airline seats and the larger lady....

[chloeb2002]

Hey and odd question but even though ive travelled long haul alot im still not totally sure on this. I have a friend who wants to join us on our annual jaunt back to Aus next year. My concern is that she is larger than average? im not petite waif, say size 14/16 and my my butt 'fits' in an airline seat. not too much room to wriggle if you know what i mean. This friend will be a size 22/26 ish and short. so
a/ do you think she will fit into a seat? i know singapore seats arm rests dont lift anymore.
b/ how do i get this concept across to her? I have tried saying just think if you do lose all this weight you keep talking about doing you will be able to come.not worked, i think she doesnt beleive me.
help

Ronniebaby can help you on this one!

could you phone the airline(s) you would be travelling with and ask them about how they accommodate the larger traveller? She can't be the only big person who's ever wanted to fly. A lot of Americans in particular are huge (not wishing to offend Americans, but it seems to be commonplace over there), and still manage to get around the world.

My DH works in the airline industry and sent me a clipping about how overweight people might be asked to pay the equivalent of an excess bagage fee. Although it smacks of discrimination, it is true that a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of lead... the extra weight is causing all sorts of problems and costing airlines mega-bucks. Food for thought, although it doesn't help with your question. Sorry.

I am an 18 and found short-haul seats a snug fit. I believe long-haul ones are larger (you certainly get more legroom) but I don't know if they're wider - I would go with Tissy's suggestion and ring specific airlines.

Being wedged into a seat for a flight that long sounds like purgatory to me!

Jan - I pictured you to be a long willowy size 10 - 12 max!!!

so did i jampot.

Oh, I wish! Long, yes, but definitely not willowy!

oops, sorry hausfrau, your post wasn't there just now.

I didn't read chloe's post that way - I thought she thinks her friend will either be excruciatingly uncomfortable or else literally unable to sit down in the seat she's planning to pay for, and then what?

Well I'm no size 10 (actually 14/16), but I must say I find it very uncomfortable to fly long haul next to someone who is very fat as they do tend to spill over into the next seat(s) which is not a problem if you are only going a couple of hours but anything further is very wearing as I once discovered on my way to New York.

I am certainly not fattist btw. Quite the opposite in fact. However I do feel that if I have paid for a seat I should be entitled to have that seat in relative comfort.

Is she travelling with children?

If so we went on a 3 month round the world trip in 2002, with sinapore airlines for part of it.

Anyway we always put the arm rests up and DS sits in the middle.

I figure yes I am very fat but DS is taking the weight from me as far as plane goes.

I have extra seltbelt like the one you have for a child on your lap.

It does not effect anyone else

I do not go down the aisle with other people there at same time.

We are people with feelings btw.

BTW it is equally uncomfortable if you get someone behind you with very long legs which dig into your back all the way.

Or once I got a kid behind me who kicked the back of my seat all the way to Tobago. AND played his stupid little computer game with the sound turned UP full volume. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Or what about drunks? Once had someone narrowly miss vomiting on my, plus she then spilled her umpteenth bottle of champagne all over me.

Flying is a nightmare! We spent last New Year's Eve in Dulles airport (me, DH, DD 3yrs and DS 4mos) because of a terrorism alert on the incoming BA flight from Heathrow. They had to take the plane apart before we could board. It was the worst! BA staff were absolutely brilliant, though.

I'm large and mighty at this point. Airline seats are still fine for me, but we only travel BA due to food allergy issues with my son.

You've actually said "If you lose weight you can come" ? Think that's a bit cruel. Do you not want her to go? If that's the case, then there are nicer ways to do it.

Oops, and agree with CD. There are many more ways to effectively annoy other passengers.

But speaking from experience, any trip for me without the boys, no matter what happens, is a nice one for me.

JanH, no way you aint a 18, well if you are, you certainly dont look it . I'd have said you were a 14/16.

Please please dont get me started on Large people and airplanes.

I recently went to Majorca, being pregnant DH asked for a special seat, with more leg room etc.

