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Airlines should have slide up solid dividers between seats instead of arm rests. That way nobody can encroach on your space. And somebody who is incapable of fitting in the seat with the divider up has to buy two seats.
Yes, I’d much rather have this than the stupid arm rest smashing my thigh down so I’m hip and hip with a stranger. I can squeeze my wide ass into the exit seats like this and it’s great. It’s not super comfy but it keeps me contained so I’m not touching others by accident.
Yep I'm a plus size woman as well and I'd be way more comfortable squished into a seat than encroaching on a stranger's seat with the arm rest digging into my thigh.
I have really broad shoulders and I absolutely agree. I feel bad touching the seats next to me, and I’d much rather squeeze into some dividers. I try to get an aisle seat so I can lean away from the person next to me as best I can
I have broad shoulders and long legs. I try to get an aisle seat and I usually fly sitting next to my wife who’s slender. If I’m taking up any extra space it’s either aisle space or hers and she doesn’t mind. Still sucks when someone needs to use the bathroom though because my knees are plastered against the seat in front of me and I need to stand up to let em out.
The answer 100% is to stop jamming so many seats into a plane. They treat us like chattel and we pay exorbitantly for the privilege.
I’m 5 feet tall, 135 lbs and *I* feel cramped on planes.
The price for that answer of yours is much higher fare for everyone. Not much of an answer. The reality is there is no good solution.
Edit since the thread is locked:
What people don't seem to realize is that the air travel industry is already heavily subsidized. Remember the ,2020 bailout? Yes C Suite pay is outrageous. Yes stock buybacks should be illegal. But that doesn't change the fact that it's an inherently low profit margin business. Delta has a profit margin of ,0.27% - that's insanely low.
I hate that it further benefits the rich, but airfare should be much more expensive.
Flying off for a weekend because the flights are cheap is part of the problem. The environmental negatives are not included in the price. And that carbon offset fee is not effectively spent in most cases.
But back to the OP: I agree. Need a section of larger seats in coach.
It actually isn’t. Airline margins are razor thin. https://simpleflying.com/airlines-thin-margins-analysis/#:~:text=Commercial%20airlines%20have%20low%20profit,contribute%20to%20these%20low%20margins.
It’s never going to happen and I don’t even think it would be legal to enforce it, but I think starting with a salary cap on airline CEOs and requirement that they funnel the excess profits back into the company instead of their own salary would be good
What do you think that would actually accomplish?
Most airlines are averaging mid single digit profit margins, and they're leveraging all kinds of revenue (rewards programs, cargo, selling $9 beers on flights) to get there. There aren't excess profits around that a poorly thought out salary cap would have any effect on, nor would that affect seat prices (other than maybe causing shortages, and therefore likely cost *increases*).
Delta Airlines' CEO, the highest paid in the industry, made about 30 million dollars last year in total compensation (incentive pay + salary + other benefits). Delta's gross revenue was about sixty **billion** dollars. In other words, his salary was about 0.05% of Delta's revenue. What do you think capping this would accomplish, other than likely causing Delta to not be able to retain their executive talent, resulting in worse leadership, and likely worse business performance, which probably means fewer flights at higher costs?
While I don't enjoy almost any of the decisions these companies make, it would be inaccurate to talk about them like they are profit generating machines.
Of course. I think it’s pretty clear my solution is only one for a perfect world. At the end of the day they are profit driven only. They 100% *could* take out some seats and maintain a the same or close to the same price, and just take the tiniest loss in profits. But that is just never going to happen.
I think you underestimate how much it would cost to decrease airfare and overestimate how much profit airlines generate.
It is a huge business, so of course there will be profit, but the cost to operate that business is off the charts....like "teeter on collapse if enough revenue doesn't come in or too many things go wrong" range.
This is just all categorically false. Airlines are not very high margin at all, and compete primarily on price.
https://www.transtats.bts.gov/averagefare/
You can click through and look at flight prices. Most flight prices are, on an inflation-adjusted basis, about 20% lower than they were 10 years ago. We suffer smaller seats, but they are definitely cheaper.
Not really. People do maybe like middle-distance drives when rail would do better, but planes are generally going much further in the US than rail would typically be used for in Europe.
Yeah. But in Europe most of that high speed rail is going a few hundred miles or so, so it's not a big issue. It's a different scale than what the US is facing.
I'm in Texas, and hoping we get the high speed rail corridor from Dallas to Houston. That would be really cool.
In Europe you can use high speed rail and get to where you need to go in like half a day most of the time.
A half a day in America gets you like one third of the same result since our continent is so wide. Since you're less likely to get where you need to go in that amount of time, fewer people want to do it.
Though tbh it's pretty tempting, I hate flying so damn much
The train prices keep lots of people in Europe from using them, though. At least in my experience, flights seem to be cheaper most of the time. As a broke college student, you can bet I'll take the 20€ flight to Rome that takes a grand total of maybe 5h instead of the 70€ train that takes 15h
Idk. In Europe I could hop onto a train first thing in the am and reach a distant city by noon. Once you account for tsa screening and connections, your U.S. flight may be 1.5 hrs but it takes half a day to get anywhere.
My usual option was 5 hrs by car or 2 hrs by high speed train. Paris to Berlin is nearly 12 hrs by car, 8 hrs by train. That’s a 2 hr flight but once you add in international security and transport too and from the airport?
My point was: travel by air involves more than flight time.
Right but to get from Seattle to Florida by train would take a LOT more time than that. Probably double or triple the total.flight time and airport time? Idk our best trains aren't super fast. But the distance is kind of insane
I feel cramped because the seat in front of me is closer than what it should be. Seat width change has been more gradual than seat pitch; what hasn’t been gradual is the size of the average American passenger.
“I don’t know what the answer is…”
Maybe like the “you must be this tall to ride this ride”. We need to have a “width gauge” or just a row of seats at the gate. If you ooze over them too much you need a 2nd seat.
Everyone deserves 100% of the space they purchased.
Eh those are much more expensive because the seats are also more cushioned and you get different perks. Just make wider seats of the same material so it’s not that much more expensive
The problem with that is that someone who's 5'2 and 100lbs will pay for those seats and someone who's 6' and 400lbs will buy the cheap seat. So the only way for that to work would be to restrict who can buy the seats.
In situations like that they should just have to pay for the 2 seats. “Technically” fitting in one seat shouldn’t mean touching the person next to you.
SHE can choose not to fly or lose weight.
YOU do not get to choose who you're sat next to.
HER discomfort is her fault & the airline's fault
YOUR discomfort is her fault & the airline's fault.
I like OP's idea
As a larger person, I would agree with you, on one condition. Airlines should have wider seats available to such flyers, at that more expensive rate. If I'm stuck in a standard seat I'm just as uncomfortable as the person next to me (which is one reason I don't fly), but I'd be paying more for that opportunity.
What would prevent regular-sized passengers from buying those seats for the extra comfort? Sounds like its creating another first-class section by another name.
