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

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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?

This is why I always book an aisle seat.

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.

I always fly with Jet2 and think their seats are as comfortable as airline seats can be. I’m not skinny and I fit into them fine. My OH is chubby and I don’t feel he spills over onto my seat.

Obesity is one issue but I do think plane seats are tiny and getting smaller.its all about money and squeezing more and more people in a small space. They are especially tiny on budget airlines for short haul flights.

I recently took an internal flight in the us...the seats were absolutely huge in economy...I was flabbergasted

Just flown to and from Mexico, 10 hour flight. I was window seat and dh was middle, with someone else on aisle seat. We all managed to fit into the seats without any issue... none of us are particularly skinny, but would say we are average size.

The seats are designed with average, healthy weight people in mind. Unfortunately, the average person nowadays is overweight. Two thirds of UK adults are either overweight or obese.

A "not small" person sitting between two overweight people will, of course, be cramped.

I can only assume you are very short and also have not read my OP. Neither of the people sitting next to me was obese. Overweight, yes, obese, no.

I'm 5ft9 and a normal weight by my BMI, and I needed every cm of shoulder space; a tall man would not fit next to me without taking space I don't have to spare.

The seats are fine for a healthy weighted adult.

I think Jet2 seats are smaller than others ,seems to be the case in my experience. Also flew long haul with Virgin last year and they were tiny too! I am not overweight or tall.

I have recently flown to Portugal, flew with TAP Airlines for the first time and the seats were so much comfier and spacious. It just depends on the plane, some are definitely more cramped than others.

Omg I thought the same last month!

Been a long time since I flew jet2! WTF!

Honestly hideous. And I am five ft 2 and a size 8/10.

I do not understand how anyone even remotely overweight or tall can fit in these seats.

I think it's the other way around. Average sized people don't fit into the airline seats.

I'm 6'0 and don't have a problem fitting into the seats, other than having to angle my knees towards one side.

The seats are designed with average, healthy weight people in mind

No. The seats are designed to squeeze in as many people as physically possible to maximise profit.

Hth

If you have to angle your legs in a certain way, then the seats aren't big enough

I find people are usually wrong about what they think obese is. People often think people who are obese are just ' overweight', and that overweight people are a healthy weight.

Many people have lost sight of what a healthy weight is.

I am a fairly normal weight and size, I weigh 74kg. I think every passenger should be asked to step on a set of scales with all their luggage.If the total is over 95kg then they need to pay for the excess weight. That would mean the seriously obese people pay extra and so can get bigger seats

The size of the seat and leg room are two different things in my mind.

I do the same thing on most public transport buses and trains and I don't hear people complaining about the size of those seats.

People are getting fatter, that’s the problem.

I think Jet2 is fine. My local bus company on the other hand... Not enough room for shoulders rather than arses.

The space is not big enough if you need to angle your legs. My husband has to book an aisle seat or extra leg room due to his height. Planes squeeze in as many seats as they can.

I think your problem was being in the middle seat. I normally like an aisle seat and have plenty of room - but sometimes I end up in the middle and it’s not so comfortable. We’ve been lucky a couple of times recently and there has been no third person in our row.

We’re a family of 7 so DH draws the short straw when we fly and has to sit with strangers. Last summer he sat beside an obese woman who needed the seatbelt extender. He was squished as hell and looked uncomfortable. I think obese people should book two seats. I should also say I fit in the regular seats just fine as a regular sized 5 ft 7 woman. My DS is 6 ft 2 and he fits fine too.

Lots of people are typically using this as a dig at overweight people...all the predictable comments that we have lost sight of what a healthy weight is...blah blah blah

The seats are tiny on budget short haul flights...even for slim/thin people. Just because you can fit in it doesn't mean it's comfortable or big enough.

My DH is 6'5 and manages. He'd be more comfortable in an extra leg room seat for sure though.

In my mind, the seat size and leg room are two different things. Obviously lots will disagree with that.

Yes they are.

Which is why they're designed with a theoretical, average, healthy weight person in mind.

The fact the average person is actually now overweight isn't factored in.

HTH.

That's right. Some airlines are reducing space in economy seats, to try to "encourage" passengers into paying more for an economy-plus seat with slightly more legroom. Good WSJ article on this but it's behind a pay wall. This gives the gist and a link to the article. It's disgusting because the cramped conditions are really uncomfortable and can cause problems.

www.google.com/search?q=wsj+econom6+airline+legroom&oq=wsj+econom6+airline+legroom&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyBwgDECEYnwUyBwgEECEYnwUyBwgFECEYnwUyBwgGECEYnwUyBwgHECEYnwUyBwgIECEYnwUyBwgJECEYnwUyBwgKECEYnwXSAQkxNDg4NmowajeoAhSwAgHxBaTLSolT_Wyl8QWky0qJU_1spQ&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#lfId=ChxjMe