Big Women On Airplanes!

[FlabbieAllie1978]

Roll Up people and help me with this! A good quality wine has gone to my head and given me the courage to ask out on here….
My wonderful daughter has been in a relationship for the past few years! But her partner lives away, a very long way away!! Never bothered me till now because they have travelled around without mummy!
Things are now at a point where my daughter wants me meet her partners family, also to get engaged, so they want ole me in person, over there! Now here’s the thang! I’m hugely overweight! The thought of flying fills me with dread! Sooooo much to take in! Squishing my flab into a plane seat, the obvious stares and panic from the other passengers as I waddle up the isle, getting to and using the bathroom which I will use a lot en route because stress overworks my bladder! It all freaks me out! I know I can buy two seats, use seatbelt extenders around my big tummy! Look, I’ve even watched online videos of other fat women, looks like an awful experience. I don’t want to be like poor Kate from the This Is Us flight scene on Netflix!
Having the engagement over here is not really possible because where they want to be is very special to them!!
Come on! Encouragement please!

A few of you mention cruise! It was the first option I looked at when my dd spoke about it all. But it’s not possible as there is a connecting flight I would need to get too! More wine 🍷

Maybe one of the American airlines have more generous seats.

Please buy two seats. I had the misfortune of sitting beside a large woman on a flight two years ago. I ended up with bruised ribs and soft tissue damage. Plane was full so couldn't move.

Where are you going? I travel to the us regularly to visit my dc and am bored with flying so have been looking at alternate ways to get round the country just for fun.

Although I found the Mounjaro post amusing, you do have time to make small changes, OP.

I'm not suggesting anything as dramatic as Mounjaro or a crash diet but making a few small sustainable changes might help your confidence. I know when I was bigger as little as half a stone lost could make me feel better in myself.

Obviously, you're not going to lose 200lb by whenever you're leaving and I have no idea what your medical history is but it is worth considering.

We both need psyching up! It’s just the embarrassment of it all. I’m probably bigger than you, long divorce piled on the pounds!

for example you could cruise there and pay for an upgrade on the shorter (cheaper) internal flight. Or there are some trains and long distance buses. Depends where your destination is though.

do you or your dd drive? Long road trips are the norm over there too.

Those Pee pants they advertise on TV are much better than pads as are period pants. I use them all the time when I go on coach journeys.

@MayAnneisMine Oh behave! A larger person sat next to you and you ended up with bruised ribs and soft tissue damage?! 😂😂 You must be extremely fragile 😂

I’ve been plus-sized since I was a teenager and to my knowledge I’ve never caused physical injury by sitting next to someone 😂

Yep, the embarrassment says it all! I’m probably bigger than you

Could I hurt someone with my bulk? Wow! 😮 How big are you.

Book a comfort seat next to you. Don't book emergency exit row as extender belt user's cannot sit there.

OP, sympathies on needing the loo all the time. I do too. Mine is MS-related, I used to be like a camel but no longer. Anyway, I was wondering if your GP could give you a short course of solifenacin? It stops you needing a wee quite so often.

Hope you find a solution and get your trip away to meet your daughter's partner's family.

No, OP, you couldn't.

File that post under "things that never happened."

I've been both bigger (not quite far off what you are now) and dangerously underweight at various points during my life and I have never caused anyone injury nor been injured by a larger person sitting next to me.

That comment was unnecessarily cruel.

I’m thinking about pee pants, I wonder if they would cope with my bladder?

This has got to be a troll!! What utter nonsense.

Op I'd actually maybe give the airline a call and see what they advise, for example can you book an extension for your belt at the time of booking so it's there waiting for you and you don't need to ask in person. I'd also be inclined to give your gp a call to discuss what support they could offer in terms of your anxiety around the flying? They might be able to prescribe you something short term to help with that?

I'd price business class vs 2 seats and give yourself the extra room if it would make you feel better.

I'm glad you're working through your options to get there, you and your dd deserve to share this wonderful moment in her life!

I will get shot down for this...
Do you have a few months grace to lose weight? It would be a good way to goal set and massively improve your own health in the long term.

That makes you think. Would hate to squash someone with my butt as I tried to walk down the isle!😀😀

Seat guru will give you the dimensions of the seats.

@Seaside31
You are obviously in denial about your size and I say this as somebody who was a size 22. The other passenger had the middle seat and I was in the aisle seat. I had to sit on on my side the whole journey with my ribs digged into the arm rest and the woman basically sitting on my other hip and leg. I've posted about it before. The airline accepted what happened and fully apologised and reimbursed me so there you go.

Don't be so ignorant.

It feels as though I'm as round as I'm tall! I can be anywhere from a 20 to 24 but I'm only 5ft tall.

https://www.plussizetraveltoo.com/about-2/

This might have up highlighted upthread, but thanks to your thread, I've just found this.

That is an option we discussed too, but I think at 29 stone, would only be a few pounds lost by the deadline!! 😩

Buy two seats, look for airlines that have a two four two seat configuration. Choose your seats so you are the only one on the row and one close to the front so not too much of a walk. Ask for assisted boarding so you can be one of the first ones on.

And then you need to keep your head high and know you’re doing everything right. You will have a great trip. When we’re bigger we try to take up less space and make ourselves smaller and worry about what everyone else is thinking. If you have the physical space to be comfortable hopefully that will give you the space to mentally be comfortable with the flight.

@Onetimeonly2024 Personally I hate standing up on a plane (there is nothing underneath me and it freaks me out!)

Oh wow I have never thought of it like that. New fear unlocked 🤯.

OP go to the British Airways website, link below,

https://www.britishairways.com/travel/low-price-finder/public/en_gb?cabin=J

They have special offers on here. Business and even first class are more affordable than you think if you happen to be going to any of these destinations.