Is it unreasonable for airlines not to provide wider seats for obese passengers?

[Kag13]

I have today spent a four and a half hour Jet2 flight seated next to a young man who was at least 20 stone, probably larger. I could not use the left hand armrest as his body (fat) buldged over it and into my personal space (which on a budget airline is not that large) and his leg was resting over part of my seat.
Luckily I am only 5’2” and not that big but what would happen if someone of the same size was seated next to him?
it made for a very uncomfortable flight for me. Am I being unreasonable to think this is not right?

Most businesses have to deliver quality or they lose customers. And customers surely have the right for a provider to - as a minimum - give you what you have paid for. So is it not logical that if the airline falls short by reducing the space you have paid for, to take some responsibility for that? The seat you booked is only 2 thirds of a seat or whatever. Imagine booking a table in a restaurant and having someone from another group join your table … very unlikely as the reviews and future business would be affected. The restaurant would likely offer you a reduced price meal or something as a gesture for having fallen short of expectations.

Problem is the airlines don’t seem to have to work very hard for people to book and so unless people stop booking, as a PP said, nothing will be done. Few people can afford business or premium economy and really why should they when they have paid fairly for a seat on the plane they should receive what they paid for.

It’s especially annoying when these days you have to pay more (often a lot more) to be able to choose seats so you can sit either your family or travel companion.

Can you point out which part of the post was rude because I must have missed it? It IS on the individual person to make it known they are larger than 'standard seat size' in the same way it's up to people to advise the airline if they have any allergies or disabilities which need taking into account. You say most people don't choose to be larger but as overeating is the prime cause of obesity then it absolutely is their choice and saying otherwise is ridiculous.

I think it’s gross that someone should have to be squashed up close with a stranger who’s spilling out everywhere. I agree that larger people should be obliged to pay extra for larger, or two seats. I’ve had this issue before myself both on flights and in concerts and absolutely hated it. It’s simply unpleasant and uncomfortable - and there’s the issue of picking up viruses too when you have to be that close. If ObviousCoalmine thinks it’s unfair on larger people, what about the comfort of other, smaller people and tall ones (who actually often pay more for extra legroom?)

There are more and more obese people, for reasons that are complicated and not as simple as blaming individuals. So
for that reason I think airlines should have a few bigger seats on offer on planes. And if those are sold out, the person should have the option of buying an extra seat. In fact, it should be stated somewhere when booking that people over a certain weight would be strongly advised to book another seat for their comfort. It would cost them more, but I’m not sure what the alternative is. They can’t make every seat big enough for obese people- or could they? Maybe seats are just too small anyway and companies are just trying to squeeze as many people as possible in to save money. In fact I know that’s the case.
Maybe airlines could do some research into this- how many people on average who book a flight would feel more comfortable in a larger seat because of their weight? Confidental answers of course, but it would allow airlines to scope out how many larger seats they are likely to need per plane and see if it’s sustainable.

I'd rather some of them simply did that and made flying less uncomfortable. I would at least have thought there would be a market for people willing to pay for that. But markets dictate business models and at present what customers most prioritise is cheaper tickets. That's regardless of the conditions in which they're expected to fly.

Now even the standard, non-budget airlines have adopted the awful menu-pricing model used by the budge airlines, despite the fact that the base rate for ticketing is far more expensive.

It's all a huge con. I once loved flying but now it's a really uncomfortable experience - as a woman who has just made it back within the healthy BMI range but am fairly broad-shouldered and nearly 6 feet tall, no matter how much I dieted, I'd still find the seating uncomfortable. I've just watched some footage of a flight going back to the 1980s - and oh the space and the comfortable-looking seats! I felt really envious.

The seats should have dividers between them, if you don’t fit in one then you pay for two and can remove it. If your luggage is too big then you pay for the extra weight.. same for passengers!

@SerafinasGoose

markets dictate business models and at present what customers most prioritise is cheaper tickets. That's regardless of the conditions in which they're expected to fly.

Yep.

Nothing beats a Jet2 Holiday...

Put yourself in the airline's position: seats means revenues. Wider seats means fewer seats means lower revenues. Which puts up fares for all passengers.

