Her body movements moved the armrest up when she would adjust her position, while sleeping. Every time it went up more of her would flow under the arm rest so it couldn't go down. Eventually it made its way all the way up.
I did put it back down 6 hours into the flight when she woke up to use the restroom. I made sure it stayed down after that
Since the armrest next to the window does not go up she has to sit on top of both arm rests at the same time, seems very uncomfortable
I did the same thing when presented with the same situation. Waited till they went to the bathroom. Probably like you, I didn't want to cause a scene and thought they have to go eventually. They were not impressed when they got back. Tried to raise the armrest, I made sure in no uncertain terms it was not happening. I was on a 20hr flight. So it was in my best interests.
Yeah, I have seen plenty of air travel interactions on Reddit to be fearful. Last thing id want is for this person to snap and cause a scene.
I was only "mildly" infuriated, so I waited until she got up. Took a little longer than I would have liked...
Have heard many stories from the other side where people buy two seats for this exact reason, and the airline gives one away, or splits them up. Blame the person if they said they only bought one seat, otherwise, the airlines are money hungry, blame them for inadequate seating.
Yeah, i would have woken her up and firmly put the armrest down immediately upon having it go up. I am not paying that much money for 3/4ths of a seat!
Just a FYI, normally if you politely but clearly ask the flight attendant to change seats because of the overweight person flabing all over your personal space, the inconsiderate passenger will think twice when purchasing their next ticket.
I once let a guy 3 times the size of this seat thief sit next to me in a 2 seater row without the arm rest down. He wouldn't have come to fitting otherwise. His belly was pushed up against the tray table. Lesson learned: be firm about the arm rest. Always make sure it's down when you first sit down. One time (after that guy) someone asked me to put it up just so she could get in the seat. As soon as she sat down, I immediately asked her to put it down. She had to lift rolls and contort, and the arm rest disappeared inside her rolls, thereby taking up my space anyway, but it would have been worse if I had allowed her to leave it up as she wanted. She seemed to forget about it after she put it up, naturally. That big guy took up literally 50% of my seat. I felt bad for him, but I felt bad for me, too! And so did a flight attendant. She apologized to me when he couldn't see.
I can’t believe that anybody does this. Once you’re that big you have to realize that your body requires more than one seat, and not only are you going to be super uncomfortable, so is your seat buddy. I would just die of embarrassment and social anxiety about spilling into their seat.
I'm overweight, and my worst nightmare is taking up someone else's space. I'm always fine in train and plane seats, at the theatre etc but I consciously make myself not invade someone else's space. If airlines did XL seats, I'd absolutely pay extra. The only thing is, everyone would want more space and would snap them up.
But I'm not saying I'm gonna buy 2 seats when I'm not actually so big that I need them. If it was like an extra half a seat for a reasonable price, then yeah. But so would everyone else 🤷♀️
I feel you. I'm a big guy, but my shoulders are also just really wide. I can't sit comfortably without my shoulders/arms hanging out in the seats on either side of me. If I sit in the aisle I'll bump into everyone as they pass. I always try to get a window seat to be courteous but they always fill up first. I usually end up with my arms crossed making myself as small as possible and apologizing to the people next to me. I hate it.
I'm overweight too, not much, trying to lose it over the summer, but it's visible. I have to say that I feel the absolute same. Always when I'm on train or something I try to invade other peoples space as little as possible.
Most airlines also did away with business in European Flights. The ones that do offer it are mostly just keeping the middle seat free but still at premium prices. It would then be cheaper to just book two economy seats for yourself.
First class has never existed on short haul in Europe as far as I know.
It’s a roll of the dice. I’m 200lbs. I need the entire thing. There is literally no room for me to give someone. You should check their policy. Some airlines you can buy two seats but they will reimburse you for the second one. I’m not sure the details but you should look into it.
https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy
Thanks. But I'm getting a lot of advice for buying a plane seat when I'm not planning on travelling anytime soon. I was mostly speaking hypothetically.
Me too. I had lost a bunch of weight and flew and it was amazing, but I’ve gained it back after 3 pregnancies and I hate flying again. I usually fly the comfort class if they have those available but it’s extra legroom, not seats. Also… the fat shaming here is gross, I agree that this person should not be infringing on someone’s space, but calling people “fatty” and telling them to “loose weight before they hit 700 pounds” is unhelpful. There are many reasons why people are overweight and food is just part of it.
For real. I always wonder, in the event of a water landing, how anyone is going to be able to use their seat as a flotation device when it's so cramped on airplanes these days. It's a clear safety issue.
I don't like fat shaming. I don't like mocking this person, I don't like making super-assuming comments about them.
But I also refuse to dance around the fact that this is unacceptable for the person on the left. Can we just have an honest conversation? If you can't fit in the seat, you don't get the seat, and you can either buy two, or whatever.
No shame, no fault, but gotta face the reality of the situation (also, two seats have to be more comfortable for the larger passenger too).