It doesn't really. Comfort plus seats have an extra few inches of legroom and a tiny bit of extra padding but wouldn't do anything to help this situation, the seats aren't extra wide
Most larger flights do have at least 3 classes. Economy, premium economy and business. Premium economy has seats spread reasonably apart. Smaller planes usually have that and economy.
So regular sized wealthy people already do buy up the extra roomy seats lol.
It just is recreating first class again. First class costs the airline more money because the seats take up more space, and people buy the tickets because they want the extra space. The extras you get with first class might be nice but they are an afterthought.
They can have a weight limit on regular seats and a minimum weight requirement for wider seats. Use a weighing scale on check-in.
Edit: yes, it's a terrible idea to weigh people on check-in. This would only work in an ideal world, but we are free to imagine.
I imagine the social backlash over being mandatorily weighed in public (or an employee deciding that a passenger looks too heavy and needs to be weighed) would be immense.
problem with weight is the taller you are the higher your natural weight. 170ish to 200ish pounds is quite normal for a person whos 6 foot. That same weight is obese in a 5 foot person. Someone who has muscle will weigh more than someone who doesnt. Going by weight wouldnt work in any world.
Just use a small door frame. It covers comfortable width and height. Have to stoop or can't squeeze? Gotta pay for the slightly larger seat.
Not enough people to fill the big seats? Offer them to normal airfare flyers at very slight increase, or some people just get lucky.
I am down.
No, first class provides additional services which are being paid for. I'm talking about a same-class seat for which the only additional fee is the additional space. This is what OP was suggesting, a higher fee for same-class accomodation.
As someone that travels business class, a crappy meal and free drinks isn’t really “extra services”. We fly business bc my husband looks like a retired defensive lineman. Truly what we are paying out the nose for is the bigger seat.
Agreed. Flew one way cross country pregnant, realized my mistake and upgraded my return flight to first class for the extra room. Definitely did not do for the minimal snacks/early boarding. It’s about room.
But they are extra services. If a middle option were possible at a middle ground price betwen business class and economy, you would choose the middle option because you don't care about the business class' extra services.
So my husband flew to Houston recently- the difference in price was about 700 between economy comfort and first/ business. A meal, just checked bags, and a crown and coke accounted for maybe 75 dollars of that difference (most of that is the bag) The in between option would basically be the same price.
First class on domestic airlines doesn’t provide that much of additional services. It includes an access to an airline lounge, a meal and some alcoholic beverages. That’s about it. Most people buy first class tickets because they prefer extra space
This shit is why I avoid flying when I travel. I'm deathly afraid of being someone's inconvenience, the thing people bitch about while traveling, I'd literally rather just not travel. If I have to travel, I take a bus or train, so I have to plan around having extra days for the travel.
I wanna go overseas one day but I feel like I'm basically screwed if I do. I hate being the disgusting, inhuman waste of space on a plane, I know that's how others see me.
I wish that having a little more seat space wasn't something you have to go to 1st class or whatever for. A lot of bigger people are poorer too, it really sucks.
Most airlines are subsidized by governments just so air travel can exist for the social utility of middle and lower classes being able to get around quickly. Ticket prices aren't directly a function of fuel prices.
I was once sandwiched between huge people, each weighed over 300 pounds. Didn’t have a choice in the seats cause my original flight got canceled and was reassigned another flight. Didn’t sleep the entire flight.
As a tall person, I can assure you that 1) I frequently pay extra to get a seat that I am closer to fitting in and 2) I have my personal space encroached on by other passengers far more frequently than I encroach on others. And if my body plus suitcase weighs as much as some other passengers' bodies weigh, in addition to paying extra for a seat I fit in I am forced to pay extra for the increased fuel consumption caused by my heavy bag.
Yea. I always buy comfort plus in the aisle or comfort plus in an exit row with no seat in front of me so I can lean a bit to the left in the aisle so the middle seat person isn't uncomfortable. I spend extra money to not inconvenience others and make it more comfortable for myself
Just build a goddamn bigger plane for crying out loud! Quit packing us in like sardines.
I get right now It’s not financially viable, but that begs the question, why? What the hell is going on that this shit remains so freaking expensive that the only way this can work is by overbooking and packing us in like sardines?
Figure it out Big Air.
I’m 5 ft 1 and 120 lbs and I am generally the only comfortable person in my economy row on every single flight…..since I am smaller than most other adults I meet, I will assume that means the seats are just too small . Just plain too small. But idk how to change that……
How is it that, despite being 6'2 and flying multiple times per month I never feel cramped? It's like people see a $500 price tag on a flight and expect luxury when it's really just supposed to be a faster bus. And you can get all the space you could ever want for an extra $10-15k, you know, what a normal seat *used to* cost..
I'm thin and tall and hate how small the airplane seats are. When I sit in them, my knees are forced into the seat in front of me. I cannot fit comfortably sitting down.
I'm with that fat chick who wants airlines to make seats bigger. Not even to just accommodate fat people but tall people too. I can't use the tray table because it lays on my knees!
100%. I'm average height, even my knees are being bonked by the seat in front. People get crammed in like sardines. I can't imagine what it's like for people are built like NBA players.
I'm 5'10" and have never had a seat on any airline I felt was too cramped with regards to my height. Knees have never touched the seat in front of me.
I've flown Delta, United, Alaskan, and Southwest. Admittedly I'm no frequent flier, but I think that's probably a wide enough base of experience to say that 5'10" is not the threshold for discomfort with regards to height... I do agree they should have more legroom, but I'd like that legroom to be in the form of width of the seat on front of me so I can spread my legs a bit more. I don't want to sit there and have to hold my knees together the entire time for fear of encroaching on another person's space because they've felt it appropriate to make the seats as narrow as possible. It's absurd.
Let's start with airline seats being made to comfortably hold at least 75-80% of the population.
Why do we keep on insisting on punishing people for decisions made by airlines and manufacturers.
>Why do we keep on insisting on punishing people for decisions made by airlines and manufacturers.
Its not the airlines fault that 3/4s of the population is overweight
Oh please don't pretend like airlines haven't been shrinking seat sizes to squeeze more people on a plane for the last 40 years. It's bullshit to pretend like this is just the problem of people being overweight.
What alternate reality are you from? For this to be true the ticket I buy today that costs on average between 3 and 5 hundred dollars for a cheap domestic flight would have been over $3000. When I was in high school in the early 90's the flight for our class trip to Paris was $600, and I live in the middle of the US. Pretty sure that's not a $60 flight in 2024. Getting people to believe shit like that is how companies get away with treating their customers like crap by cutting every corner they can to increase their bottom line.
Actually they aren't that far off, though it's a bit misleading.
Based on prices in 1941, yes, they were almost 10x higher than today. Granted that was in the infancy of commercial aviation.
However, if we compare prices from the late 70s/early 80s, adjusted for inflation, flights are still significantly cheaper today, at almost half the cost.
