Obese and Flying

dsl103

Last time I flew I was 270 lbs, I'm 5'8 and a pear shape. I fit into the seat, it was a tight fight but I was not spilling over into my neighbor's seat. Tray table folded down with plenty of room to spare. The only problem was the seat belt.. yeah, didn't work. It was soooo close, probably like 1/2 an inch from buckling. I tried and tried to get it, but it wouldn't buckle First and last time I had to ask for a seatbelt extender.

It was kind of embarrassing. I was sitting in an exit row and apparently they don't allow seatbelt extenders to be used in the exit rows, so in addition to asking for an extender I also had to trade seats with someone, great. On my return flight I asked for a seatbelt extender as I was boarding the plane and it was discreetly handed to me. Just my experience, sounds like most other people have had better luck than I did

saramariep14

I'm 5'5" and flew at my highest weight of 280+. No second seat needed but I did need to get a seat belt extender. Yes, it can be a bit embarrassing but I found that if I requested when I got on I could hide it under a jacket or something else I was carrying so I felt a little less self conscious. The seat belts definitely vary by airline as I didn't need one on the way back for that particular trip as I flew a different airline. I tend to get window seats when possible so I can slide over as far that way as possible to make it a bit more comfortable for myself and my seatmates. Good Luck!!

bkthandler

The last couple times I flew I was over 300...and I needed an extender.

On one flight a guy across the aisle heard me ask and he seemed relieved and asked for one too. The only problem I ever had was the flight attendant had to remember where it had been on the previous flight. Oddly enough the woman sitting next to me had it and didn't know it. She kind a freaked out and wanted to move to another seat because she thought there was a problem. I was mortified (and the women didn't mean anything, she was in no way being unpleasant).

I prefer an aisle seat but I don't like to be trapped.

You can buy your own seat belt extender and hang it up as a trophy when you never need it again.

Miss_1999

I flew last Christmas, and I'm going to be honest, I'm not 100% sure what my exact weight was. I *think* roughly around 234lbs (that's where I hovered for a long time). I'm 5'8 (with a high weight of 400lbs). In the larger jets (with three row seats), I fit very comfortably with plenty of room. In what I refer to as the "smaller" jets, with two row seating, I fit, seatbelts fit, arm rests come down, but it is snug. I know a lot has to do with my skin, but they are a LOT smaller than the larger jets, and I very little leg room. My husband is crushed in like a sardine. He's 6'6 and about 220lbs.

I'm *thinking* they had a "test chair" at the airport that passengers in question could come and sit in, to test out, if they were unsure. This might be something to ask about (especially if you have an airport close to your home). I agree with other posters that mentioned find out what airline you'll be flying with and the size of the planes. It really does make a lot of difference, I think you're going to be fine, and with two months time, that's time for even more progress! Best wishes!

SapiensPisces

I'm 5'8" and at my highest around 230, I still fit with room to spare in most airplane seats. Try not to worry. I think you'll be alright! Safe travels.

alyssareyans

I'm 5'4 and the last time I flew was in Feb 2013. At that time I was 269+ . I fit comfortably in the sit. No seat belt extender. I flew three different airlines and had no issues on any of them.

YF92

They'll give you seatbelt extensions IF you need them probably. Don't think you'll need another seat.
Use that for motivation? Say in like 6 months you want to fly without ever using the extension

jamilynn_8890

I flew from Pittsburgh to London at 275, needed a seatbelt extender but no extra seat, didn't seem to bother the person next to me.

Wyld_Stallyns

One thing I will say is that you should get an aisle seat, even if you have to pay a few bucks more. I was seated next to an obese person on a plane recently and they were spilling into my seat. Of course, I didn't want to make them feel bad (I can only imagine they were already very self-conscious and not enjoying the experience themselves), but it wasn't pleasant to have a stranger touching me the entire flight. I think I hid it well, but I was miserable. Honestly, I did wish the person would at least apologize, but I understood that maybe they were too embarrassed.

I REALLY hope you have someone considerate next to you, but please be aware that even if they are petite, it's unpleasant to have a stranger crowding you and touching you. As someone petite, tall/obese/bigger people often usurp my personal space because they seem to think I don't "need it" as much as they do, even though I am paying just as much for my seat/space. What I mean is, just have some empathy for whoever is next to you, and I truly hope they do the same for you. If you can get an aisle seat and try to distribute your bulk (sorry, don't know how else to phrase it) more into the aisle when possible, it would be better.

Really, if you can afford it, you should just purchase 2 seats ahead of time. Your coworkers won't have to know that you bought 2. They will just assume that the seat next to you wasn't purchased at all.

Best of luck!!

sarieth05

I carry my weight pretty evenly and flew around my heaviest weight. I'm 5'6", with my highest weight being in the 280-290 range. I've never needed a seatbelt extender, but I definitely did feel a little scrunched up. Granted, I'm polite and try to fold my arms up and move my legs to the window area, particularly if I'm sitting next to a bulky guy (I like the window seats anyway). Try not to stress about it too much! Hope you have a safe, stress-free flight.

brianpperkins

Most economy seats are 18" from armrest to armrest. If you think you might exceed that width, plan accordingly. Be familiar with the airline's person of size policies ... some passengers won't raise an issue, some will. Few people want to spend an entire flight on, or under, parts of a stranger.

stephicozar

I flew to the UK from Australia last year - two planes and a total of 23 hours flight time. I was about 270lb (123kg). I got an exit row seat on the way there - this was good because I didn't need to squeeze past anyone (or them past me) to be able to get up and walk around. I fit in the seat no worries and didn't need an extender. I was sitting next to a lady on the way there who was roughly the same size as me, so there couldn't be any judging LOL. We were slightly squished together but it wasn't awkward or embarrassing.