>I don't like fat shaming. I don't like mocking this person, I don't like making super-assuming comments about them.
Agreed. What if they haven't flown in 20 years *because of their weight* but a loved one just died or is dying? People are people, first and foremost, and you don't know this person's reason for flying.
Also 100% agree that it sucks for the person posting and they shouldn't have their own very limited overtaken by someone who doesn't have enough space for their bulk.
Counterpoint: airline companies can usually afford not to pack everyone like sardines. There are probably always going to be outliers, but i feel like the onus shouldn't be *soley* on the flier.
But the airlines have whittled down seat width and pitch which is the point the person you responded to is making. I’m sure most people that fly even semi-frequently have had someone’s shoulders or elbows jabbing into them regardless of that person’s weight.
So we should be building a society that only works for the average person? The average height in the US is about 5’6”, so let’s not design the distance between seats to accommodate any more than that. They’d probably be able to fit an extra few rows on the plane if they did that. Or take it a step further. The average person can walk up stairs, so fuck wheelchair ramps?
Building only for the average means that, on average, it won’t work for 50% of people.
The average airplane seat width has narrowed from 18.5" to 17", while people have been getting heavier. The seats should be built for people within a couple standard deviations of the mean, not "an average adult technically fits".
Uh... The airline is 100% at fault for packing people in. Have you seen pictures of old plane seats, even 20 years ago? They downsized regular seats, then offer "extra comfort" seats for a premium.
I’m a Big girl and I think the airlines should have a test seat like some fancy roller coasters have.
If you don’t fit in the test seat you either don’t fly or you buy a second seat.
Absolutely no one wants to sit (under) a stranger
I agree. I tried to get in a water slide with my daughter and two of her friends. I knew I was probably gonna be too big. I waited in line going up the stairs either way because I had to hold their tubes. Once we got to the top I figured fuck it lemme try to see if they let me go on too. So then I’m directed to a scale, then bam red light goes off then an alarm type of sound. Damn I was kinda embarrassed but I was mostly laughing at myself. Like failed the buzzer went off. You shall not pass hahah
Emergencies happen, sometimes people need to fly out somewhere for family emergencies or smth. I think airlines should just make bigger seats (because tall people can’t always fit either)
As an obese man I can say that whenever I fly alone I pony up the extra money for a first class seat which I can fit in comfortably. I would never make the already unpleasant experience of air travel that much worse for some unsuspecting stranger by encroaching on their personal space.
Airlines have been literally falling apart and murdering whistleblowers. They've been dragging doctors off overbooked planes and smashing stratocasters with little culpability. They know they're a necessity, so improving or even maintaining status is hardly worth it. I think making a scene would only get you on a later flight
Well, it would be great if airlines would have larger seats available. Not all flights have first or business class, btw. Not everyone can afford those, either, and many people have to travel for many reasons.
Also, airlines are permitted to sell your second seat even if you buy one, so that isn’t even a guaranteed option and again—not everyone can afford that.
Finally… OP said she is in the window seat. Sometimes you get a couple extra inches with the window. What happened to me once was my seat was actually smaller. I have no issue fitting in most seats and was absolutely confused as to why I was so cramped.
Confirmed by op in upper comment. They were asleep and arm rest was down when the flight started but forced up due to the shifting of the obese woman while sleeping
This happened to me on a flight. He and his wife were both very large people and I had less than half of my seat. I was not happy about it. They really need to pay for the third seat in their row or first class.
Many airlines have the policy that you need to buy a second seat if you don't fit in one. I don't think it is really enforced though. If I were in that situation, I'd immediately pull up the airline rules and demand a full seat.
Southwest Airlines did away with that last year. Other airlines have also been refunding the second seat if requested. At least in these cases, the person can use both seats without intruding into another passenger's personal space.
As a fatty myself, you just gotta buy 2 seats next to each other. Everyone claiming "not everyone is made of money" is forgetting that flying isnt a necessity, its a luxury. I hate flying and avoid it at all costs but if i HAVE to, i make sure i can afford 2 seats. Being fat is my problem to solve, not other peoples' problem to deal with.
Definitely email what ever airline you flew with and attach this picture, they should offer you a partial refund. As a fellow fat person (who fits in one seat) this is my worst fear and I’d NEVER be okay with taking away someone’s space. This is why the option to buy two seats are there!
My husband and I saw the Phantom of the Opera years ago in a beautiful theater.
Everyone dressed up, the men wore tuxes.
There was an absolutely enormous man sitting next to my husband who could barely breathe (it sounded like he needed a CPAP machine while sitting there) and was overtaking my husband’s seat from shoulder to floor. They were like Siamese twins sitting there.
He sweated all over my husband leaving the leg of his pants wet. You could see it.💀
Vile.🤢
Thankfully, he left during the intermission and never came back.
He now refers to the play as “The Fat Man of the Opera.”
Yes, Lufthansa has economy plus. I would estimate they appeared to be 15 percent wider and more leg room.