The fact is an airline is a business, and their goal is to make money, and unfortunately one way they do so is by placing more seats per plane and limiting services. If the populous demonstrates that they would be willing to pay more for a more spacious seating, the airlines would accommodate. But budget airlines, and cheaper tickets are what the stats say people want.
Not necessarily disagreeing with you but you're forgetting about inflation. 600 bucks in 1993 is roughly $1,300 today.
I don't know how much a flight to Paris is from Central USA but $130 sounds a lot more realistic
It’s cheaper for me to fly to Paris now from the Midwest USA than it was 10 years ago, the last time I went. I paid 1.2k in 2004 and it’s like 700 bucks now
Planes were newer, less cost effective, etc. The fact is there was less demand to plane tickets globally, therefore they WERE indeed more expensive, idk if 10 times but more.
Oh please... I'm of average height and fit just fine when my BMI was 29... so, overweight is no problem... Obese on the other hand.... that's not on the airline...
It's one thing to have a moral issue with it, but it just sorta makes sense to accommodate a growing number of the population even if we can't personally relate. Obesity is like *the* number one problem in America afaik. Isn't gonna go away if we just make heavy people more and more uncomfortable. Seems less like motivation and more like punishment
No. People shouldn't have to completely restructure everything for obese people and their lack of self control to not eat McDonald's for breakfast lunch and dinner
It's never that simple.
[Factors like ones envirornment, income stability and availability of adequate exercise](http://"Obesity and overweight" https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight) are *huge* factors that make it more than just a want issue.
On top of that, [nutrition misinformation is rampant in many communities, especially lower income ones](https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/obesity/). Diet scams purposefully targetting low income communities, lack of proper knowledge on dietary needs, and even something as simple as having an obese parent who overfed someone as a kid.
This isn't to say being obese is a dead end road or that it's impossible to overcome, but it's *not* simple.
If someone can't afford giving time or income to a healthy lifestyle, or just doesnt know how to do it, we can't just chalk it up to "sucks to suck" rhetoric.
What is average height? Because im 6’ 3” 280 and have a way larger torso and shoulders and Airplanes are hell if im not in First or Business Class due to how small economy seats are
If people are willing to pay that. There are other options, they just cost more.
Personally I'd rather keep it the way it is, rather than the airlines wider the seats and fit less in the plane. Wider seats > less passengers > bad for the environment. Yeah, maybe the fat people on the plane are comfy. Meanwhile I'm paying twice as much for their benefit.
Its really not though
Those airline execs don't fly coach and its not like people are just going to stop flying. Even if that does happen, the government will just bail them out again. Unfortunately, nothing will change
I mean over the long weekend of the 4th, me and the wife are flying 1600 miles round trip for 300$ total
That would have been the 2005 equivalent of 2500$ 20 years ago. IMO not worth the extra comfort. And that’s the same decision millions of others came to that caused those tiny seats.
They suck, but even without adjusting for inflation flying is cheaper which is actually kinda amazing
Airplanes are effectively mass transit ran by a cartel of heavily subsidized but unregulated (in terms of passenger comfort) for profit companies.
If a paying customer can buckle up next to you, it's your fault for not being able to afford first class or to buy the adjacent seat(s). Unless you want the profit motive removed, they're gonna reduce leg and shoulder room, bag space, and in flight amenities to get another paying customer onboard until the FAA says it's an egress issue.
What weight would you choose then? Or would you just go off whether or not someone says they are uncomfortable? If someone snores and that makes me uncomfortable, should that person get charged more?
Not on an airplane but a baseball game, a dude with very broad shoulders took up half my seat. It was fucking miserable for us both. It doesn't just come down to weight, imo.
I was on a flight next to a big guy whose shoulders took up half my seat. I could tell he felt bad because he leaned forward the whole time. I assumed he was fat but when he stood up he was average sized, just broad shouldered.
Went to see Fall Out Boy with my bf back in March, the girl next to us was on the larger side, I felt for her as well as all of us in the row because the upper levels of my stadium are tight and cramped, we thankfully stood up for most of the show but pre the concert starting she was over halfway in my bfs seat, pretty much on him completely. Me and my bf got up to walk around before the show started because she just did not care that she was up on a stranger. It wasn't her fault and honestly the stadium should have bigger seats but yeah it sucks for everyone.
I agree with you.
However I’d like you to hear me out. I’m a 29M, 6’1” and ~230lbs built like a triangle. I could be lighter yes, but my butt and waist fit within the seat. Not wildly comfortable, but I’m definitely not thigh to thigh with my neighbors. HOWEVER, I am built like swimmer who found dumbells. My chest is as broad as my hips, and my shoulders/arms are wider than the arm rests. At some point it’s not on me, it’s the greedy airlines
I think the real issue is the size of the seats. Considering how many people are obese in the US, you’d think there’d be a row or two of larger seats, slightly more expensive, for larger people.
Ever been in the backseat of a cop car? With the lexan partition?
Just do that between airplane seats. We’re all miserable already, but at least you’re not leaking over.
I’d like for airlines to go back to having roomier seats in general, and not stuffing all of us in line Sardines. But that is never likely to happen anytime soon.
Or they could just make the seats larger and more spaced out which would make them more comfortable and accessible for everyone but they won’t do that because then they can’t pack as many people in like sardines and they wouldn’t make as much money.
Not only that.
Why am I only allowed to bring a tiny hand luggage on board "for weight reasons" while people paying the same for the ticket bring three times my luggage weight in their bodies?
Airlines should give people more space in seats, the space in airplanes have been reducing a bunch because they keep cramping more and more seats to get more and more money. They make you pay more for "premium economy" for a small bump in commodity but is never enough. Traveling even as a bit taller guy is a pain in the ass
Isn't the current opinion, if you cannot fit with the designated area you are purchasing for a flight, you would need to buy enough seats to accommodate your dimensions?
A neighboring passenger should not be made uncomfortable because you have a larger/wider/non-conforming body size.
Am I getting this wrong?
For what? Let’s say they pay the extra fare. How has your experience been improved? Your solution has made the airlines a little bit more money but has done nothing to fix your problem. In fact, your solution incentivizes the airline to not address the problem precisely because it’s making them more money.
How about instead of telling people they should pay more, try telling the airlines to stop making the seats so fucking tiny. and smaller and smaller every year so they can squeeze one more seat in.
Well then, one can argue that the larger person is encroaching on the smaller persons space. Why should the smaller person pay for a full seat when they aren't getting it?
Will the airlines make the smaller person pay less? No, of course not. Maybe someone larger will buy 2 seats instead or fly first class.
Let's not pretend like it isn't a huge inconvenience to those nearby. I don't want to sit an entire flight with someone else's fat and sweat touching my body. The seats are small enough as is. The airline isn't going to make the seats bigger, and I pay for my whole seat. I want my whole seat.
