Obese and Flying

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

its NOT rude-its HONEST! Big difference.

Last time I flew (a little over a year ago) I was probably 370-380. I needed a seatbelt extender, but I didn't have any problems with the "two seat" thing. The only thing is… is that they won't seat you in an emergency aisle and let you assist other passengers in case of an emergency evacuation if you need an extender. But personally, I didn't find that a very big deal. I'm also an apple shape and my hips/thighs are definitely not where I carry my weight. It's cramped. But it's an airplane… and I'm 5'10'. I just assume it will be cramped!

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.

its NOT rude-its HONEST! Big difference.

I'm an honest person too, and yeah, it's quite rude. But I'm going to give the poster credit where credit is due for not just voicing her disdain until she got on a public forum and spared the person in question the shame and embarrassment they were probably already feeling. Manners and tact, they're lost to so many.

IMO the poster used tact-but I'm not going to argue that point. I will say EVERYONE has a right to their opinion and to the seat they paid for. But evidently if the person next to us is over weight we're not supposed to say anything if they are impeding on 'our' space" which to me is BS

I have this problem all the time, inconsiderate flyers that take the arm rest never thinking about the person next to them. Skinny, fat or otherwise. Common courtesy is lacking in general-regardless of size race or religion.

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.

What I said wasn't rude at all. She stated that she was concerned about being forced to buy 2 seats and thus being embarrassed in front of her co-workers. My suggestion to that was that she could purchase 2 ahead of time to avoid that situation, if she could afford it. I wasn't saying she should do it because of the person next to her.

The issue I addressed about being mindful of the person next to her if she happens to spill into their seat was a separate issue.

>> 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.

No idea what that has to do with the conversation... but... okay? Cool story.

If you're meaning to imply that I can't know the dimensions of her body just based on her weight - yeah, obviously. She's the one who stated she was worried about fitting into a seat. I never tried to predict if she would or wouldn't.

>>Just because you paid the same amount doesn't give you special privileges.

I'm not talking about special privileges. I'm talking about my allotted seat space. Everyone has paid the same amount for a set amount of space. A person who pays for a set amount of space is then entitled to it - my opinion. "Special privileges" would be wanting more space than you bought, in fact wanting space that *someone else* bought, because you happen to want/need more. When I'm in a situation where someone genuinely needs more space, space that I paid for, then I give it to them without fuss, but that doesn't mean it's pleasant.


>>I'm going to be the one to say this. Rude.

You're not the "brave" person who decided to "step up and be the one to say this". You are simply the only person who didn't understand what I was saying. I was talking to her about the subject she raised. I did it respectfully and honestly. You can disagree with someone without name-calling. I hope you learn that someday.

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.

What I said wasn't rude at all. She stated that she was concerned about being forced to buy 2 seats and thus being embarrassed in front of her co-workers. My suggestion to that was that she could purchase 2 ahead of time to avoid that situation, if she could afford it. I wasn't saying she should do it because of the person next to her.

The issue I addressed about being mindful of the person next to her if she happens to spill into their seat was a separate issue.

>> 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.

No idea what that has to do with the conversation... but... okay? Cool story.

If you're meaning to imply that I can't know the dimensions of her body just based on her weight - yeah, obviously. She's the one who stated she was worried about fitting into a seat. I never tried to predict if she would or wouldn't.

>>Just because you paid the same amount doesn't give you special privileges.

I'm not talking about special privileges. I'm talking about my allotted seat space. Everyone has paid the same amount for a set amount of space. A person who pays for a set amount of space is then entitled to it - my opinion. "Special privileges" would be wanting more space than you bought, in fact wanting space that *someone else* bought, because you happen to want/need more. When I'm in a situation where someone genuinely needs more space, space that I paid for, then I give it to them without fuss, but that doesn't mean it's pleasant.


>>I'm going to be the one to say this. Rude.

You're not the "brave" person who decided to "step up and be the one to say this". You are simply the only person who didn't understand what I was saying. I was talking to her about the subject she raised. I did it respectfully and honestly. You can disagree with someone without name-calling. I hope you learn that someday.

Bless your heart. Reading comprehension fail. Nowhere did I call YOU a name. However, I did outright say that your post was rude. Do I stand by this? Absolutely. It completely lacked tact. Do I think I'm some brave person by saying so? No. I'm just the person who felt the need to say so. The reason I stated my height and weight is because, yes- you hit the nail on the head! It's hard to tell by simply the given stats of a person whether or not they *are* going to fit in a seat, or what they really *look* like. You automatically assumed this woman needed two seats, and that she was going to be spilling over into the next seat, and that you hoped she had someone "sympathetic" sitting next to her. How do we even know for sure she'll be "spilling over" into the next seat? This is simply a concern of hers as an overweight/obese person.

Many overweight/obese people have concerns/insecurities. Unless you actually *see* the person with your own eyes- and yes, a photograph may suffice, it's impossible to know whether or not this person, or any person for that matter is going to fit into a seat, and even then, it's iffy. As for you saying you never "said" you never tried to predict whether or not she would "fit" in a seat or not- this quote right here speaks volumes otherwise, but hey, that's just me:

"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. "

That to me seems like you've pretty much all but said, yeah, you're not gonna fit, sister, buy those two seats, and that aisle seat- distribute your "bulk" a little better so no one has to be inconvenienced by your body. Seriously. Re-read what you wrote. Do you honestly NOT see anything wrong with this? You really don't find it offensive, and blatantly rude? At the VERY least, lacking tact?

Let's be honest here, how many people are comfortable on a flight- regardless of size. Like I'd mentioned earlier, my husband who is 6'6, is miserable on nearly every flight. He's crunched up like a sardine. I'm 5'8, and my knees aren't very comfortable on any flight. I've never paid any attention one way or another if a person beside of me was thin, obese, or otherwise, I just want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible and LIVE. We all pay for a ticket, unless you're on a luxury airline, we're probably all in misery in the small tin can in the sky. Why make things harder for anyone? Unless a person is TRULY taking up the size of two seats, or fully spilling over into the other seat so badly that it's endangering their own safety and the safety of the other passenger, there's just no need for two seats to be purchased.

No one is comfortable on the bus, or the transit. Everyone pays for their fares to get on those. They're all equally miserable. They're all trying to get from point A to point B, and make it there alive. Let's worry less about how comfortable we all are, and just be thankful that we CAN do these things. Again I say, first world problems. We should all be so lucky.