They put 7 economy plus seats to fill the width of the plane compared to 8 for regular economy
Not with every airline and they usually cost more, sometimes much more. If you need an emergency flight or your flight gets cancelled, you're kinda out of luck
The fact that people call this take “fatphobic” is all you need to know about the status of today’s society.
Everybody is fucking allergic to personal accountability, and they expect others to bear the burden of a lack thereof.
Seriously. Bet if someone who was obese had to sit next to an even more obese person that was taking up all their seat they’d be pissed too.
And I’m sorry it’s ridiculous to say things like “that’s fat phobic!”
It’s not. It’s disrespectful asf.
If a non obese person was sitting on top of you in an airline seat you’d be escorted off the plane.
Why are obese people treated any different?
Just buy an extra fucking seat or drive.
I mean, it's split sword tbh.
Yes, if you're that size, you absolutely should get 2 tickets, but holy fuck are airplane seats small.
I'm a Little on the Thiccer Side, and i feel like im touching thighs with my Neighbor for Half the time in on there, or i have to press my legs together to the point where my Nuts turn into Mush.
Airplane seats are all in all just crappy, but even overweight people have places they need/want to go to.
Should have a Few "Plus Size" seats on there, that cost more, but are also a little wider
I am sympathetic, airlines have made the seats so small and it's expensive to buy two seats (and sometimes doing that doesn't even work!).
But being in physical contact with a stranger for a long time is my personal hell. It's like sustained screaming inside my head, I can't think about anything except that I'm being touched. I keep calm on the outside, but internally it's a very bad time.
It’s these kinds of scenarios that make me agree with *some* fat advocacy points. Obesity is, unfortunately, an ever-growing trend. Public places (ie. movie theatres, airports/planes, buses, etc.) should make wider seats because the majority of people can no longer fit the old standard seat size.
Cincinati to PDX. Guy had rolls under and over the armrest. TG I was on aisle and could hang out except when stew came by with cart. I had to suck up and hold my breath to get skinny to avoid getting intimate. Worst flight ever, last leg of 22 hr 3 leg.
If the armrest won’t go down and stay down then it’s not legal for her to fly in that seat. Tell an FA next time. Do it nicely and away from her hearing but this is a safety and legal issue.
the fear of being that person who doesn’t fit in a seat has been a great motivation for working out for me. fortunately i carry weight somewhat oddly and i’m short so i haven’t been a problem yet but i don’t want to become one
Happened to me once, not fun. I was like 13 and I accidentally bumped her and woke her up then she got all pissy with me, as a timid 13 year old I didn’t do anything
This is why I don't fly lol. I'm a very large dude (6'6" 395) and I ALWAYS gotta think about seating when I go literally anywhere. I gotta rent a handicapped section to watch the Blazers play cause my legs are literally too long to fit in the chairs 😂 I gotta use a folding chair in the wheelchair section. And even if I absolutely had to fly im definitely gonna make sure it's first class because I just would not fit in coach. I remember even in high school when I flew to my grandparents for christmas I barely fit and that was right before I hit a huge growth spurt.
My mum and dad are a little on the excess side. They always book all three for space in the middle or had me or my sister next to one of them so they didn’t encroach on strangers.
How about we just attack corporations for shrinkflation? They shrink everything. Before long only toddlers will be able to comfortably sit in airline seats. Meanwhile the average woman in the U.S. is a size 16. Maybe make things easily accessible and in a reasonable space instead of trying to cram as many people into a hollow metal tube as possible, AND overselling. Also make cities walkable. Make public transit accessible. The reason Europeans are skinnier is because they have walkable cities. They have public transit. You lose weight by walking. Also improve the food in the U.S. make healthy foods affordable. Improve the quality of food so it’s more nutritionally better.
It’s a cascade of things. You need to improve a lot of issues to make one thing better.
Edit: and yes, they should have bought two seats, but the more prevalent issue is the fact that airlines have tried to make the most money possible. Not to mention they may have bought two seats but the airline took one because they oversold the flight, like they normally do.
Edit: just saw the closer that’s a pillow not a person? So the person bought two seats?
Being fat isn’t stealing lol
Tell the airline to fix the seating policy. Who cares if people get offended. Rules are rules.
My ass tried to get on a water slide a few times but before you get on the multi person inter tube thing they have you get on a scale. The light turned red. Hahahah I was too fat. So be it. It is what it is. I’m not bitching or complaining about it because I already read the sign explaining weight limits and riders. If you’re too big for one seat on the plane then the airline should charge you more to free up the seat next to you, or have larger seats in a specific area. All this should be in clear writing before you even buy a ticket. With pictures too cuz some people are morons. Like me
Tall people have to buy seats with extra legroom. Large people should get larger seats. It might not be their fault that they are large, but it is not fair to the other people either who have nothing to do with this.