Can I please assure you I am not an ist person in anyway, not a Fatist, Racist etc you know.

But when I boarded the plane, my seat was at the front & I thought excellent Leg room. To my HORROR is all I can say, were the 2 largest people I have ever seen. The woman was disabled, and over hung her seat, spilling into her partners chair, who in turn over hung his, yep you've guessed it into mine, I literally (no word of a lie) had half of my seat to sit in. He had the hugest arms ever going, and they were scabbie, so much so that they were pussing, I spent all my time with my left arm across my body so that he wouldnt touch mine. I got bashed on the head, shoulders etc so many times it was un-believeable.

Altho I shouldnt say this, the trolley dolly did comment to me, that they should have been made to pay for the extra seat, but then dolly also made me almost ROFL'in. When if came to meal time, they had ordered a meal, bothbeing extremely large, the tray would never have fitted over them, so the hostess said, "oh dear the pull up tray wont fit you, I have a large tray if that will help, even then I dont think it will be of any use to you" So they had to take it in turns to eat, she ate whilst he held her tray, then vice versa.

I didnt see this but apparently when the woman had to go to the toilet the man had to hoist her out of the chair, and DH & our mates said that cause she had been wedged in the seat, as she got up, and went to the loo, she had the moulding/imprint of the seat on her back & arse.

Then to top it all off, the toilet was right in front of us, so where I stretched my legs out, anyone waiting for the toilet wanted to stand there, so I got my feet trodden on that many times, I said in future I'm never requesting a special seat.

There is a funny story on the way home too, but I wont bore you with that one.

Thanks Jampot for pointing this thread out.

chloeb2002 - you may want to phone the airline and ask them about their policy, altho as someone said it is discrimination, but you may get someone ont he plane who will mouth off about the seat etc or even complaint. I didnt as it was only a 3 hour flight, and it would have humiliated then and made me out to be heartless, but others arent so kind.

Ronniebaby I agree you did have a horrible experience

but I do sit next to anyone else

and we only travel schedulded airlines

I know that in USA supersize are asked to pay extra.

BUT I believe I shouldn't as I do not effect anyone else and the extra weight isn't an issue due to DS.

BTW I am not supersize.

sorry meant do not sit next to anyone else

Kangamummy - please dont get me wrong, I have sat next to large people before and had NO problem. But it was unfortunate that I was sat next to 2 very very large people.

I agree with you that people shouldnt necessarily be made to pay extra, but there were 2 of them and they were both extremely large, and as he was taking up most of my seat anyway, maybe he should have paid for it too

We go on holiday with 2 children who have special needs, and people comment on that, but we try to get them the special seats, the kids sit with one of their parents and the other is always across the aisle, we also request that we (my family) are sat behind them so no-one can complain about the children, terrible I know, but people are un-kind and inconsiderate.

That is terrible

how could people complain about children on a plane?

RANT
MY GOD - what bloody cheek. And Yes I am very large. I can't believe some of the comments on this thread. I do know what it's like to sit near people who invade my personal space (whether due to size or whatever).

Fat is quite possibly the only 'legal' ism that people can get away with doing in public. No-one ever comments about thin people doing things in public that might be found offensive. How on earth can anyone claim to be a friend and have thoughts like these in their heads. Frienda accept people for who and what they are - they don't make assumptions or give ultimatums!!

Kanga - because people are heartless and mean. The boys have aspergis (apolo's for the spelling)(austism) and if they sit behind anyone, they kick the seat, (not intentionally) but they do, they also grab the back of the seat, but the so do most kids.

joash - nice rant, a lot of my friends are large, and I love them dearly, no matter what size they are, I dont see their size, I see my friends. All I was trying to say is that there are people out there who are horrible, (ie the trolley dolly), but these people were excess to the point of almost taking up 3 chairs anyway.

Believe me - I do appreciate what you were saying Ronniebaby - think I'm more annoyed at people who profess to be frienda and then make comments that their friends should lose weight rather than slam the airline for providing crap seating.

Oh right, yeh with you now joash, got prego brain, dont help me think straight