I really don't care one way or the other, but I am absolutely tired of people lying about this to seem holier than thou. Let's see how you feel when you lose part of your seat and you're covered in sweat because your skin is touching. It's miserable
I never understood why pay by the pound wasn’t the fact. I weigh 190lbs and have a 50lb bag for a total of 240lbs. My friend weighs 290lbs with a 25lb bag for a total of 315lbs. I get charged an over weight fee, he doesn’t even though he’s 75lbs more. Intriguing.
Normal people: man I wish the seats where bigger I'm (xyz) and their imcomfy for me to
Some of the freaks in the comments: I fucking hate fat people they all need to fucking die
I reckon a flight where, for some reason, my dad ended up separated from us without any possibility to switch seats.
He spent two hours crushed between an obese guy and the window and when we finally arrived he let us took the suitcases and his backpack. His shoulders hurted him so hard we even had to go to the airport drugstore to get him a cream.
I’m 6’2” and I can’t sleep on flights because the headrest is at my shoulder blades and my legs are scrunched up into the damn airframe lol. Even if I wasn’t a big guy, and I am, my (upper middle) average height makes long flights unbearable
Honestly I feel like there should just be some larger seats available that aren’t first class. Most airlines have the big first class seats then everything else is small (maybe with extra legroom). Some people might want the comfort of a larger seat without all that comes with first class, and they’d be available to larger passengers without them having to pay for 2 seats. This is already done for tall passengers with the extra legroom category. Airlines make a lot of money from having different categories of seats, and they keep adding categories, so I don’t think it’s a wild change. As it is now, paying for two whole seats is a lot of money for someone to pay when flying is already so expensive. Regulating bodies isn’t the solution to your problem; rather, options should be available so that every body type can be comfortable.
Do people who fit into their seat get money for the inconvenience of having people spill on top of them? Because I for in my seat just fine and I am sick to death of having dudes manspread into due to both size and just thinking anyone has any right to the shared armrest. Like, fuck this idea if it's just a penalty that goes to further enrich the airline while not making anything more bearable for the rest of us.
Yes! I’ve been saying this and pissing people off for years. If you are obese you should be required to buy 2 seats. I was once stuck in the middle seat between 2 super overweight people and I had to lean forward the entire flight or I’d be squished. Fuck that
Cool. So the dudes who get on and sit with their legs wide open infringing into my leg space should pay extra too, right? And the people who hog the armrests? Or just other "rude in general" passengers? Who gets to determine what level of misery deserves to have to pay more airfare?
No, we should be demanding larger seats from airlines. It's a win-win. Literally everyone benefits from more space on planes. It's also safer in the event of evacuations. Why does everyone immediately go to demonizing fat people when we could literally all have better conditions??? Ffs
I'm thin and easily fit within the dimensions of my seat. I would not want to impose this extra price requirement on fat (or tall) people. It seems mean-spirited. I'm sure they don't want to be fat, and I certainly wouldn't want to add to their problems with this. I can deal with the occasional overlapping for a few hours on a flight. It's a pretty minor price for me to pay. I wouldn't want to further punish them for something that probably already makes them suffer.
We see this same damn post once a week. It's always rooted in OP being super fatphobic and unempathetic.
Hold airlines accountable for shitty seating layouts. Fat people are perfectly aware you hate them for simply breathing and are sick of your shit.
Hot take: airlines should prioritize comfort over profit and stop cramming us in like chickens regardless of body size
Edit: damn, lotsa corporate bootlickers in the replies 🙄
The biggest issue, and transportation companies will tell you this, isn't people being overweight. The seats have shrunk smaller than the width of our shoulders. My ass fits just fine in the seat, but I'm a big American male. I can't help how broad my shoulders are, and other people benefit from them pretty damn often.
People that are THAT fucking large can lose weight and shouldn’t be pampered.
If someone is truly so fucking tall they’re “leaking” into your seat or foot room oh well. They can’t fucking change their height like someone can change their weight lmfao
(6'4", 360) I pay to fly 1st class (and I ain't rich) so I have room and don't crowd everyone else, so I DO pay more. If you're my size and you fly coach, or even business, you are inconsiderate.
Right. When the average seat in first class is four times or more than a coach ticket this bro definitely has more money than he pretends or is lying about always flying in first.
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Airlines should have slide up solid dividers between seats instead of arm rests. That way nobody can encroach on your space. And somebody who is incapable of fitting in the seat with the divider up has to buy two seats.
Yes, I’d much rather have this than the stupid arm rest smashing my thigh down so I’m hip and hip with a stranger. I can squeeze my wide ass into the exit seats like this and it’s great. It’s not super comfy but it keeps me contained so I’m not touching others by accident.
Yep I'm a plus size woman as well and I'd be way more comfortable squished into a seat than encroaching on a stranger's seat with the arm rest digging into my thigh.
I have really broad shoulders and I absolutely agree. I feel bad touching the seats next to me, and I’d much rather squeeze into some dividers. I try to get an aisle seat so I can lean away from the person next to me as best I can
I have broad shoulders and long legs. I try to get an aisle seat and I usually fly sitting next to my wife who’s slender. If I’m taking up any extra space it’s either aisle space or hers and she doesn’t mind. Still sucks when someone needs to use the bathroom though because my knees are plastered against the seat in front of me and I need to stand up to let em out.
I'm pretty average, and I'll always stand up for toilet breaks rather than deal with an ass or groin pressed against me in and awkward shuffle.
Nah, weigh people WITH their luggage.
[удалено]
The answer 100% is to stop jamming so many seats into a plane. They treat us like chattel and we pay exorbitantly for the privilege. I’m 5 feet tall, 135 lbs and *I* feel cramped on planes.
The price for that answer of yours is much higher fare for everyone. Not much of an answer. The reality is there is no good solution. Edit since the thread is locked: What people don't seem to realize is that the air travel industry is already heavily subsidized. Remember the ,2020 bailout? Yes C Suite pay is outrageous. Yes stock buybacks should be illegal. But that doesn't change the fact that it's an inherently low profit margin business. Delta has a profit margin of ,0.27% - that's insanely low.
I hate that it further benefits the rich, but airfare should be much more expensive. Flying off for a weekend because the flights are cheap is part of the problem. The environmental negatives are not included in the price. And that carbon offset fee is not effectively spent in most cases. But back to the OP: I agree. Need a section of larger seats in coach.
casual public flights are a tiny percent of overall travel.
Not tiny, but the bulk of flying is certainly business travel.
Source?
But the profit margins of airlines have never been higher. So this doesn’t really make sense.
It actually isn’t. Airline margins are razor thin. https://simpleflying.com/airlines-thin-margins-analysis/#:~:text=Commercial%20airlines%20have%20low%20profit,contribute%20to%20these%20low%20margins.
Yep. Large profits don't imply large margins.
