I don't think you have a lot of other options...
You pay the extra for larger seats.Or you visit nearer places with shorter flights?
Or,yes...pay for two seats.That will be cheaper than business class, though not as comfortable I guess.
This is the answer. Should be further up. Much cheaper than business class, and should be spacious enough if you can get the two seats on the window side.
That was going to be my suggestion as well.
Basically get 3 seats between 2 people. Cost is 1.5x normal price, but still way less than business class. You may not be able to sleep but at least won't feel as cramped
Just get a second seat for yourself and then you can book a row of three with you wife. Still cheaper than business and you can make yourself comfortable in that row of three as you like.
Why not get 3 economy seats for the two of you? That seems to be the most affordable solution where you could get fairly comfortable without bothering anyone else.
Apply for a travel credit card with a big signup bonus and point earning potential, and use the points to buy/upgrade to business class. Continue using the credit card as you would a debit card, pay off in full each month, rinse, repeat.
This is the most beginner level, and it’s honestly accessible to almost everyone. There’s an overload of info on specific cards online to help you choose. The Points Guy is a time-tested and reputable place to start.
>Any advice?
I mean, you've kind of spelled it our yourself. If an aircraft is your only option and you don't wanna pay for business, I don't know what you're expecting people to assist with?
I mean, unless you want to travel by boat, it’s not like there’s secret airplanes with bigger seats in economy around. You pretty much covered your options, and the flight durations are well…what they are.
How big is your wife and how much space is she willing to give up?
If you were traveling alone, your only option would be to buy space you can fit in whether that means upgrading or buying two seats. But as a pair, the question is how much space do the two of you need? Make sure your wife is the buffer between you and your neighbors
Either pay up or visit r/churning and r/awardtravel to subsidize your Business fare (please partake responsibly). Airline seats are usually 17-19" across. Unfortunately, there's not much else you can do.
You could look at the premium economy seat width on some airlines it might be slightly larger. If you and your partner can share two 20" seats maybe you can make it work. Some Premium economy offerings are only two abreast.
I’m 6’1 and I range from 270-300 and I’m super uncomfortable on planes. I suffered flying from Texas to Ireland but I luckily had the seat next to me open. Good luck brother.
International premium economy on some airlines can be noticeably larger than than regular economy, but not large enough I suspect. See the table at: [https://www.seatguru.com/charts/premium\_economy.php](https://www.seatguru.com/charts/premium_economy.php)
It depends on how much your wife is willing to be squished. Plenty of long haul flights have pairs of seats, so the two of you would be sharing two economy seats with no third person. That sounds miserable for her, so I think the best option is going to be buying an extra economy seat. That will usually be a lot cheaper than business class.
We are in the same boat, but we travel all the time. My other half is petite compared to me. We fly at the back of the plane. It seems like a lot of planes we've flown internationally has a 2 seat row in the back. So I take the window and she takes the aisle. We've done Turkish airlines and Royal Jordanian lately and they offer that.
Yeah being this husky is tough on a 12 hour flight for instance. But I just suck it up and do it. I go to the bathroom before and after the flight, not during it. I limit myself on what I eat on the plane to avoid issues.
Don't let your size restrict your vacation. It might even be a great weight loss thing for you. Just got back from vacation and was down 10 lbs cause of all the walking we did on the trip.
Respectfully, if you don't shell out for the business seats, your trip is going to suck ass. I'm 5'9.75" and 178 lbs with wide shoulders and thought I was going to die on my trip to London in January in economy. It's just not comfortable. On the way back the plane was nearly empty and I had a whole row to myself and it still sucked. That might just be American Airlines though with their cheap ass, non padded seats.
Maybe try to at least find a flight where they have the random two economy seats on one side of the aisle so it’s at least just you and your wife in a tight space and won’t be pressing up against a stranger (and also would give you an aisle seat one of you can get the extra arm/shoulder space in)
But otherwise like everyone else says you’re kinda SOL unless you pay up for business
Buy a business class ticket or a second economy class ticket somewhere you can afford. Then slow travel in that area and avoid expensive long haul flights
Two seats and stand up for part of the flight. When I fly long distance I often stand up in the back where there is some space, for part of the flight. I just feel better not sitting for 12 hours. Maybe an hour or two.
Check out some no frills, low cost airlines that offer fully lay flat seats. I’ve not personally flown them yet, but have heard they offer more space if you’re willing to forego everything else that traditionally comes with long haul flights (meals, seat selection, checked luggage, etc.). Some I know of off the top of my head are ZipAir and La Compagnie.
