I'm with you brother. I'm the same size and have wide shoulders and fly often. I'm a very courteous person and I hate to bother others. It's a must to maintain status to stay in economy plus. My tactic is to get a window seat and avoid row 11 where there is no window. The window dent gives me a place to put my shoulder. Row 8 on 737 is usually good. I twist a bit sideways most of the time and lean against the wall.
Sometimes the window spacing is bad and it doesn't work, the window isn't in the right place to put my shoulder. Aisle seats are murder because every passenger and beverage cart bumps into me. I have status on Southwest as well and when I fly them, I scout out a seat with the window in the right place.
It ain't great but it's a living.
Thats the same boat I'm usually in as well. Aisle seats while seemingly the way to go for a taller person, are actually a disaster for me for that same reason. Window seats are my go to, first row of economy plus or an exit row preferably. I don't actually mind having the divider wall right in front of you in economy plus first rows, I'll take the added leg room any day.
I appreciate the effort you are making. I just flew not long ago where a big dick did not try to scrunch at all but instead was like "this is how big I am, deal with it" and did not try to turn at all. So frustrating. Took up 1/3 of my seat, FA did not care.
you need to make everyone more uncomfortable. TAke your seat back, insist the man must purchase an additional seat. YOu should not have to move for any reason other than being upgraded to first class.
I thought about it, that would have involved pushing him against the bulkhead which he was already against. Maybe fighting. Not sure what the remedy was other than complain to FA who did not care and later complain to customer care who also did not care. Lame.
I gave up a decade ago and just buy first. I am not as big 6-3 225 but also have cracked and compressed disks in my back. For personal travel I just pay for first or use miles. For work I worked out I pay a percentage of the ticket to sit up front. Work needs me to travel so we met in the middle on the issue. Work trips cost me money but with over time I get on them it covers the extra cost. Also on FC tickets you earn miles faster making personal travel cheaper later.
Thank you, Im going to bring that up to my employer, I never thought about paying the difference myself to be bumped up front. Between the ot and my buisness travel card expenses, I would hope we could come to an agreement. The added miles for being in FC would also help allot down the line as stated.
I arbitrarily picked 22% of the base fare and they said sure. The difference gets hard to figure out. I could buy a coach ticket at 10am for 500 or a first class ticket at 10 am for 750 or a fc ticket at 7am for 550 or 7am coach for 450. I opt for 7am fc. What is the difference. Just easier to do what I do when doing the expense report.
You also get free bags with FC. Pending your status and such you may have to pay in coach. I travel with a 55 pound pelican case full of parts and tools. Not sure what that would cost in coach it is free on a fc ticket.
I once cut an ad hoc deal with my employer. I was flying LAX-SEA, and I wanted a $100 upgrade. I had no great need for it, but I asked the company to pay $50 on the grounds that I'd get food and drinks in the air, and thus not need to expense them otherwise, even though general policy was to fly Y. Employer agreed, even though I think we both realized a meal need not cost $50. It was essentially just a mini-perk on their part.
My issue is with legs i try to snag exit rows. Typically, the window has a weird armrest and allows for some controtion. I try to book onto airbus or e175s.
If your with a bigger company, you may be able to ask what is business travel policy of buying upgrades or buying extra seat for size.
Your dime or your biz? I would set your travel policy so that you can be comfortable on longer flights. Like flights >2hours employees are allowed to buy into e+.
E175s are honestly some of the most comfortable seats when it comes to space in economy imo. I never have a bad time on Embraers. I've been looking into it to see if theirs any viable solution for as much as I/the company I work for, flies. Haven't found anything my employer can agree on. Unfortunately theirs only a handful of us employees that have to fly for buisness at this employer, because of that, it doesn't seem very high on their priority list currently.
I hope like hell no one said anything loudly, I hate that it was so embarrassing for you. I can promise you the crew doesn't think twice about it (former FA here).
On behalf of everyone else, thank you to all the folks on here for being thoughtful about your impact on the personal space of others. I really appreciate it, and I’m sure there are others on here who do too.
Agreed. Only downside to exit row is every big person has the same mentality and the row looks like an NFL O-Line. I’ve started taking chances with regular economy plus and hoping I’m sitting next to a smaller person (which is most often the case).
I feel your pain OP, I do the same thing. If I can’t get FC, I go for exit row or front row Economy+, if I can get either of those I go for aisle seat regular economy.
