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?

So this 'very sensitive man' was happy to squash and inconvenience whoever was sitting next to him and make them uncomfortable. Such a shame you have no empathy with the innocent passenger next to him and are trying to pretend that your ex was the poor victim.

OP said the arm rest disappeared, I took it to mean the man put it up.

The cabin crew should have dealt with this

If somebody has to request a seatbelt extender then they should have to pay for two seats imo IETA with the exception of having a child on their lap obviously before somebody chimes in about kids).

I feel for your OP. It isn't right but you should have spoken up and demanded to change seats.

he had to arrange himself around it. He spilled over and it dissapeared in him. He must have been very uncomfortable. He couldn't move. He sat with his arms crossed otherwise his right arm would have been on me. It dropped on me when he fell asleep

I understand why you didn’t want to make a fuss. I prob would have asked the cabin crew discreetly if there was anywhere you could sit. Not sure if it’s allowed but even in cabin crews seats for a while. I’ve a phobia of flying. And I couldn’t have sat there. I would have felt so trapped. I always book aisle for this reason as I feel less ‘trapped’ beside a stranger.

Well we wait until we know no one is going to take up the aisle seat and then I can move over.

This is my idea of hell. I couldn’t have handled it. It is so unfair!

there are reasons I didnt, which ive already listed, but I understand what you are saying. It was circumstances at the time

Pretty sure there was a court case where a passenger got nerve damage because they had been squashed during a long flight, and they successfully sued the company.

maybe unrealistic but surely with obesity on the rise planes could maybe be built with extra large seats and they could be charged more but not as much as booking two seats.

I once got a flight back from Beijing - had been there 4 days for business, very busy, flew back premium and there was a guy overflowing into my seat. I was so stressed, had nearly missed flight as it was, that when I saw this big guy flowing into my seat, I burst into tears. (Not really like me)..
Airhostess put her arm around me and guided me into business class and made me a cup of tea. I sat there the whole way back and it meant everything that she’d appreciated my stress not just big person but the business meeting/ 4 day turn around/ rushing a cot o collect my child on a Saturday from a party. My company put all its business through that airline after that as was so grateful to that air hostess.

This!

Stuff of nightmares OP. I'm flying long haul (12hrs) next month and the potential neighbour issue is already giving me the heebies.

Something does need to be done though, as well as the evacuation safety question there will be an increased dvt risk if you're hemmed into one position for hours. Maybe an email to your MP and/or the aviation minister might be worth a shot?

I always try to book an exit or bulkhead row (as otherwise I seem to always get the passengers who recline from the minute we're in the air) but have still had 'big' neighbours on occasion. Not fat, but big like rugby player size. Understandable they're booking seats with more leg room but then still come into my space with wide shoulders and arm, so even those rows aren't without risk.

Since you've paid for a certain space, I think the airline has a reasonable duty of care to ensure that other passengers don't intrude into someone's space, but I think you have an duty to report that as soon as you're aware of the breach.

Have you taken photos etc.

Do you then talk over the middle person / pass things between you?

yes im surprised nothing has been done. There should be very clear guidelines. I think the walled seat test is good. It's not just about being able to get the armrest down. The wording should be something like 'able to get the armrest down comfortably with no overspill to the adjoining seat'
Otherwise people will try their luck to save money and are given the opportunity to be inconsiderate. Then noone wants to address it due to fear of discrimination

My family aren't fat, but very tall and we always prep it accordingly - so that no one else is inconvenienced or they're in a aisle row or business or sat with little me in the middle.

I didn't at the time although the airlines hostess was well aware. I didn't for reasons already listed, it was pointless in the circumstances

I didn't take a photo, it is what it is. But yes, I agree, it should be reported every time it happens as the airlines need to take responsibility

I have to say as I was sat there, all sorts was going through my mind around DVT etc heart attack etc I really was debating this whole issue in my mind. It was almost unbelievable and yes the stuff of nightmares

Seems a poor strategy given aisle seats are more popular than middle seats.

The two biggies didn't consider the comfort of others so you shouldn't have considered his.
Had they done so, they would have sat together.
1 So only one other normal size passenger was affected instead of two.
2 They need to suffer one another as other passengers were doing. Might be the wake up call they need.

Only the odd remark, if that. We’ll usually be reading (me) or watching a film (dh). We wouldn’t be passing anything. Dh is always likely to start chatting to the other person anyway.

What an awful situation. Airline seats are uncomfortable enough without this.
I would have been temporarily crippled by being squashed for hours on end, and there will be many other people who like me have arthritic or easily damaged joints which would take days to recover, and probably some osteopathy.
I think I would have summoned a staff member and said quietly that I would be injured by sitting in a small space like that, and please could they sort something out or else let me get off and take a later flight.
The airline mustn't discriminate but they could add a question about how much width each passenger takes up and perhaps put very wide people in the window seats next to small children. Or they could upgrade them to business and first class if space is available.