uncomfirtable journey

[planejourney]

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?

It could actually be done very easily if airlines had a standard economy seat with full height "walls" on each side, somewhere discreet near check in

Passengers who look as if they won't fit could then be required to try it out in privacy, and if that is indeed the case they could be offered an extra seat if available, and if not denied boarding

As we're constantly told the morbidly obese know what size they are, and while there'd be howls of complaint this would only have to be tried a few times - though admittedly most airlines would need to do the same - for the idea to catch on that they really do need to book two seats

maybe thats the answer

This person proceded to fall asleep and snore very loudly to a point where people were turning around

Arrgh this would annoy me as much as the space-stealing.
A well aimed elbow jerk or a poke in the ribs to prompt them .
My DH snores , there is no way I'd sit next to him on a flight and let him snore like a hog . I win;t sleep next to a snorer , no-one else should have to put up with it .

He’s actually anything but thoughtless but I get what you’re saying.

I wasn’t trying to make it about me. I suppose I was showing empathy with the OP by saying that if I’m uncomfortable sitting next to slim people, I can see how unbearable she must have found it.

It’s all very well saying the OP should have spoken up but how many of us, realistically, would do that? Most of us would rather chew on our own eyeballs.

The airlines need to be in charge of the situation. They need to have a firm policy. If an obese person encroaches upon the person next to them, to the extent their safety in an emergency would be compromised, then the obese person needs to be refused entry to the plane. Their feelings should not override safety, surely?

Safety, safety, safety; that’s all we hear about when flying. But somehow this safety issue is ignored.

I have heard of a case many years ago when someone sued an airline and won after they had to pay for an extra seat to accommodate their size -the argument was that they had purchased a seat and it was down to the airline to make one available
maybe if these issues were resolved at check in there would be less disharmony once the flight has boarded
it would be good to see airlines have spare seats to accommodate larger folk

customer comfort always comes secondary to profit

Does he demand that you take the middle seat because he will only take the window seat?

In an evacuation I'd have no chance ...

Yes, and quite apart from the discomfort and/or health risk that's a very major issue @planejourney

If airlines don't address this for any other reason you'd think they'd do it for the sake of safety, but so far it's not happened

maybe if these issues were resolved at check in there would be less disharmony once the flight has boarded

Edited to say exactly, @pipthomson - and that's why I mentioned a "try it out" seat somewhere discreet near check in
No need to humiliate folk by making them struggle in front of everyone else, but no need to just let this problem continue either

Exactly, it is like they are shying away for fear of outrage. We shouldn't have to tip toe around this issue.
In different circumstances I might hsbe spoken up.
1 - it was a night flight, lights lowered, a lot of people sleeping
2 - flight was full and no one would have swapped
3 - child next to me and wouldn't want to leave
4 - expensive flight and dont expect random arms falling on me, random leg and side touching me
5 - he slept most of the flight and would imagine he would complain if he had to face the aisle, would he even have fit thst way? im not sure
6 - I knew it was temporary, im decent , didn't want to cause embarrassment

It's the airlines fault. The walled seat check sounds a good way forward so morbidly obese people are enforced to get 2 seats and there should be a discount for 2nd seat, or offered free?. But of course, this may not fit with their business model as its all about money.

I would have said something because I'm anxious about flying in general and being squeezed like this would have given me a panic attack. I would have told the lovebirds to sit next to each other and taken her seat. Atleast they're a couple so them having their bodies over each other shouldn't bother them.

Oops missed the part where you had your child next to you. Guess I would just have popped 2 anxiety meds and waited to pass out in that case.

If an obese person encroaches upon the person next to them, to the extent their safety in an emergency would be compromised, then the obese person needs to be refused entry to the plane. Their feelings should not override safety, surely?

I suspect this comes under the heading of "things the airlines hope will never happen", @moondune

As we've often seen, regulation changes tend to be made after something has happened, so awful though it would be we'll perhaps have to wait until there's an incident with loss of life because someone blocked evacuation for things to change

Hmmm. So airlines, specially the budget variety, go to huge lengths to ensure your carry-on bags fits specific dimensions. I’m afraid the same should go for people.
It should be made crystal clear when booking that if you cannot fit comfortably in a seat without encroaching into the next one, then you need to book two seats. Seat dimensions should be clearly provided including seatbelt maximum extension.
If you turn up and clearly don’t/wont heed the booking instructions then you risk being denied boarding.
No embarrassment for anyone, the larger passenger or their unfortunate neighbour.

I feel really sorry for your experience. A nightmare especially on a night flight. The airlines need to get on top of this problem and demand that people over a certain weight book two seats.. If they were both obese they could have booked three seats and sat in the same row. They knew it would cause a problem so I think you were very tactful.

OP how long was the flight?!

What was the OP treated like?!

Unless between booking the flight and flight day… this man went from a reasonable size to an enormous size due to an uncontrollable health condition….. then this is on him. He KNEW what he’d be subjecting his fellow passenger to when he booked the flight. The OP however… did not

I think the message is “please book 2 seats if you need more than 1” rather than your rant

The flight was 6 hours.
He didn't apologise for leg and touching issue. He went to sleep and snored loudly with random noises, drawing attention and heads turning from other passengers. It could have been in a comedy show. The recling of the seat in front too! yes claustrophobic.
His partner didn't nudge him. I woke him up to use the toilet, it took him quite a while and holding onto seats to move. He was very slow. He didn't seem embarrassment in the slightest. The person sitting next to his obese partner spent time facing away from her with head in hands and they did cause a fuss and swapped seats. These people should have booked 3 seats. But ultimately airlines fault

Perhaps you could have swapped with his companion? Interesting that they didn't book 2 seats together (though neither did my parents who used to book 2 aisle seats).

Who on earth agreed to swap seats with the couple? Voluntarily agreed to sit next to a very obese person spilling over in to the next seat?

You don’t know why he was flying that day. Maybe he had no choice, maybe he had no extra money, maybe he hoped he wouldn’t be treated like an animal due to his weight?

His reason for flying and financial situation are noone else's business, @WhiteNoiseBlur, but could you clarify why an airline checking if he could fit their seats or someone asking him to move so they can avoid extreme discomfort or even just get to the loo is "treating him like an animal"?

Who on earth agreed to swap seats with the couple?

Edited to add I think OP said the couple had booked the seats that way with one aisle seat each, @Returnofjude?
Knowing they'd overflow the seats they may have thought sitting next to each other would be uncomfortable, but if so it's a shame they didn't think of the other passengers

No he never demands anything. I’m a lot shorter so it makes sense. I don’t like the middle but once I’m off the plane, I’ve forgotten all about it.

He booked premium to NYC last year just so we’d both have more space. On the outward flight I took the aisle seat and he sat on the inside.

noone they booked aisle seats next to each other

Why don’t you have the aisle and he can have the window?

Op you said the people next to the obese partner swapped seats