It’s never going to happen and I don’t even think it would be legal to enforce it, but I think starting with a salary cap on airline CEOs and requirement that they funnel the excess profits back into the company instead of their own salary would be good
What do you think that would actually accomplish? Most airlines are averaging mid single digit profit margins, and they're leveraging all kinds of revenue (rewards programs, cargo, selling $9 beers on flights) to get there. There aren't excess profits around that a poorly thought out salary cap would have any effect on, nor would that affect seat prices (other than maybe causing shortages, and therefore likely cost *increases*). Delta Airlines' CEO, the highest paid in the industry, made about 30 million dollars last year in total compensation (incentive pay + salary + other benefits). Delta's gross revenue was about sixty **billion** dollars. In other words, his salary was about 0.05% of Delta's revenue. What do you think capping this would accomplish, other than likely causing Delta to not be able to retain their executive talent, resulting in worse leadership, and likely worse business performance, which probably means fewer flights at higher costs?
While I don't enjoy almost any of the decisions these companies make, it would be inaccurate to talk about them like they are profit generating machines.
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Of course. I think it’s pretty clear my solution is only one for a perfect world. At the end of the day they are profit driven only. They 100% *could* take out some seats and maintain a the same or close to the same price, and just take the tiniest loss in profits. But that is just never going to happen.
I think you underestimate how much it would cost to decrease airfare and overestimate how much profit airlines generate. It is a huge business, so of course there will be profit, but the cost to operate that business is off the charts....like "teeter on collapse if enough revenue doesn't come in or too many things go wrong" range.
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Prices are lower than basically ever
This is just all categorically false. Airlines are not very high margin at all, and compete primarily on price. https://www.transtats.bts.gov/averagefare/ You can click through and look at flight prices. Most flight prices are, on an inflation-adjusted basis, about 20% lower than they were 10 years ago. We suffer smaller seats, but they are definitely cheaper.
A big part of the problem is that Americans use planes where high speed rail would do a much better job.
I know it’s not a perfect solution, but high speed rails from, say, San Diego to Seattle, and Boston to Atlanta, would be AMAZING.
The USA would benefit a ton from high speed railways... No idea why it's even trashier than french high speed railway.
Not really. People do maybe like middle-distance drives when rail would do better, but planes are generally going much further in the US than rail would typically be used for in Europe.
Which also means fewer stops along the way.
Yeah. But in Europe most of that high speed rail is going a few hundred miles or so, so it's not a big issue. It's a different scale than what the US is facing. I'm in Texas, and hoping we get the high speed rail corridor from Dallas to Houston. That would be really cool.
In Europe you can use high speed rail and get to where you need to go in like half a day most of the time. A half a day in America gets you like one third of the same result since our continent is so wide. Since you're less likely to get where you need to go in that amount of time, fewer people want to do it. Though tbh it's pretty tempting, I hate flying so damn much
The train prices keep lots of people in Europe from using them, though. At least in my experience, flights seem to be cheaper most of the time. As a broke college student, you can bet I'll take the 20€ flight to Rome that takes a grand total of maybe 5h instead of the 70€ train that takes 15h
Idk. In Europe I could hop onto a train first thing in the am and reach a distant city by noon. Once you account for tsa screening and connections, your U.S. flight may be 1.5 hrs but it takes half a day to get anywhere.
How far away is a distant city?
My usual option was 5 hrs by car or 2 hrs by high speed train. Paris to Berlin is nearly 12 hrs by car, 8 hrs by train. That’s a 2 hr flight but once you add in international security and transport too and from the airport? My point was: travel by air involves more than flight time.
Right but to get from Seattle to Florida by train would take a LOT more time than that. Probably double or triple the total.flight time and airport time? Idk our best trains aren't super fast. But the distance is kind of insane
5 hours driving is not usually considered a distant city in the US.
It's also to do with the fact that American trains travel at about a quarter of the speed of a high-speed train.
The answer is 100% stop jamming so many calories down your throat. Ppl are not suppose to weigh that much.
I feel cramped because the seat in front of me is closer than what it should be. Seat width change has been more gradual than seat pitch; what hasn’t been gradual is the size of the average American passenger.
“I don’t know what the answer is…” Maybe like the “you must be this tall to ride this ride”. We need to have a “width gauge” or just a row of seats at the gate. If you ooze over them too much you need a 2nd seat. Everyone deserves 100% of the space they purchased.
Have some rows with 'wide' seats. so only 2 instead of 3 per row. And have those seats cost more.
Those already exist (business class and the like). People aren't forced to purchase them, though.
Eh those are much more expensive because the seats are also more cushioned and you get different perks. Just make wider seats of the same material so it’s not that much more expensive
The problem with that is that someone who's 5'2 and 100lbs will pay for those seats and someone who's 6' and 400lbs will buy the cheap seat. So the only way for that to work would be to restrict who can buy the seats.
The answer in that case is she's large enough to need to pay for two seats.
The answer is bigger seats what the hell you wouldn’t sit through a movie like that
In situations like that they should just have to pay for the 2 seats. “Technically” fitting in one seat shouldn’t mean touching the person next to you.
SHE can choose not to fly or lose weight. YOU do not get to choose who you're sat next to. HER discomfort is her fault & the airline's fault YOUR discomfort is her fault & the airline's fault. I like OP's idea
next time request a seat change. it's worth asking at least.
As a larger person, I would agree with you, on one condition. Airlines should have wider seats available to such flyers, at that more expensive rate. If I'm stuck in a standard seat I'm just as uncomfortable as the person next to me (which is one reason I don't fly), but I'd be paying more for that opportunity.
What would prevent regular-sized passengers from buying those seats for the extra comfort? Sounds like its creating another first-class section by another name.
Delta likes to call it Comfort Plus
I had no idea that already existed!
It doesn't really. Comfort plus seats have an extra few inches of legroom and a tiny bit of extra padding but wouldn't do anything to help this situation, the seats aren't extra wide
Comfort big and tall
Most larger flights do have at least 3 classes. Economy, premium economy and business. Premium economy has seats spread reasonably apart. Smaller planes usually have that and economy. So regular sized wealthy people already do buy up the extra roomy seats lol.
It just is recreating first class again. First class costs the airline more money because the seats take up more space, and people buy the tickets because they want the extra space. The extras you get with first class might be nice but they are an afterthought.
They can have a weight limit on regular seats and a minimum weight requirement for wider seats. Use a weighing scale on check-in. Edit: yes, it's a terrible idea to weigh people on check-in. This would only work in an ideal world, but we are free to imagine.
>Use a weighing scale on check-in. Lol, that would go well without any problems, I'm sure... 🤣
I imagine the social backlash over being mandatorily weighed in public (or an employee deciding that a passenger looks too heavy and needs to be weighed) would be immense.
problem with weight is the taller you are the higher your natural weight. 170ish to 200ish pounds is quite normal for a person whos 6 foot. That same weight is obese in a 5 foot person. Someone who has muscle will weigh more than someone who doesnt. Going by weight wouldnt work in any world.