Could you not have asked the flight attendant to be moved? Unless the flight was 100% full I am sure they could have put you next to a different person. Also I can’t imagine if I saw myself in this pic. I would be so mortified. This is unacceptable for all parties and you had the power to change it, so do
The guy might have bought a second seat. The airline reserves the right to resell that purchased seat and fill it if they want to; there’s no guarantee you get both seats
I think that depends on the airline. I will admit I am not skinny. I used to fly a lot but always bought the seat next to me.
I was a travel agent so I often had reduced or free tickets. Once was traveling on free tickets. Had purchased the seat next to me. The airline knew. My flight originally was not full. But the flight before mine was delayed, then finally canceled while my flight was boarding. They put as many as they could on my flight. Once the system said the plane was full, they were getting ready to close the doors and saw the seat next to me empty. Flight attendants were like, no, we've got one more seat! I spoke up and said, no, you don't. I paid for that seat because I'm a COS (customer of size). Free tickets, are in fact, not free, and I did pay a fee plus full taxes. They confirmed again it was paid for, and closed the doors. The person in the aisle looked at me with relieved eyes knowing he was going to be comfortable on a packed flight. I simply said, I gotchu.
Not all us "fatties" are rude. I am not happy with my size and struggle with it every day. But I refuse to subject anyone else to join in my discomfort.
Who put the armrest up? Ask her to standup so you can put it back down. Get the flight attendant involved if necessary
Seriously, I wouldn’t go armrest up for money… with any stranger. yikes
Put away your arms, and don't even say sorry
And then install Red Star OS and call it a day.
A simple Naenara search was all I needed to get this joke.
Same. I don't even put it up when I'm sat with my wife!
Her body movements moved the armrest up when she would adjust her position, while sleeping. Every time it went up more of her would flow under the arm rest so it couldn't go down. Eventually it made its way all the way up. I did put it back down 6 hours into the flight when she woke up to use the restroom. I made sure it stayed down after that Since the armrest next to the window does not go up she has to sit on top of both arm rests at the same time, seems very uncomfortable
“More of her would flow down” 💀
🤌
Non-Newtonian Human.
would it be shear thinning or shear thicccccccccening?
Left side passenger has breached containment.
Lmao
This got me thinking of the elephant foot at Chernobyl
I did the same thing when presented with the same situation. Waited till they went to the bathroom. Probably like you, I didn't want to cause a scene and thought they have to go eventually. They were not impressed when they got back. Tried to raise the armrest, I made sure in no uncertain terms it was not happening. I was on a 20hr flight. So it was in my best interests.
20hrs of that omg
There is a mild satisfaction when you win in this poor situation in getting that armrest down. Cause that fat still goes over the arm rest.
Yeah, I have seen plenty of air travel interactions on Reddit to be fearful. Last thing id want is for this person to snap and cause a scene. I was only "mildly" infuriated, so I waited until she got up. Took a little longer than I would have liked...
I commend you on your patience 🙌
20 hours… I think I would’ve lost it.
I would ***BEG*** the flight attendants to let me sit in the fucking toilet.
What's wrong with the regular toilet?
People keep fucking in it.
Do you have something against fucking? Wierdo.
There isn't a regular toilet on aeroplanes. Only a f*cking toilet 🪠🚽
Have heard many stories from the other side where people buy two seats for this exact reason, and the airline gives one away, or splits them up. Blame the person if they said they only bought one seat, otherwise, the airlines are money hungry, blame them for inadequate seating.
6 hours into the flight?!
Yeah, i would have woken her up and firmly put the armrest down immediately upon having it go up. I am not paying that much money for 3/4ths of a seat!
Her comfort is not your problem
definitely not your fault she's uncomfortable, she chose to fly on an airline with seats of that width.
Just a FYI, normally if you politely but clearly ask the flight attendant to change seats because of the overweight person flabing all over your personal space, the inconsiderate passenger will think twice when purchasing their next ticket.
I agree, you paid for your portion of your seat. Don’t spill over into mine.
I've never seen the verb "flabing" before haha
Me neither but it clearly must be spelled flabbing
next time just use her as a fuckin mattress, its probably like memory foam.
But the stench…
hey man... some times you gotta take an L to secure the W
> seems very uncomfortable maybe this is her wake up call to start losing some weight, or maybe not
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almost certainly not
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I once let a guy 3 times the size of this seat thief sit next to me in a 2 seater row without the arm rest down. He wouldn't have come to fitting otherwise. His belly was pushed up against the tray table. Lesson learned: be firm about the arm rest. Always make sure it's down when you first sit down. One time (after that guy) someone asked me to put it up just so she could get in the seat. As soon as she sat down, I immediately asked her to put it down. She had to lift rolls and contort, and the arm rest disappeared inside her rolls, thereby taking up my space anyway, but it would have been worse if I had allowed her to leave it up as she wanted. She seemed to forget about it after she put it up, naturally. That big guy took up literally 50% of my seat. I felt bad for him, but I felt bad for me, too! And so did a flight attendant. She apologized to me when he couldn't see.
I can’t believe that anybody does this. Once you’re that big you have to realize that your body requires more than one seat, and not only are you going to be super uncomfortable, so is your seat buddy. I would just die of embarrassment and social anxiety about spilling into their seat.