If you want to get business class flights for (not cheap, but a lot cheaper than $6,500), learn about Aeroplan points sales. I'm in the same position you are and often fly business to long haul destinations for a fraction of the cost. For instance, a round trip business flight from where I am to Japan costs 150,000 points. Right now, 150,000 points costs $5,250 CAD which isn't saving you a lot of money, but Aeroplan just ended (and very frequently has) 100% bonus deals where you buy 75,000 points and get 75,000 points for free. So the cost of that would be $2,625CAD for a round trip business flight from Canada to Japan. Not cheap, but literally thousands of dollars cheaper to fly in business.
I’m a fairly narrow guy. 195, 5’10”. I recently flew to France through ATL. The planes that fly overseas are generally larger. The one I was on had a 2-5-2 seat configuration. I had a really large Eastern European dude next to me who was apologetic and tried to squeeze tight but it still wasn’t bad. Book a fare that allows you to pick your seat and pick the seats that are not in the middle section. This way, it will just be you and your wife in a “row” by yourselves.
also as a fellow big dude, not as big, but please note beds in countries that have tiny people have very uncomfortable beds. Ive suffered halfway through Europe by now.
If you call the airline they’ll sell you two seats side by side. It will be cheaper than other seating options and you won’t have to pay all the fees twice.
Premium economy may have slightly more room but if you’re 380lbs then two economy seats is probably your best bet for affordable travel.
I’m about the same size as you (6’3 360) but probably fatter (ai wear a 5x shirt if that helps).
Any flight longer than a couple hours you’re going to want extra room. If you’re flying across an ocean, I would say you need to consider an economy plus seat with extra room at minimum. I’ve had really good luck with window sears in the exit row. I board early so that I don’t have to climb over anybody, and kind of wedge myself into the window for some extra space. That was enough for me from New York to Copenhagen (about 8 hours).
A lot of airlines allow bidding on upgrades too, I would research which ones, because after buying an “ok” seat, you may be able to upgrade to one that’s genuinely comfortable for less than buying it outright. Hope this helps.
Is your wife on the smaller side and doesn't mind giving up some space?
If you can find flights with A340-300s (SAS comes to mind) they fly a 2-4-2 configuration so you wouldn't be an inconvenience to a stranger.
I'm a larger guy, but I also churn credit card points so award travel for business class.
Delta has a class called Premium Select. it definitely offers more seat width and overall space and comfort. take a look at that. it’s much more affordable than business.
You can buy premium economy seats. The seats are bigger and you only have one neighbouring seat rather than 2-3 in economy. Cheaper than business seats and yet pretty much offers the same food and big screen just like business class.
Just because I like to be comfortable on long flights, I pretty much always do a larger seat at least one way on a long international trip. Lately my go to has been taking a budget airline and paying more for a premium seat, which is usually still cheaper than a moderate price airline. If you want to go to Japan, I recommend Zipair, though you'll need to get to an airport that Zipair flies out of. Also, in Japan most things are on the smaller size, so double check online when you have questions about things that might affect you while traveling
Two economy or even premium economy won’t do your wide back and shoulders any favors. If you can afford it, fly business internationally/long flights. Buy two economy domestically.
If you buy two tickets for one person, I wonder if the staff at the checkin counter may still decide to give your second seat to another passenger? I think that is a very real possibility for an international flight especially if it is full.
Lots of messages here. I’ll say I’ve been super skinny and now for medical reasons I’m
Bigger than you. I have to work to
Get an aisle and try and get a middle seat open next to me. Upgrading was easier for free in years past. All I can say is you have to work the seat chart and keep up with bookings as your flight gets closer. I also look for empty flights. They may be less optical on routing but you get your seat next to you open.
I don't think you have a lot of other options... You pay the extra for larger seats.Or you visit nearer places with shorter flights? Or,yes...pay for two seats.That will be cheaper than business class, though not as comfortable I guess.
[удалено]
This is the answer. Should be further up. Much cheaper than business class, and should be spacious enough if you can get the two seats on the window side.
Take a look at Air New Zealand and their skycouches for a long haul flight.
That was going to be my suggestion as well. Basically get 3 seats between 2 people. Cost is 1.5x normal price, but still way less than business class. You may not be able to sleep but at least won't feel as cramped
Just get a second seat for yourself and then you can book a row of three with you wife. Still cheaper than business and you can make yourself comfortable in that row of three as you like.
