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?

I was once next to someone whose first move on starting to sit down was to lift up the armrest - because he physically could not fit in his seat and needed part of mine. I literally wore part of him for the whole flight - it was quite horrible. I wish I’d been quicker to see what he was going to do because I’d have slammed that armrest back down again

I'll be totally honest, the seats are fine for me and I'd resent paying more to offset larger and fewer seats. The price increase would affect everyone.ni prefer the current model where if you want a premium seat, you pay for it.

I flew BA a week ago on an Airbus 320. I have very broad shoulders for a woman, and I was sat next to the window with my broad shouldered tall husband in the middle of a row of 3. There was no issue with shoulder room.

In what way is it "disgusting"?

People want cheap flights. Small seats is the only way to achieve that.

Certainly it's a reason for tight seat pitch.

To get more width you'd have to go to 2/3 (short haul) and as someone I think mentioned upthread it's been a long time since that has been available on short haul airliners like the 737/A320 family.

It's done on the CRJ types but only because the fuselage diameter is smaller than the above types, not to provide more comfort.

I’ve never had an issue with shoulder space and I’ve flown jet2 as a size 18 and now an 8-10.

I do struggle with man spreading which frustrates the hell out of me.

I will always do my best to book an aisle seat so at least I can lean into the aisle.

It does sound like the broad shouldered male could have shown a little more consideration and self awareness.

A quick Google does suggest that in many cases, plane seats are indeed getting smaller (and the backs thinner, to fit in an extra row). That's interesting, since most other things that need to accommodate bodies have got larger to adapt to people getting bigger overall (it's not vanity sizing in clothing, vanity has nothing to do with it, it's not a conspiracy to soothe fat people, it's size inflation to keep up with the market, PLEASE don't come at me, it's not my fault).

I suppose there's a feeling among airlines that once you're on the plane you're kind of stuck so it doesn't really matter, people will just have to deal with it? And with cheap air travel being so popular, nobody wants to be the one to make the compromise on price? You'd think there would be safety considerations though. I once saw a very large lady on a flight, she had an aisle seat and used a belt extender. She was obviously trying to be as unobtrusive as possible and everyone who passed her in the aisle was as polite and discreet as possible, but her size did make it harder for them to get past and I did wonder if there was a safety issue there.

I think its shoulder and leg space that lacks more than waist space.

I definitely find some airlines have narrower sears than others and try avoid them.

I (size 12 back then so overweight) was placed in the row with two large people on my sides and I had a 10 month old with me that I had to breastfeed. They were both spilling to my seats and the lady also decided to put on a big fur coat. It was a nightmare. I asked my partner who isn’t small either to swap as I didn’t want the man on my left to see my breasts. It was 10h flight. I always booked an extra seat for my toddler after that flight.

This is fine but do you know how the person sitting next you feels? Every overweight person I sit next to on an aeroplane spills into my seat. It's not fair and they should be made to buy seats to suit their weight. On any form of public transport.

Having said that, seats are becoming smaller on many short haul flights. Ive has to fork out a small fortune for our summer holiday because 13yr old DS is 6ft 1inch (not over weight), with long legs.

The width of the seats is dictated by the plane width, on a typical 737/A320 size aircraft there are 6 seats and one aisle and it’s been like that since forever. So anyone thinking the seats are getting narrower is misremembering.

People are getting bigger though and if you end up between two broad-shouldered people then you’re going to be squashed.

We flew back from Austria on Jet2, early March. No problems. Enough legroom and width room. 5'11" and 67kg.

What does hthtc mean

I agree. They're definitely smaller than easyjet.

I mean … I’m 5 foot 5 and 84 kg. That’s an obese bmi . But when I flew jet2 a few months ago I fitted in my seat fine . Was next to a middle aged man (I was in window seat) and our shoulders didn’t touch. He wasn’t skinny either but quite stocky

Yes, shorter people do tend to be narrower, but I'm not 5 ft 5. I'm 5ft9 and no amount of diet or exercise will cause me to shrink 4 inches or narrow my skeleton, so I'm not entirely sure what your point is?

Not everyone is short. Some of us are tall, and it's not because we overeat. My BMI is not obese. Obesity had nothing to do with my discomfort.

Honestly just sounds to me like you’re underestimating how overweight you might be.

This. Same height and my legs are long. And Jet2 seats are worst because the seat in front has a hard back so no give at all.

We seem to have the extra long thigh gene in
our family!

Thing is I am 6ft ,+ approx 11 stone female and fit in a regular seat. Legs 36".
When you talk of average, what size are they?

Not sure Would want to pay more due to average person growing in size...why have they grown? 🤔

I'm 5 foot 2 and normal size. I feel I have to kind of draw my shoulders in to become narrow enough to fit in an economy seat on BA long haul. I'm sure the seats are smaller than they used to be.

I think the issue with the jet2 seat i was in was that it was bolt upright, like 90 degrees, even a couple of degrees of recline would have made it more comfortable

Sorry I didn’t say it was down to you being obese. I was just explaining my experience Your post was about an average sized adult . I think I average sized . Most women I am friends with / work with are the same height as me so I didnt think I was that short ! I didn’t say anything about your body and needing to adjust it so not sure where that all came from ? Also I’m not narrow . I have pretty broad shoulders .

I'm quoting myself because I was not clear in what I was thinking. Airlines claim that the charge extra for overweight luggage because it costs them extra money for extra jet fuel. That is why I suggest setting an average weight for a passenger and luggage combined would make sense. It might be 100kg it might be 120kg, they could decide.