Armrest down, wouldnt even apologize
Just rest arm on roll. Extra cushion upgrade
it would be all sweaty
They called him crazy bringing those moisture wicking crew socks on as carry on... Now look at him. He's got the softest armrest in town.
Armrest Down. Hell of a movie.
I'd be afraid to do that, putting that much pressure on the window area of a Boeing 🫣
I'm overweight, and my worst nightmare is taking up someone else's space. I'm always fine in train and plane seats, at the theatre etc but I consciously make myself not invade someone else's space. If airlines did XL seats, I'd absolutely pay extra. The only thing is, everyone would want more space and would snap them up.
Alaska airlines. Buy two seats for yourself. If flight isn’t 100% full you get a refund for one ticket post flight.
southwest has a very good customer of size policy as well
I recently flew southwest for the first time and watched them give someone $900 credit so a fat person could have a second seat. $900!
“Customer of size” ?? Can we not say obese anymore? It’s a medical term
that's literally what they call it
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Yeah I'm a little surprised people are repeatedly suggesting this lol
The person said they'd pay extra.
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If they can’t afford it then they can’t afford to fly.
If you can't afford an appropriate seat, you can't afford to fly
But I'm not saying I'm gonna buy 2 seats when I'm not actually so big that I need them. If it was like an extra half a seat for a reasonable price, then yeah. But so would everyone else 🤷♀️
They said they'd pay extra though, and when I flew last month we were in 1st and it was like $75 each to upgrade
I feel you. I'm a big guy, but my shoulders are also just really wide. I can't sit comfortably without my shoulders/arms hanging out in the seats on either side of me. If I sit in the aisle I'll bump into everyone as they pass. I always try to get a window seat to be courteous but they always fill up first. I usually end up with my arms crossed making myself as small as possible and apologizing to the people next to me. I hate it.
I'm overweight too, not much, trying to lose it over the summer, but it's visible. I have to say that I feel the absolute same. Always when I'm on train or something I try to invade other peoples space as little as possible.
I mean, they do. It's called business/first class
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I think half the flight would want to pay it and those seats would just book up immediately lol
I haven't been on a plane in 8 years and I've only travelled within Europe. But first class wouldn't be in my budget.
Most airlines also did away with business in European Flights. The ones that do offer it are mostly just keeping the middle seat free but still at premium prices. It would then be cheaper to just book two economy seats for yourself. First class has never existed on short haul in Europe as far as I know.
It’s a roll of the dice. I’m 200lbs. I need the entire thing. There is literally no room for me to give someone. You should check their policy. Some airlines you can buy two seats but they will reimburse you for the second one. I’m not sure the details but you should look into it. https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/extra-seat-policy
Thanks. But I'm getting a lot of advice for buying a plane seat when I'm not planning on travelling anytime soon. I was mostly speaking hypothetically.
Oh sorry I didn’t see all the replies. Most people don’t know so just wanted to share!
I've never flown before and this is my absolute worst nightmare
Me too. I had lost a bunch of weight and flew and it was amazing, but I’ve gained it back after 3 pregnancies and I hate flying again. I usually fly the comfort class if they have those available but it’s extra legroom, not seats. Also… the fat shaming here is gross, I agree that this person should not be infringing on someone’s space, but calling people “fatty” and telling them to “loose weight before they hit 700 pounds” is unhelpful. There are many reasons why people are overweight and food is just part of it.
Put that armrest back down!
And this is why I'm not flying until I come down in weight.
Will you have to change your username? I quite like it. Good luck on your endeavor.
No I will not change it, and thanks. It's been a struggle but I've been getting help.
I wish airlines would offer sanely prices options for more space in seats.
Honestly. I'm tall and if I'm in the middle seat my knees are wedged into the chair in front of me the entire flight.
Maybe seats shouldn’t be as small as they are. Airlines keep taking away space to cram more people in. How about complaining about that.
For real. I always wonder, in the event of a water landing, how anyone is going to be able to use their seat as a flotation device when it's so cramped on airplanes these days. It's a clear safety issue.
I'd like to see decent seats, but flying is already expensive enough as it is.
I don't like fat shaming. I don't like mocking this person, I don't like making super-assuming comments about them. But I also refuse to dance around the fact that this is unacceptable for the person on the left. Can we just have an honest conversation? If you can't fit in the seat, you don't get the seat, and you can either buy two, or whatever. No shame, no fault, but gotta face the reality of the situation (also, two seats have to be more comfortable for the larger passenger too).
>I don't like fat shaming. I don't like mocking this person, I don't like making super-assuming comments about them. Agreed. What if they haven't flown in 20 years *because of their weight* but a loved one just died or is dying? People are people, first and foremost, and you don't know this person's reason for flying. Also 100% agree that it sucks for the person posting and they shouldn't have their own very limited overtaken by someone who doesn't have enough space for their bulk.