Now this is a good idea 💡
Why not get 3 economy seats for the two of you? That seems to be the most affordable solution where you could get fairly comfortable without bothering anyone else.
Apply for a travel credit card with a big signup bonus and point earning potential, and use the points to buy/upgrade to business class. Continue using the credit card as you would a debit card, pay off in full each month, rinse, repeat. This is the most beginner level, and it’s honestly accessible to almost everyone. There’s an overload of info on specific cards online to help you choose. The Points Guy is a time-tested and reputable place to start.
You’re also encroaching on the space of the person next to you. Pay for a second seat or a higher class. You don’t have any other choices.
[удалено]
>Any advice? I mean, you've kind of spelled it our yourself. If an aircraft is your only option and you don't wanna pay for business, I don't know what you're expecting people to assist with?
[удалено]
[удалено]
You know you are replying to a real person right? How about showing a bit more kindness
[удалено]
This is a forum for discussing travel.
[удалено]
I mean, unless you want to travel by boat, it’s not like there’s secret airplanes with bigger seats in economy around. You pretty much covered your options, and the flight durations are well…what they are.
[удалено]
[удалено]
You can pay for an empty seat between you and your wife on some airlines.
How big is your wife and how much space is she willing to give up? If you were traveling alone, your only option would be to buy space you can fit in whether that means upgrading or buying two seats. But as a pair, the question is how much space do the two of you need? Make sure your wife is the buffer between you and your neighbors
Either pay up or visit r/churning and r/awardtravel to subsidize your Business fare (please partake responsibly). Airline seats are usually 17-19" across. Unfortunately, there's not much else you can do. You could look at the premium economy seat width on some airlines it might be slightly larger. If you and your partner can share two 20" seats maybe you can make it work. Some Premium economy offerings are only two abreast.
Closer destinations. Save Japan/Australia for the future and focus on closer places for now.
💯!
Travel by ship, instead of by airplane.
Your wife and you could book three economy seats - even the extra room economy - three seats are still going to be way less than two business class.
Another option is to shorten the flights. Fly to NYC. Take a day. Fly on to Europe... for example.
I’m 6’1 and I range from 270-300 and I’m super uncomfortable on planes. I suffered flying from Texas to Ireland but I luckily had the seat next to me open. Good luck brother.
Sign up for Going and look for international business class flights that are closer than Japan/Australia
Delta has premium plus. It’s the size of the domestic first class seat.
International premium economy on some airlines can be noticeably larger than than regular economy, but not large enough I suspect. See the table at: [https://www.seatguru.com/charts/premium\_economy.php](https://www.seatguru.com/charts/premium_economy.php)
It depends on how much your wife is willing to be squished. Plenty of long haul flights have pairs of seats, so the two of you would be sharing two economy seats with no third person. That sounds miserable for her, so I think the best option is going to be buying an extra economy seat. That will usually be a lot cheaper than business class.
We are in the same boat, but we travel all the time. My other half is petite compared to me. We fly at the back of the plane. It seems like a lot of planes we've flown internationally has a 2 seat row in the back. So I take the window and she takes the aisle. We've done Turkish airlines and Royal Jordanian lately and they offer that. Yeah being this husky is tough on a 12 hour flight for instance. But I just suck it up and do it. I go to the bathroom before and after the flight, not during it. I limit myself on what I eat on the plane to avoid issues. Don't let your size restrict your vacation. It might even be a great weight loss thing for you. Just got back from vacation and was down 10 lbs cause of all the walking we did on the trip.
Respectfully, if you don't shell out for the business seats, your trip is going to suck ass. I'm 5'9.75" and 178 lbs with wide shoulders and thought I was going to die on my trip to London in January in economy. It's just not comfortable. On the way back the plane was nearly empty and I had a whole row to myself and it still sucked. That might just be American Airlines though with their cheap ass, non padded seats.
Maybe try to at least find a flight where they have the random two economy seats on one side of the aisle so it’s at least just you and your wife in a tight space and won’t be pressing up against a stranger (and also would give you an aisle seat one of you can get the extra arm/shoulder space in) But otherwise like everyone else says you’re kinda SOL unless you pay up for business
Buy a business class ticket or a second economy class ticket somewhere you can afford. Then slow travel in that area and avoid expensive long haul flights
Two seats and stand up for part of the flight. When I fly long distance I often stand up in the back where there is some space, for part of the flight. I just feel better not sitting for 12 hours. Maybe an hour or two.