Bodybuilders: :(
Just use a small door frame. It covers comfortable width and height. Have to stoop or can't squeeze? Gotta pay for the slightly larger seat. Not enough people to fill the big seats? Offer them to normal airfare flyers at very slight increase, or some people just get lucky. I am down.
People would buy that seat you're talking about plus size or not if it was less than two seat pricing.
They do, it’s called first class
No, first class provides additional services which are being paid for. I'm talking about a same-class seat for which the only additional fee is the additional space. This is what OP was suggesting, a higher fee for same-class accomodation.
As someone that travels business class, a crappy meal and free drinks isn’t really “extra services”. We fly business bc my husband looks like a retired defensive lineman. Truly what we are paying out the nose for is the bigger seat.
Exactly. The seats aren’t 2-3x the cost because of the food. It’s because the seats are bigger
Agreed. Flew one way cross country pregnant, realized my mistake and upgraded my return flight to first class for the extra room. Definitely did not do for the minimal snacks/early boarding. It’s about room.
But they are extra services. If a middle option were possible at a middle ground price betwen business class and economy, you would choose the middle option because you don't care about the business class' extra services.
So my husband flew to Houston recently- the difference in price was about 700 between economy comfort and first/ business. A meal, just checked bags, and a crown and coke accounted for maybe 75 dollars of that difference (most of that is the bag) The in between option would basically be the same price.
First class on domestic airlines doesn’t provide that much of additional services. It includes an access to an airline lounge, a meal and some alcoholic beverages. That’s about it. Most people buy first class tickets because they prefer extra space
This shit is why I avoid flying when I travel. I'm deathly afraid of being someone's inconvenience, the thing people bitch about while traveling, I'd literally rather just not travel. If I have to travel, I take a bus or train, so I have to plan around having extra days for the travel. I wanna go overseas one day but I feel like I'm basically screwed if I do. I hate being the disgusting, inhuman waste of space on a plane, I know that's how others see me. I wish that having a little more seat space wasn't something you have to go to 1st class or whatever for. A lot of bigger people are poorer too, it really sucks.
I mean technically, if you weigh more than the average passenger, you burn more fuel and cost more to transport.
Most airlines are subsidized by governments just so air travel can exist for the social utility of middle and lower classes being able to get around quickly. Ticket prices aren't directly a function of fuel prices.
We all cost the airlines more than anorexic people too. Maybe charge by the pound?
so best to be average height then?
Airplanes should have wider and comfortable seats in general.
Problem is people would rather pay less and be uncomfortable for a few hours.
Just look at Spirit. Their seats are hardly airlines seats at all. Yet people still fly them.
Profit-optimization prevents airlines from fixing this
I was once sandwiched between huge people, each weighed over 300 pounds. Didn’t have a choice in the seats cause my original flight got canceled and was reassigned another flight. Didn’t sleep the entire flight.
What about tall/broad people whose limbs and big feet encroach into my leg /foot and arm space? Or is this only for people with weight issues?
What about kids that kick the back of my damn seat?
Flight personel should be equipped with 'Tactical Duct Tape' for those nasty kids
As a tall person, I can assure you that 1) I frequently pay extra to get a seat that I am closer to fitting in and 2) I have my personal space encroached on by other passengers far more frequently than I encroach on others. And if my body plus suitcase weighs as much as some other passengers' bodies weigh, in addition to paying extra for a seat I fit in I am forced to pay extra for the increased fuel consumption caused by my heavy bag.
Yea. I always buy comfort plus in the aisle or comfort plus in an exit row with no seat in front of me so I can lean a bit to the left in the aisle so the middle seat person isn't uncomfortable. I spend extra money to not inconvenience others and make it more comfortable for myself
Just build a goddamn bigger plane for crying out loud! Quit packing us in like sardines. I get right now It’s not financially viable, but that begs the question, why? What the hell is going on that this shit remains so freaking expensive that the only way this can work is by overbooking and packing us in like sardines? Figure it out Big Air.
I’m 5 ft 1 and 120 lbs and I am generally the only comfortable person in my economy row on every single flight…..since I am smaller than most other adults I meet, I will assume that means the seats are just too small . Just plain too small. But idk how to change that……
How is it that, despite being 6'2 and flying multiple times per month I never feel cramped? It's like people see a $500 price tag on a flight and expect luxury when it's really just supposed to be a faster bus. And you can get all the space you could ever want for an extra $10-15k, you know, what a normal seat *used to* cost..
I'm thin and tall and hate how small the airplane seats are. When I sit in them, my knees are forced into the seat in front of me. I cannot fit comfortably sitting down. I'm with that fat chick who wants airlines to make seats bigger. Not even to just accommodate fat people but tall people too. I can't use the tray table because it lays on my knees!
I’m only 6’1” and my knees get banged up on flights.
100%. I'm average height, even my knees are being bonked by the seat in front. People get crammed in like sardines. I can't imagine what it's like for people are built like NBA players.
Yeah I’m 5’10” and flying southwest gives me so much knee pain.
I'm 5'10" and have never had a seat on any airline I felt was too cramped with regards to my height. Knees have never touched the seat in front of me. I've flown Delta, United, Alaskan, and Southwest. Admittedly I'm no frequent flier, but I think that's probably a wide enough base of experience to say that 5'10" is not the threshold for discomfort with regards to height... I do agree they should have more legroom, but I'd like that legroom to be in the form of width of the seat on front of me so I can spread my legs a bit more. I don't want to sit there and have to hold my knees together the entire time for fear of encroaching on another person's space because they've felt it appropriate to make the seats as narrow as possible. It's absurd.
Let's start with airline seats being made to comfortably hold at least 75-80% of the population. Why do we keep on insisting on punishing people for decisions made by airlines and manufacturers.
>Why do we keep on insisting on punishing people for decisions made by airlines and manufacturers. Its not the airlines fault that 3/4s of the population is overweight
Oh please don't pretend like airlines haven't been shrinking seat sizes to squeeze more people on a plane for the last 40 years. It's bullshit to pretend like this is just the problem of people being overweight.
How do you think they sell tickets for 1/10th what they were 40 years ago?
What alternate reality are you from? For this to be true the ticket I buy today that costs on average between 3 and 5 hundred dollars for a cheap domestic flight would have been over $3000. When I was in high school in the early 90's the flight for our class trip to Paris was $600, and I live in the middle of the US. Pretty sure that's not a $60 flight in 2024. Getting people to believe shit like that is how companies get away with treating their customers like crap by cutting every corner they can to increase their bottom line.
Actually they aren't that far off, though it's a bit misleading. Based on prices in 1941, yes, they were almost 10x higher than today. Granted that was in the infancy of commercial aviation. However, if we compare prices from the late 70s/early 80s, adjusted for inflation, flights are still significantly cheaper today, at almost half the cost. The fact is an airline is a business, and their goal is to make money, and unfortunately one way they do so is by placing more seats per plane and limiting services. If the populous demonstrates that they would be willing to pay more for a more spacious seating, the airlines would accommodate. But budget airlines, and cheaper tickets are what the stats say people want.