I couldn't get an exit row seat on the way home but got an aisle seat so that I could take up room into the aisle and not squish two people. I admit I worried about the looks I might get when my neighbours approached the seat and saw me sitting there all blobby and taking up space, but everyone was super nice and we got on really well for the 23 hours.

Remember: NO ONE is comfortable on a plane. And MOST people are nice about it.

SapiensPisces

Remember: NO ONE is comfortable on a plane. And MOST people are nice about it.

^ That is true no matter what your size!

sherambler

Thanks everyone. I feel a lot better now. I guess I just wanted to ease my mind a bit. I'm definitely an emotional eater and the stress and worry of being embarassed was getting to me. I knew since May that this was a possibility and I just wished I had listened to myself more to get more focused in an attempt to avoid the worry that I ended up dealing with anyway. Guess all I can do is remain focused and keep going.

sherambler

Really, if you can afford it, you should just purchase 2 seats ahead of time. Your coworkers won't have to know that you bought 2. They will just assume that the seat next to you wasn't purchased at all.

This was the bulk of my worry. My company pays for the travel and I would need special approval from several people ahead of time to purchase 2 seats. My company is pretty inefficient, with multiple people approving various expenditures but everything is recorded on the same so expense sheets, so literally my whole department and others would see it.

Whatever, I'm not really concerned anymore.

amcook4

I flew in January at 325 pounds (I carry a lot of weigh in the waist) and I did not need an extra seat, but I did need an extender on all 4 flights. I could fit into the seats fine, even though it was a tight fit, my tray table wouldn't get very flat (hit my legs). In July I was around 300 ish (I can't remember exactly) and on all 4 of my flights (all little regional puddle jumpers) I did not need an extra seat, and only 1 needed an extender.

In my experience the flight attendants are very good about this, and pretty nice about not making you feel bad. When they are going through for a seat belt check/checking overhead luggage, I'd just make eye contact with the attendant, smile and ask, they would pretty discreetly bring one to me. This summer when I traveled, for the one flight I needed it for they didn't have any on board, so they had to delay the take off until they could get another one from elsewhere, it took about 20 minutes, but there were a lot of us who needed them apparently.

At your size, def. no extra seat needed, maybe, maybe not an extended depending on the airline and how you carry your weight.

Miss_1999

One thing I will say is that you should get an aisle seat, even if you have to pay a few bucks more. I was seated next to an obese person on a plane recently and they were spilling into my seat. Of course, I didn't want to make them feel bad (I can only imagine they were already very self-conscious and not enjoying the experience themselves), but it wasn't pleasant to have a stranger touching me the entire flight. I think I hid it well, but I was miserable. Honestly, I did wish the person would at least apologize, but I understood that maybe they were too embarrassed.

I REALLY hope you have someone considerate next to you, but please be aware that even if they are petite, it's unpleasant to have a stranger crowding you and touching you. As someone petite, tall/obese/bigger people often usurp my personal space because they seem to think I don't "need it" as much as they do, even though I am paying just as much for my seat/space. What I mean is, just have some empathy for whoever is next to you, and I truly hope they do the same for you. If you can get an aisle seat and try to distribute your bulk (sorry, don't know how else to phrase it) more into the aisle when possible, it would be better.

Really, if you can afford it, you should just purchase 2 seats ahead of time. Your coworkers won't have to know that you bought 2. They will just assume that the seat next to you wasn't purchased at all.

Best of luck!!

Ok. I'm sorry. I'm going to be the one to say this. Rude. You're telling this young woman who has stated her height and weight, to buy two seats. Yes, by BMI standards, she is obese. So am I. If I sat on a plane next to you, I wouldn't spill over into a seat next to you. I'm 5'8 and 222lbs. To look at me walking down the street, most people think I weigh in the 160lbs to 180lbs range. They're shocked when I tell them what I do weigh. Matters not here. Point being, If this young woman fits in this seat comfortably, she's got every right to be in that seat just as much as you or anyone else does. The airline will tell a person if they need to purchase two seats, and I'd say the majority of people under 300lbs would never qualify for such.

I am sorry that you were inconvenienced by someone who was obese, and that you are often inconvenienced by those who are tall/bigger/obese. You are right, you paid the same amount for the ticket. Everyone did. Just because you paid the same amount doesn't give you special privileges. It doesn't mean you get to ride in comfort. It gives you a seat from point A to point B. My husband has never had a comfortable flight, anywhere. The man is 6'6. His knees are in his chest in just about every flight he's taken. If there was someone obese next to him laying on him, it would be the least of his worries.

First world problems. We should all be so lucky.

To the OP: If the airline tells you, you need a second seat, get a second seat. If not, don't worry about it.

just_jess7

I'm 5'7 and weight over 300 pounds and when I flew 2 months ago I had no problems - on the first flight, I fit in the seatbelt, even had to tighten it by about 8 inches. I was on a full flight in an aisle seat and didn't encroach on the guy next to me or block the aisle. The second flight was a much smaller plane, but I still fit without any issue.

I'll be flying a different airline in a week and a half, hopefully I don't have any issue on these flights as well!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be just fine. If you need an extender, just let a flight attendant know and they'll make sure you're taken care of.

TestingFun01

I wouldn't worry. What are the chances of you ever seeing one of those people ever again anyway? Ziltch.

aeb09

I am big (and was even bigger) and never needed two seats. I bought my own seatbelt extender online because I was always so embarrassed to ask a flight attendant for one. Having that with me has brought my so much peace of mind when I fly and has lowered my anxiety tremendously. Best of luck - I think you'll be okay in one seat.