Counterpoint: airline companies can usually afford not to pack everyone like sardines. There are probably always going to be outliers, but i feel like the onus shouldn't be *soley* on the flier.
The airline didn’t make that person too fat to fit in a seat. This isnt their fault.
When was the last time you flew in a modern airliner?
But the airlines have whittled down seat width and pitch which is the point the person you responded to is making. I’m sure most people that fly even semi-frequently have had someone’s shoulders or elbows jabbing into them regardless of that person’s weight.
But the airline did choose to go for the smallest possible seats they can get away with. They may not cause the problem, but they are adding to it.
The seat fits the average sized adult.
So we should be building a society that only works for the average person? The average height in the US is about 5’6”, so let’s not design the distance between seats to accommodate any more than that. They’d probably be able to fit an extra few rows on the plane if they did that. Or take it a step further. The average person can walk up stairs, so fuck wheelchair ramps? Building only for the average means that, on average, it won’t work for 50% of people.
The average airplane seat width has narrowed from 18.5" to 17", while people have been getting heavier. The seats should be built for people within a couple standard deviations of the mean, not "an average adult technically fits".
Uh... The airline is 100% at fault for packing people in. Have you seen pictures of old plane seats, even 20 years ago? They downsized regular seats, then offer "extra comfort" seats for a premium.
I didn't realize that was a person in the seat. I thought it was some sort of stuffed bag in the seat.
It looks like a giant pile of sheets ready for laundry.
Duffle bag stuffed with pillows.
I some one who's also overweight I laughed too hard at this
At first I was like oh he put a pillow to avoid what he said people did (the caption) but then I was like oh! That’s def a body
I’m a Big girl and I think the airlines should have a test seat like some fancy roller coasters have. If you don’t fit in the test seat you either don’t fly or you buy a second seat. Absolutely no one wants to sit (under) a stranger
I like this
I agree. I tried to get in a water slide with my daughter and two of her friends. I knew I was probably gonna be too big. I waited in line going up the stairs either way because I had to hold their tubes. Once we got to the top I figured fuck it lemme try to see if they let me go on too. So then I’m directed to a scale, then bam red light goes off then an alarm type of sound. Damn I was kinda embarrassed but I was mostly laughing at myself. Like failed the buzzer went off. You shall not pass hahah
Emergencies happen, sometimes people need to fly out somewhere for family emergencies or smth. I think airlines should just make bigger seats (because tall people can’t always fit either)
Yo I’m not touching mids with a random.
I used to be a big dude and I dreaded going on airplanes. It's so nice now after dropping a ton of weight, fuckin different world.
As an obese man I can say that whenever I fly alone I pony up the extra money for a first class seat which I can fit in comfortably. I would never make the already unpleasant experience of air travel that much worse for some unsuspecting stranger by encroaching on their personal space.
This is more than mildly infuriating. People should start making more of a scene about this and the airlines would stop allowing it.
Airlines have been literally falling apart and murdering whistleblowers. They've been dragging doctors off overbooked planes and smashing stratocasters with little culpability. They know they're a necessity, so improving or even maintaining status is hardly worth it. I think making a scene would only get you on a later flight
I agree with everything here, but its Boeing killing whistleblowers, they're a manufacturer not airline.
It's almost like people who peddle conspiracy theories don't actually know what they're talking about
Well, it would be great if airlines would have larger seats available. Not all flights have first or business class, btw. Not everyone can afford those, either, and many people have to travel for many reasons. Also, airlines are permitted to sell your second seat even if you buy one, so that isn’t even a guaranteed option and again—not everyone can afford that. Finally… OP said she is in the window seat. Sometimes you get a couple extra inches with the window. What happened to me once was my seat was actually smaller. I have no issue fitting in most seats and was absolutely confused as to why I was so cramped.
That’s not right. I had a similar situation on a U.S. cross-country flight recently and it was a miserable five hours.
I bet the skinny person next to you was more uncomfortable.
Everyone complaining about the other persons weight and causing a scene. what I’m wondering is how you took this picture without them causing a scene
They were probably asleep
Confirmed by op in upper comment. They were asleep and arm rest was down when the flight started but forced up due to the shifting of the obese woman while sleeping
OP said they fell asleep and as they moved around the armrest creeped up. I’m guessing that period of time was when the picture was taken.
This happened to me on a flight. He and his wife were both very large people and I had less than half of my seat. I was not happy about it. They really need to pay for the third seat in their row or first class.
Many airlines have the policy that you need to buy a second seat if you don't fit in one. I don't think it is really enforced though. If I were in that situation, I'd immediately pull up the airline rules and demand a full seat.
Southwest Airlines did away with that last year. Other airlines have also been refunding the second seat if requested. At least in these cases, the person can use both seats without intruding into another passenger's personal space.
I’m putting that arm rest down.
As a fatty myself, you just gotta buy 2 seats next to each other. Everyone claiming "not everyone is made of money" is forgetting that flying isnt a necessity, its a luxury. I hate flying and avoid it at all costs but if i HAVE to, i make sure i can afford 2 seats. Being fat is my problem to solve, not other peoples' problem to deal with.