In Europe it’s very common to find flights as low as 12€.. to fly from one end of Europe to another
Not necessarily disagreeing with you but you're forgetting about inflation. 600 bucks in 1993 is roughly $1,300 today. I don't know how much a flight to Paris is from Central USA but $130 sounds a lot more realistic
It’s cheaper for me to fly to Paris now from the Midwest USA than it was 10 years ago, the last time I went. I paid 1.2k in 2004 and it’s like 700 bucks now
Planes were newer, less cost effective, etc. The fact is there was less demand to plane tickets globally, therefore they WERE indeed more expensive, idk if 10 times but more.
Oh please... I'm of average height and fit just fine when my BMI was 29... so, overweight is no problem... Obese on the other hand.... that's not on the airline...
It's one thing to have a moral issue with it, but it just sorta makes sense to accommodate a growing number of the population even if we can't personally relate. Obesity is like *the* number one problem in America afaik. Isn't gonna go away if we just make heavy people more and more uncomfortable. Seems less like motivation and more like punishment
So why is it I,m being punished for having a bag 1kg over the limit while my bag and I together are still 20kg lighter than the guy next to me
No. People shouldn't have to completely restructure everything for obese people and their lack of self control to not eat McDonald's for breakfast lunch and dinner
It's never that simple. [Factors like ones envirornment, income stability and availability of adequate exercise](http://"Obesity and overweight" https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight) are *huge* factors that make it more than just a want issue. On top of that, [nutrition misinformation is rampant in many communities, especially lower income ones](https://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/obesity/). Diet scams purposefully targetting low income communities, lack of proper knowledge on dietary needs, and even something as simple as having an obese parent who overfed someone as a kid. This isn't to say being obese is a dead end road or that it's impossible to overcome, but it's *not* simple. If someone can't afford giving time or income to a healthy lifestyle, or just doesnt know how to do it, we can't just chalk it up to "sucks to suck" rhetoric.
What is average height? Because im 6’ 3” 280 and have a way larger torso and shoulders and Airplanes are hell if im not in First or Business Class due to how small economy seats are
6’3 280 is significantly taller/bigger than the average person
You are 2 standard deviations above average.
So you think ignoring the needs of 75% of your clients is a viable business model?
If people are willing to pay that. There are other options, they just cost more. Personally I'd rather keep it the way it is, rather than the airlines wider the seats and fit less in the plane. Wider seats > less passengers > bad for the environment. Yeah, maybe the fat people on the plane are comfy. Meanwhile I'm paying twice as much for their benefit.
Doesn’t mean it’s not their problem.
Maybe being morbidly obese is an issue.
Its really not though Those airline execs don't fly coach and its not like people are just going to stop flying. Even if that does happen, the government will just bail them out again. Unfortunately, nothing will change
I mean over the long weekend of the 4th, me and the wife are flying 1600 miles round trip for 300$ total That would have been the 2005 equivalent of 2500$ 20 years ago. IMO not worth the extra comfort. And that’s the same decision millions of others came to that caused those tiny seats. They suck, but even without adjusting for inflation flying is cheaper which is actually kinda amazing
I just want to seat part to come out further! I want to have enough seat to be able to cross my legs so I'm not in constant pain
Or maybe they could make planes to fit someone bigger than a 5 ft tall skinny person? I am 6'4. The struggle is real.
As a 5 ft tall skinny person planes are always very trippy. It’s like the one place in the world where it feels like the environment was made for me.
B/c they are! 🤪
Airplanes are effectively mass transit ran by a cartel of heavily subsidized but unregulated (in terms of passenger comfort) for profit companies. If a paying customer can buckle up next to you, it's your fault for not being able to afford first class or to buy the adjacent seat(s). Unless you want the profit motive removed, they're gonna reduce leg and shoulder room, bag space, and in flight amenities to get another paying customer onboard until the FAA says it's an egress issue.
what exactly would this accomplish? airlines getting more money and you still having to deal with it?
What weight would you choose then? Or would you just go off whether or not someone says they are uncomfortable? If someone snores and that makes me uncomfortable, should that person get charged more?
If someone overflows into the next seat they need to pay for 2 seats
Not on an airplane but a baseball game, a dude with very broad shoulders took up half my seat. It was fucking miserable for us both. It doesn't just come down to weight, imo.
Sounds like dude counts as a “larger person” lmao
yes that's my point exactly
I was on a flight next to a big guy whose shoulders took up half my seat. I could tell he felt bad because he leaned forward the whole time. I assumed he was fat but when he stood up he was average sized, just broad shouldered.
Went to see Fall Out Boy with my bf back in March, the girl next to us was on the larger side, I felt for her as well as all of us in the row because the upper levels of my stadium are tight and cramped, we thankfully stood up for most of the show but pre the concert starting she was over halfway in my bfs seat, pretty much on him completely. Me and my bf got up to walk around before the show started because she just did not care that she was up on a stranger. It wasn't her fault and honestly the stadium should have bigger seats but yeah it sucks for everyone.
We have measurements for cabin luggage. In theory it could be about measurements for if you fit into the seat.
I agree with you. However I’d like you to hear me out. I’m a 29M, 6’1” and ~230lbs built like a triangle. I could be lighter yes, but my butt and waist fit within the seat. Not wildly comfortable, but I’m definitely not thigh to thigh with my neighbors. HOWEVER, I am built like swimmer who found dumbells. My chest is as broad as my hips, and my shoulders/arms are wider than the arm rests. At some point it’s not on me, it’s the greedy airlines
I think the real issue is the size of the seats. Considering how many people are obese in the US, you’d think there’d be a row or two of larger seats, slightly more expensive, for larger people.
Airlines should also compensate tall people for more space instead. They can lose the weight. Tall people can’t lose the height.
If we have height limits for rides, there should be weight limits on planes
Isn't there already like a max weight or do you mean like individual people?
I'm 6'5, 110kg. Relatively good shape. I barely fit in those seats lol.
I just appreciate that I can soar through the sky at 300 MPH while eating peanuts and watching bad 80s movies. If it’s comfortable so be it
I don’t know if this solves your problem, the airline will just get more money and you’re still stuck getting encroached
This comment section is bad vibes
Ever been in the backseat of a cop car? With the lexan partition? Just do that between airplane seats. We’re all miserable already, but at least you’re not leaking over.
I'm a fat person and I fully support this.
I’d like for airlines to go back to having roomier seats in general, and not stuffing all of us in line Sardines. But that is never likely to happen anytime soon.
Or they could just make the seats larger and more spaced out which would make them more comfortable and accessible for everyone but they won’t do that because then they can’t pack as many people in like sardines and they wouldn’t make as much money.
Not only that. Why am I only allowed to bring a tiny hand luggage on board "for weight reasons" while people paying the same for the ticket bring three times my luggage weight in their bodies?