The fairest policy is not to provide wider seats, but to insist that oversized people must buy two seats.

As of 2026, Southwest Airlines enforces a policy requiring customers of size to purchase an extra seat if they cannot fit within the armrests. Many international carriers, including Emirates, United Airlines, and Jetstar, also require passengers to book a second seat if they cannot safely fit, buckle their seatbelt, or if they encroach on the adjacent space.

it must depend on what planes each airline is using - we’ve almost always been on easyJet for short haul but I think always some sort of Airbus and the configuration is always 2x3, one aisle and has been for years. They can’t, and haven’t, squeezed in a whole extra seat into narrow bodied planes.

The bottom line is that having a strangers body encroaching on your personal space and touching you for 4+ hours is AWFUL.

Some of us are 'larger' and it's not because we're greedy pigs, it can be genetic or due to a health condition, some of us are disabled.
Being disabled costs us approximately £10k more every year than being able-bodied, so why should we incur even more costs for something that's not a lifestyle choice but totally out of our control?

It would surely need to be less expensive than two full standard seats.

Well said!

Even if all plus sized people were plus sized because they ate pies all day while stapled to the sofa, it wouldn't matter. Airlines aren't there to moralise or police bodies and lifestyles. Ticket prices aren't a reward and punishment system for how you eat and exercise.

I'm inclined to agree that if you need more space than the allocated seat provides, the best solution is to purchase a second one, and perhaps the airline can refund one if it's not full (I think some domestic American airlines do this). I just can't think of any other solution that ensures people can have full and proper use of their own space, as they're entitled to.

I'm sure we can discuss and implement this without being rude, cruel and nasty about the people it affects.

I fly a lot with my children and have never had a “cheaper” seat for them. They’re booked as a child certainly but the seat price is identical to the price paid for an adult seat on the same flight.

Had a long flight back from San Diego back end of last year. I had a window seat, a very large woman asked if id swap with her middle seat, which i declined. She then insisted the arm rest was up, presumably so she could spill over into my seat. I declined also.
She called the cabin crew, who explained it was an almost full flight and no spare seats and the arm rest was to stay down for take off and landing, but up after if we both agree...I didn't.

If you're that big buy 2xseats/better clas with bigger seats, don't expect to share someone else's seat

How the airlines must laugh. Customers that expect such a low level of service.
And of course, they wouldn’t ever dream of denting their profits for their customers comfort. People are right, any changes would hike up the prices.

But people are not going to get shorter, thinner or less bigger built anytime soon.

If you don’t expect positive change by a company, it won’t happen. So we are all lumbered with hard smallish seats and little leg room. And I believe some have, despite people saying otherwise, reduced their seating sizes over the years.

Oh well. Cramped it is.

Completely agree.

The man who sat beside me was running sweat the entire flight, beads of it on his skin, wet clothes. He couldn't put his arms by his side, he had them propped on top of his belly so they were just under his chin. And his armpit was therefore right on my shoulder.

The judgemental person on this thread is you. The rest of us are simply describing our unpleasant experiences.

Excellent point.

That must have been a pleasant experience for you.......not.
It's made me feel slightly sick!

So, I had this discussion with a friend of mine (she admits she's a 'bigger' person, and needs to squeeze into seats) She said sometimes sits at an angle to not be on other's seat. We both think that like tall people who have to pay for seats with extra leg room there should be higher priced seats with two per row instead of the three which cost 50% more for the 50% more room. Without being unkind I put my arm rest down as I don't like being encroached on by strangers it makes me extremely uncomfortable and anxious. I would have no issue asking them to move off my seat so I can put the arm down as I deserve to feel comfortable and safe too.

Up until recently airlines were generally making sub 10 €/£/$ per average passenger over the year, so there's not as much profit to dent as many people make out...

And given current events any of those profits banked will soon be spent trying to keep airlines afloat during the coming downturn.

I'm not hearing much laughing from the airlines or their current employees ATM.

I see Air France and Delta are also prepared to deny boarding to those who haven't booked an extra seat if the aircraft is full, though if there are spare seats they can be obliged to buy one at check in

So the idea seems to be speading, and it's probably no bad thing