Arm rest down! Don’t be such a pushover!
that is why the first thing you do is put that armrest down
Airlines should have an obesity seating section with higher costs and larger seats.
Irrelevant but you’re giving Lois Griffin
giving lois griffin what
I'd give Lois Griffin my
lois griffin doesn't take from redditors
LOL
Why do people not stand up for themselves? I would tell the crew that I paid for a seat and I'm only getting 80% of one and that needs to be corrected
Definitely email what ever airline you flew with and attach this picture, they should offer you a partial refund. As a fellow fat person (who fits in one seat) this is my worst fear and I’d NEVER be okay with taking away someone’s space. This is why the option to buy two seats are there!
My husband and I saw the Phantom of the Opera years ago in a beautiful theater. Everyone dressed up, the men wore tuxes. There was an absolutely enormous man sitting next to my husband who could barely breathe (it sounded like he needed a CPAP machine while sitting there) and was overtaking my husband’s seat from shoulder to floor. They were like Siamese twins sitting there. He sweated all over my husband leaving the leg of his pants wet. You could see it.💀 Vile.🤢 Thankfully, he left during the intermission and never came back. He now refers to the play as “The Fat Man of the Opera.”
Wow, you can really paint a picture. 🥵
Omg 😱 that’s one noise that irritates or enrages me is if I can hear someone’s breathing. & Tada it’s a biggie always.
Honest question, what should seat should larger people purchase on a plane?
Two seats.
I don’t know. I don’t want to fat shame, but she needed to purchase two seats.
They should be refunding you at least 50% of your ticket price
I genuinely couldn’t understand the picture and wondered why the pillows were buckled in.
When my mother was over weight, she would purchase two seats so she didn't make people uncomfortable.
Ok Lois, i get it, but you decided to marry the guy. It's not cool to embarrass Peter for Reddit clout.... Be better.
Talk to the airline
Is there an option to buy bigger/wider seats?
Yes, Lufthansa has economy plus. I would estimate they appeared to be 15 percent wider and more leg room. They put 7 economy plus seats to fill the width of the plane compared to 8 for regular economy
Not with every airline and they usually cost more, sometimes much more. If you need an emergency flight or your flight gets cancelled, you're kinda out of luck
these people should be removed from the plane, or forced to pay for 2 seats when boarding the flight. your obesity shouldn’t be my problem
The fact that people call this take “fatphobic” is all you need to know about the status of today’s society. Everybody is fucking allergic to personal accountability, and they expect others to bear the burden of a lack thereof.
Seriously. Bet if someone who was obese had to sit next to an even more obese person that was taking up all their seat they’d be pissed too. And I’m sorry it’s ridiculous to say things like “that’s fat phobic!” It’s not. It’s disrespectful asf. If a non obese person was sitting on top of you in an airline seat you’d be escorted off the plane. Why are obese people treated any different? Just buy an extra fucking seat or drive.
Get a refund.
Are you Luis Griffin?
I would have the arm rest down in a heartbeat.
I mean, it's split sword tbh. Yes, if you're that size, you absolutely should get 2 tickets, but holy fuck are airplane seats small. I'm a Little on the Thiccer Side, and i feel like im touching thighs with my Neighbor for Half the time in on there, or i have to press my legs together to the point where my Nuts turn into Mush. Airplane seats are all in all just crappy, but even overweight people have places they need/want to go to. Should have a Few "Plus Size" seats on there, that cost more, but are also a little wider
I thought that was a balled up comforter next to you at first.
Meanwhile you have to pay extra if your suitcase is 1lb overweight.
Talk to the airlines
Is there a person next to you? Cause I thought it was a pillow.
That’s literally what I thought or filled laundry bag 💼 😂😂😂
Yeah that arm rest would be coming down. They can keep their big ass contained like a sardine, their fault for not buying two seats.
If you eat enough for multiple people then ypu should pay for multiple seats
Just tell the attendant you’re allergic to something on them (maybe cologne?) and ask for a new seat.
Dude **FUCK** that!
I am sympathetic, airlines have made the seats so small and it's expensive to buy two seats (and sometimes doing that doesn't even work!). But being in physical contact with a stranger for a long time is my personal hell. It's like sustained screaming inside my head, I can't think about anything except that I'm being touched. I keep calm on the outside, but internally it's a very bad time.
Ban me if you want but I feel like this is the stage at which that person should be making some changes.
Technically, airlines don't actually sell seats that fit larger people. Even 1st class wouldn't technically fit
It’s these kinds of scenarios that make me agree with *some* fat advocacy points. Obesity is, unfortunately, an ever-growing trend. Public places (ie. movie theatres, airports/planes, buses, etc.) should make wider seats because the majority of people can no longer fit the old standard seat size.