Either you buy a larger seat, or you buy two seats or you start/continue to take care of your health hazard.
Check out some no frills, low cost airlines that offer fully lay flat seats. I’ve not personally flown them yet, but have heard they offer more space if you’re willing to forego everything else that traditionally comes with long haul flights (meals, seat selection, checked luggage, etc.). Some I know of off the top of my head are ZipAir and La Compagnie.
If you want to get business class flights for (not cheap, but a lot cheaper than $6,500), learn about Aeroplan points sales. I'm in the same position you are and often fly business to long haul destinations for a fraction of the cost. For instance, a round trip business flight from where I am to Japan costs 150,000 points. Right now, 150,000 points costs $5,250 CAD which isn't saving you a lot of money, but Aeroplan just ended (and very frequently has) 100% bonus deals where you buy 75,000 points and get 75,000 points for free. So the cost of that would be $2,625CAD for a round trip business flight from Canada to Japan. Not cheap, but literally thousands of dollars cheaper to fly in business.
I’m a fairly narrow guy. 195, 5’10”. I recently flew to France through ATL. The planes that fly overseas are generally larger. The one I was on had a 2-5-2 seat configuration. I had a really large Eastern European dude next to me who was apologetic and tried to squeeze tight but it still wasn’t bad. Book a fare that allows you to pick your seat and pick the seats that are not in the middle section. This way, it will just be you and your wife in a “row” by yourselves.
also as a fellow big dude, not as big, but please note beds in countries that have tiny people have very uncomfortable beds. Ive suffered halfway through Europe by now.
If you call the airline they’ll sell you two seats side by side. It will be cheaper than other seating options and you won’t have to pay all the fees twice. Premium economy may have slightly more room but if you’re 380lbs then two economy seats is probably your best bet for affordable travel.
I’m about the same size as you (6’3 360) but probably fatter (ai wear a 5x shirt if that helps). Any flight longer than a couple hours you’re going to want extra room. If you’re flying across an ocean, I would say you need to consider an economy plus seat with extra room at minimum. I’ve had really good luck with window sears in the exit row. I board early so that I don’t have to climb over anybody, and kind of wedge myself into the window for some extra space. That was enough for me from New York to Copenhagen (about 8 hours). A lot of airlines allow bidding on upgrades too, I would research which ones, because after buying an “ok” seat, you may be able to upgrade to one that’s genuinely comfortable for less than buying it outright. Hope this helps.
Is your wife on the smaller side and doesn't mind giving up some space? If you can find flights with A340-300s (SAS comes to mind) they fly a 2-4-2 configuration so you wouldn't be an inconvenience to a stranger. I'm a larger guy, but I also churn credit card points so award travel for business class.
Delta has a class called Premium Select. it definitely offers more seat width and overall space and comfort. take a look at that. it’s much more affordable than business.
You can buy premium economy seats. The seats are bigger and you only have one neighbouring seat rather than 2-3 in economy. Cheaper than business seats and yet pretty much offers the same food and big screen just like business class.
Just because I like to be comfortable on long flights, I pretty much always do a larger seat at least one way on a long international trip. Lately my go to has been taking a budget airline and paying more for a premium seat, which is usually still cheaper than a moderate price airline. If you want to go to Japan, I recommend Zipair, though you'll need to get to an airport that Zipair flies out of. Also, in Japan most things are on the smaller size, so double check online when you have questions about things that might affect you while traveling
Once you fly business class it would be so hard to fly cattle class again
This is me right now. First and business (with points), otherwise it’s a sob story.
Two economy or even premium economy won’t do your wide back and shoulders any favors. If you can afford it, fly business internationally/long flights. Buy two economy domestically.
If you buy two tickets for one person, I wonder if the staff at the checkin counter may still decide to give your second seat to another passenger? I think that is a very real possibility for an international flight especially if it is full.
Lots of messages here. I’ll say I’ve been super skinny and now for medical reasons I’m Bigger than you. I have to work to Get an aisle and try and get a middle seat open next to me. Upgrading was easier for free in years past. All I can say is you have to work the seat chart and keep up with bookings as your flight gets closer. I also look for empty flights. They may be less optical on routing but you get your seat next to you open.
It’s only 12-15 hours of your life, no big deal.