and the flight was full, so I didn't want to disturb people sleeping by asking if a swap/move was possible. This person proceded to fall asleep and snore very loudly to a point where people were turning around. The trolley or people could not get past his leg in the aisle so he had to keep moving it. To make matters worse, the person in front reclined their seat right back. I felt trapped!
I had a few looks of pity and the staff could clearly see how uncomfortable it was.
AIBU to think he should have bought a second seat? Airlines should make it clear and consider the comfort and safety of all passengers. I paid for a seat and got half a one. Did this person lack consideration for others?

OP posts:
Dangermoo · 23/08/2025 15:12

YANBU.

DeborahKerr · 23/08/2025 15:13

I am not sure how you could enforce it.

didn't want to disturb people sleeping by asking if a swap/move was possible.
You should have done that from the beginning, before anyone fell asleep .

It's horrible, because it makes it embarrassing for YOU to ask for a swap in front of the other person, when it's not your fault.

His right leg was in my space
I put my handbag and physically block the space in front of my seat.

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:16

This is it, he must have been aware/embarrassed? I didn't want to add to that, because I am considerate! The flight was full. Maybe its just one of those unfortunate things, but I do feel it was a safety concern. I did have to get up to go to the bathroom and it was a real struggle for him to get out of the seat and took ages 😔 imagine if an evacuation was needed?

OP posts:
Returnofjude · 23/08/2025 15:18

If you honestly haven’t exaggerated… sounds bloody awful

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:19

Im really not exaggerating! it was horrendous 😫

OP posts:
missrabbit1990 · 23/08/2025 15:19

YANBU. He should have booked two seats.

Toucan123 · 23/08/2025 15:20

That sounds really tough and super uncomfortable OP. I'm not sure what I'd have done in your position, especially as the flight was full and you couldn't be moved to another seat! Hope your next flight is much better!

Moonmelodies · 23/08/2025 15:21

This reply has been deleted

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GingerbreadChaiTea · 23/08/2025 15:21

missrabbit1990 · 23/08/2025 15:19

YANBU. He should have booked two seats.

But that wouldn’t work as when only one person checked in the other would have been freed up.

BeltaLodaLife · 23/08/2025 15:23

GingerbreadChaiTea · 23/08/2025 15:21

But that wouldn’t work as when only one person checked in the other would have been freed up.

No, it isn’t. You call the airline and have two seats put under one name for the specific reason of one person needing two seats to fit in. They don’t give it away. This is nothing at all like the other thread.

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:23

Yeah, dont want to give it too much headspace. I did write TUI however they said it would be discrimination? surely they have a duty to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers and not use discrimination as reason not to address it. It's the first time its happened to me and ive seen other horror stories online. I do think the airlines should step up and do something about it.

OP posts:
TheCurious0range · 23/08/2025 15:24

GingerbreadChaiTea · 23/08/2025 15:21

But that wouldn’t work as when only one person checked in the other would have been freed up.

You can call an airline and do this, a relative does because of a disability they need to straighten one of their legs so the two of them (couple) book three seats , you can do it by calling the accessibility team

BeltaLodaLife · 23/08/2025 15:25

When he put his foot into your footwell, meaning his leg would have been pushed towards yours and his knee right in your space, why didn’t you say anything about that? Tell him to get his leg out of your footwell. And why didn’t you speak to the flight crew and tell them you needed a full seat, not half of one.

You have a voice but you didn’t use it. Why not? Who cares about embarrassing them. They should have been removed from the flight but because you say there meek and quiet, nothing was done. You have to make it the flight crew’s problem.

DelphiniumBlue · 23/08/2025 15:25

There was a thread the other day where someone had booked 2 tickets and only sat in one seat, and the consensus was that the airline could give the extra seat to someone else. That case was slightly different because the extra seat had been booked for someone else who didn't check in, but I wonder if you actually can book 2 seats for one person.

SaltAirAndTheRust · 23/08/2025 15:25

YANBU.

As a formerly morbidly obese person (I’m now just obese! 😂), I made sure I was always in the window seat if sat next to a stranger because it meant I would be more squished against that, than the other person, and that was with my family. I wouldn’t travel on my own at my largest because I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.

BeltaLodaLife · 23/08/2025 15:26

DelphiniumBlue · 23/08/2025 15:25

There was a thread the other day where someone had booked 2 tickets and only sat in one seat, and the consensus was that the airline could give the extra seat to someone else. That case was slightly different because the extra seat had been booked for someone else who didn't check in, but I wonder if you actually can book 2 seats for one person.

Yes, you can. That was an entirely different thing. Absolutely nothing to do with booking two seats under one for accessibility reasons. Why are you even bringing it up? It’s nothing to do with this.

SaltAirAndTheRust · 23/08/2025 15:26

DelphiniumBlue · 23/08/2025 15:25

There was a thread the other day where someone had booked 2 tickets and only sat in one seat, and the consensus was that the airline could give the extra seat to someone else. That case was slightly different because the extra seat had been booked for someone else who didn't check in, but I wonder if you actually can book 2 seats for one person.

You can, you just need to contact the airline. The fairest thing for this couple to do would have been to contact the airline and book a row for themselves. You just pay for the extra seat.

Returnofjude · 23/08/2025 15:26

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:23

Yeah, dont want to give it too much headspace. I did write TUI however they said it would be discrimination? surely they have a duty to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers and not use discrimination as reason not to address it. It's the first time its happened to me and ive seen other horror stories online. I do think the airlines should step up and do something about it.

Come again

TUI came back and said you are being discriminatory?

hangerup · 23/08/2025 15:28

On most flights you will have contact with people regardless of size as airlines like you cram you in hence why someone reclining was also an issue

TokyoSushi · 23/08/2025 15:28

This happened to me and is now why I always, always book an aisle seat, at least you can then ‘overflow’ into the aisle if necessary and you’re not boxed in!

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:30

BeltaLodaLife · 23/08/2025 15:25

When he put his foot into your footwell, meaning his leg would have been pushed towards yours and his knee right in your space, why didn’t you say anything about that? Tell him to get his leg out of your footwell. And why didn’t you speak to the flight crew and tell them you needed a full seat, not half of one.

You have a voice but you didn’t use it. Why not? Who cares about embarrassing them. They should have been removed from the flight but because you say there meek and quiet, nothing was done. You have to make it the flight crew’s problem.

he couldn't have moved it out of my space as there was no room, his legs wouldnt go together if that makes sense, they were touching in the middle with his leg in my space and also in the aisle.
Yes perhaps I should have said however I was considering him! i probably would have if it wasn't a night flight and people were sleeping

OP posts:
Returnofjude · 23/08/2025 15:31

Op can you clarify TUI’s response?

SaltAirAndTheRust · 23/08/2025 15:31

hangerup · 23/08/2025 15:28

On most flights you will have contact with people regardless of size as airlines like you cram you in hence why someone reclining was also an issue

This is rubbish. Flying as a fat person is uncomfortable but it’s not fair to make it uncomfortable for others too

planejourney · 23/08/2025 15:31

Returnofjude · 23/08/2025 15:26

Come again

TUI came back and said you are being discriminatory?

'there is no regulation as it would be classed as discrimination' was their reply

OP posts:
Returnofjude · 23/08/2025 15:32

He fit in to an economy aeroplane seat and managed to get the arm rest down

He can’t have been the whale that the OP is conveying him to have been

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