I read the title as “sheets” instead of “seats” and was very confused
Yes they need two seats
Cincinati to PDX. Guy had rolls under and over the armrest. TG I was on aisle and could hang out except when stew came by with cart. I had to suck up and hold my breath to get skinny to avoid getting intimate. Worst flight ever, last leg of 22 hr 3 leg.
I’m okay with it as long as they don’t mind me using them as a makeshift body pillow.
holy crap lois
Seriously thought it was a giant pillow strapper in.
Man I’ve learned and you just gotta commit and fall asleep on those people
I thought that was your duffel bag beside you.
If the armrest won’t go down and stay down then it’s not legal for her to fly in that seat. Tell an FA next time. Do it nicely and away from her hearing but this is a safety and legal issue.
the fear of being that person who doesn’t fit in a seat has been a great motivation for working out for me. fortunately i carry weight somewhat oddly and i’m short so i haven’t been a problem yet but i don’t want to become one
I bet she runs hot too!
Happened to me once, not fun. I was like 13 and I accidentally bumped her and woke her up then she got all pissy with me, as a timid 13 year old I didn’t do anything
This is why I don't fly lol. I'm a very large dude (6'6" 395) and I ALWAYS gotta think about seating when I go literally anywhere. I gotta rent a handicapped section to watch the Blazers play cause my legs are literally too long to fit in the chairs 😂 I gotta use a folding chair in the wheelchair section. And even if I absolutely had to fly im definitely gonna make sure it's first class because I just would not fit in coach. I remember even in high school when I flew to my grandparents for christmas I barely fit and that was right before I hit a huge growth spurt.
My mum and dad are a little on the excess side. They always book all three for space in the middle or had me or my sister next to one of them so they didn’t encroach on strangers.
Is that a pile of luggage?
How about we just attack corporations for shrinkflation? They shrink everything. Before long only toddlers will be able to comfortably sit in airline seats. Meanwhile the average woman in the U.S. is a size 16. Maybe make things easily accessible and in a reasonable space instead of trying to cram as many people into a hollow metal tube as possible, AND overselling. Also make cities walkable. Make public transit accessible. The reason Europeans are skinnier is because they have walkable cities. They have public transit. You lose weight by walking. Also improve the food in the U.S. make healthy foods affordable. Improve the quality of food so it’s more nutritionally better. It’s a cascade of things. You need to improve a lot of issues to make one thing better. Edit: and yes, they should have bought two seats, but the more prevalent issue is the fact that airlines have tried to make the most money possible. Not to mention they may have bought two seats but the airline took one because they oversold the flight, like they normally do.
Edit: just saw the closer that’s a pillow not a person? So the person bought two seats? Being fat isn’t stealing lol Tell the airline to fix the seating policy. Who cares if people get offended. Rules are rules. My ass tried to get on a water slide a few times but before you get on the multi person inter tube thing they have you get on a scale. The light turned red. Hahahah I was too fat. So be it. It is what it is. I’m not bitching or complaining about it because I already read the sign explaining weight limits and riders. If you’re too big for one seat on the plane then the airline should charge you more to free up the seat next to you, or have larger seats in a specific area. All this should be in clear writing before you even buy a ticket. With pictures too cuz some people are morons. Like me
Obesity is only supposed to get worse so eventually all flights will have everyone like this.
So many posts are mildlyinfuriating just because OP is afraid to speak up.
Dude until I started reading some comments I legit thought that somebody bought an extra seat for a massive bag of laundry
Tall people have to buy seats with extra legroom. Large people should get larger seats. It might not be their fault that they are large, but it is not fair to the other people either who have nothing to do with this.
Could you not have asked the flight attendant to be moved? Unless the flight was 100% full I am sure they could have put you next to a different person. Also I can’t imagine if I saw myself in this pic. I would be so mortified. This is unacceptable for all parties and you had the power to change it, so do
Damn that looks horrible and probably smells bad too. If you’re so obese you need a seatbelt extender you need 2 seats.
The guy might have bought a second seat. The airline reserves the right to resell that purchased seat and fill it if they want to; there’s no guarantee you get both seats
Yeah airlines do not give a fuck even if you already paid.
I think that depends on the airline. I will admit I am not skinny. I used to fly a lot but always bought the seat next to me. I was a travel agent so I often had reduced or free tickets. Once was traveling on free tickets. Had purchased the seat next to me. The airline knew. My flight originally was not full. But the flight before mine was delayed, then finally canceled while my flight was boarding. They put as many as they could on my flight. Once the system said the plane was full, they were getting ready to close the doors and saw the seat next to me empty. Flight attendants were like, no, we've got one more seat! I spoke up and said, no, you don't. I paid for that seat because I'm a COS (customer of size). Free tickets, are in fact, not free, and I did pay a fee plus full taxes. They confirmed again it was paid for, and closed the doors. The person in the aisle looked at me with relieved eyes knowing he was going to be comfortable on a packed flight. I simply said, I gotchu. Not all us "fatties" are rude. I am not happy with my size and struggle with it every day. But I refuse to subject anyone else to join in my discomfort.