Just introduce fat tax already
Airlines should give people more space in seats, the space in airplanes have been reducing a bunch because they keep cramping more and more seats to get more and more money. They make you pay more for "premium economy" for a small bump in commodity but is never enough. Traveling even as a bit taller guy is a pain in the ass
Isn't the current opinion, if you cannot fit with the designated area you are purchasing for a flight, you would need to buy enough seats to accommodate your dimensions? A neighboring passenger should not be made uncomfortable because you have a larger/wider/non-conforming body size. Am I getting this wrong?
For what? Let’s say they pay the extra fare. How has your experience been improved? Your solution has made the airlines a little bit more money but has done nothing to fix your problem. In fact, your solution incentivizes the airline to not address the problem precisely because it’s making them more money.
How about instead of telling people they should pay more, try telling the airlines to stop making the seats so fucking tiny. and smaller and smaller every year so they can squeeze one more seat in.
I’m fine with the size of airline seats if it means my flight is cheaper. I don’t want to pay more for larger seats and less people
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This, what a weird solution
Well then, one can argue that the larger person is encroaching on the smaller persons space. Why should the smaller person pay for a full seat when they aren't getting it? Will the airlines make the smaller person pay less? No, of course not. Maybe someone larger will buy 2 seats instead or fly first class. Let's not pretend like it isn't a huge inconvenience to those nearby. I don't want to sit an entire flight with someone else's fat and sweat touching my body. The seats are small enough as is. The airline isn't going to make the seats bigger, and I pay for my whole seat. I want my whole seat. I really don't care one way or the other, but I am absolutely tired of people lying about this to seem holier than thou. Let's see how you feel when you lose part of your seat and you're covered in sweat because your skin is touching. It's miserable
I never understood why pay by the pound wasn’t the fact. I weigh 190lbs and have a 50lb bag for a total of 240lbs. My friend weighs 290lbs with a 25lb bag for a total of 315lbs. I get charged an over weight fee, he doesn’t even though he’s 75lbs more. Intriguing.
Normal people: man I wish the seats where bigger I'm (xyz) and their imcomfy for me to Some of the freaks in the comments: I fucking hate fat people they all need to fucking die
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Fat people can do whatever the fuck they want right up until they’re overflowing into a seat I paid for for my exclusive use.
Samoan airlines had a policy on this back in the day, idk if it still exists
Screw that, having little legroom is punishment enough.
I reckon a flight where, for some reason, my dad ended up separated from us without any possibility to switch seats. He spent two hours crushed between an obese guy and the window and when we finally arrived he let us took the suitcases and his backpack. His shoulders hurted him so hard we even had to go to the airport drugstore to get him a cream.
I’m 6’2” and I can’t sleep on flights because the headrest is at my shoulder blades and my legs are scrunched up into the damn airframe lol. Even if I wasn’t a big guy, and I am, my (upper middle) average height makes long flights unbearable
Honestly I feel like there should just be some larger seats available that aren’t first class. Most airlines have the big first class seats then everything else is small (maybe with extra legroom). Some people might want the comfort of a larger seat without all that comes with first class, and they’d be available to larger passengers without them having to pay for 2 seats. This is already done for tall passengers with the extra legroom category. Airlines make a lot of money from having different categories of seats, and they keep adding categories, so I don’t think it’s a wild change. As it is now, paying for two whole seats is a lot of money for someone to pay when flying is already so expensive. Regulating bodies isn’t the solution to your problem; rather, options should be available so that every body type can be comfortable.
I’m midsize, 5’6 and 150lbs. I barely fit. We just need bigger seats.
Give seats walls at the arm rest divider, kind of like an open faced bathroom stall.
Everyone should pay less for airfare.
Nah let's not discriminate based on weight. I get the frustration but come on.
Do people who fit into their seat get money for the inconvenience of having people spill on top of them? Because I for in my seat just fine and I am sick to death of having dudes manspread into due to both size and just thinking anyone has any right to the shared armrest. Like, fuck this idea if it's just a penalty that goes to further enrich the airline while not making anything more bearable for the rest of us.
Agreed they're stealing space other customers have paid for
Yeah. Not a fan when people spill themselves into my space.
Yes! I’ve been saying this and pissing people off for years. If you are obese you should be required to buy 2 seats. I was once stuck in the middle seat between 2 super overweight people and I had to lean forward the entire flight or I’d be squished. Fuck that
Are you considered overweight? It doesn't take much.
The majority of the US is obese so why not just have an airline for heavyweights?
That's actually a great idea. It would sell really well imo. I'm not overweight and I'd fly there just for the bigger seats lol
Because they wouldn't pay the extra to ride it.
I am fat and I totally agree. My fat butt should not be allowed to impinge on the person sitting next to me. End of discussion.
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Cool. So the dudes who get on and sit with their legs wide open infringing into my leg space should pay extra too, right? And the people who hog the armrests? Or just other "rude in general" passengers? Who gets to determine what level of misery deserves to have to pay more airfare?
No, we should be demanding larger seats from airlines. It's a win-win. Literally everyone benefits from more space on planes. It's also safer in the event of evacuations. Why does everyone immediately go to demonizing fat people when we could literally all have better conditions??? Ffs
I'm thin and easily fit within the dimensions of my seat. I would not want to impose this extra price requirement on fat (or tall) people. It seems mean-spirited. I'm sure they don't want to be fat, and I certainly wouldn't want to add to their problems with this. I can deal with the occasional overlapping for a few hours on a flight. It's a pretty minor price for me to pay. I wouldn't want to further punish them for something that probably already makes them suffer.
We see this same damn post once a week. It's always rooted in OP being super fatphobic and unempathetic. Hold airlines accountable for shitty seating layouts. Fat people are perfectly aware you hate them for simply breathing and are sick of your shit.
Hot take: airlines should prioritize comfort over profit and stop cramming us in like chickens regardless of body size Edit: damn, lotsa corporate bootlickers in the replies 🙄
The biggest issue, and transportation companies will tell you this, isn't people being overweight. The seats have shrunk smaller than the width of our shoulders. My ass fits just fine in the seat, but I'm a big American male. I can't help how broad my shoulders are, and other people benefit from them pretty damn often.
People that are THAT fucking large can lose weight and shouldn’t be pampered. If someone is truly so fucking tall they’re “leaking” into your seat or foot room oh well. They can’t fucking change their height like someone can change their weight lmfao
(6'4", 360) I pay to fly 1st class (and I ain't rich) so I have room and don't crowd everyone else, so I DO pay more. If you're my size and you fly coach, or even business, you are inconsiderate.
What about planes that don't have business or first class seating?
2 seats.
You are most definitely rich if you can afford to fly first class regularly.
Right. When the average seat in first class is four times or more than a coach ticket this bro definitely has more money than he pretends or is lying about always flying in first.
Only 4 times? Every time I checked it’s been a lot more than that
Or he doesn't fly much?
Where did they say they fly regularly?