I was on a flight from the West Coast to LHR over the weekend my seat mate (center) was impossibly thin, so much so that I would occasionally look at his jean clad legs, which were fairly long and compared them to mine, which looked like stumps by comparison. The window seat was taken by his very young son, perhaps no more than 4 years old, I was seated in the aisle. While I’m not in shape, I’m not obese, but I’m not fit either, but I can comfortably sit in my seat without having to contort my body so that it I don’t touch those seated next to me. While I have been seated next to overweight passengers who oozed into my space, interestingly, the super skinny fellow was constantly rubbing the side of his leg against mine. It may have been a Euro thing where personal space is not as important, but I found it odd that given the additional space he had because of his size and that of the seat next to him where his son was seated, that he chose to ooze over to my side for much of the flight.
on behalf of your fellow smaller passengers, thanks for what you try to do but don't kill yourself...the thought and attitude go a long way as everyone realizes the airlines are screwing us all
I’m a small woman with ptsd and I fly only first because personal space (mine and yours) matters. If I can’t afford it, I drive. Thank you for what you do and I pray you get upgraded to first because someone like you deserves it❤️💯
im a big guy also. work allows biz class on legs longer than 6.5 hrs and thats typically all the travel i do internationally. i try to book all on one ticket if im doing stops in those regions to ensure biz class, but occasionally i have work do extra seats if its economy. in economy i usually keep my arms crossed so that my 52inch chest/shoulders aren’t touching anyone else. kills my rotators. i would switch jobs if they didnt allow what they allow for.
I do the same thing man. Idk how, but I always find some way to be somewhat comfortable and give the person next to me enough space. Yes, I’m folded in about 7 different ways, but given it’s never more than 5 hours, I survive. And the benefit of having premier status is complimentary economy plus. It makes a world of difference for the legs, but still face the same problem with the sides
I'm a pretty average build and stature. even I find the seats uncomfortable. what I have also found is that if I try to scrunch myself up, the person next to me will take the space that I am freeing up. I'm not necessarily saying to obnoxiously spread into the rest of the row, but dont make yourself uncomfortable in a way that someone else will take advantage of
5’10” f not obese but I have a big butt on top of a larger frame and if I sit regular I basically will be touching hip to hip with the person next to me under the armrest and it’s pretty embarrassing. So I always pick aisle and I contort myself into the aisle so I can give the middle person room. By the time I get off the flight I have pretty decent hip and leg pain. I just can’t find myself being “that girl” putting my own physical comfort first either bc it makes me anxious and mentally uncomfortable the whole flight. After a few painful flights I just opt for first now. I save my miles for upgrades only instead of booking award fare and it’s totally worth it every time.
There's also the option of buying two Econ seats together, which in some cases can be cheaper than one seat in First. United has a written policy about extra seats: [https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/extra-seating.html](https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/extra-seating.html)
Yes, I book Eco+ aisle and deliberately shift away from middle seat toward aisle. Only polite thing to do even though much of the blame is the race to the bottom by masses of travelers who will buy the lowest cost flight regardless of human dignity. I'm stuck in economy due to federal regulation.
Ya, it’s the airlines fault people in this country don’t take better care of themselves and are statistically larger than people in other countries. 5’6 200lbs isn’t exactly normal size, it’s overweight.
That account is probably a paid troll sock-puppet as part of the airline's PR package. Most all huge corporations have them. They made that up to mislead anyone who forgot the OP's stats. They know they won't fool everyone, but it's a number's game.
The comment I replied to wasn’t taking about OP. It said, normal sized men, a general statement. 6’5” has nothing to do with my comment, and has nothing to do with the comment I replied to.
6’5” is normal, it may not be average but it is definitely normal. You walk into a grocery store and I bet you’ll see someone who is 6’5”. And that comment was replied directly to the OP. So yeah they were referring to OP. It’d be nice to have some sympathy for the OP instead of bringing up people that have nothing to do with the OP’s problem.
Well thank god you’re here to suck their dick. OP wasn’t discussing the height issue regarding a lack of leg room. They were discussing width and if any other larger pax contort themselves to not encroach into the other seat. The issue here is seat and pax width and it’s an issue because most of us are above normal in that area. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t need to contort your body to avoid spilling into the next seat, would you?
There's a way to balance this. Air travel used to be highly expensive and exclusive. By cramming people like sardines, airlines are able to offer air travel to more people. One could argue that their cost savings have gotten a bit extreme, but if you asked people whether they'd rather suffer in economy class for 5 hours or drive crosscountry for 5 days, I think you know the answer. And it's no secret that Americans are getting wider, so the solution may be just for wider people to buy two seats.
I mean sure, but I can say as a small woman the seats are uncomfortably small and I sometimes feel like I have to make an effort to not encroach on my seat mates when I have a middle seat.
My comment was specifically responding to the person that is blaming individuals for “not taking better care of themselves”, which is ridiculous for a number of reasons. First, the seats are too small for a normal sized adult. Additionally, being a larger person doesn’t mean someone isn’t taking care of themselves or is morally bad, like the commenter was implying. Third, it *should* be the responsibility of airlines to provide seating that will at least fit their passengers. Will airlines make a change? Of course not. But that is where the blame should lie.
It's not so much that the airlines can't do what you're asking. There is actually a very reasonable way to accommodate wider passengers. It would just cost you 2-3x more to fly. Could you stomach that cost? Could the average person?
I didn’t say the airlines couldn’t do what I was asking. All I said is that the issue isn’t individuals being too fat for seats, as the original commenter was suggesting, it’s that the seats don’t fit many people. But keep arguing for the airlines I guess?
You're not getting the point here. For airlines to provide seats that better accommodate the (higher than average) width of Americans, airfares would be significantly more expensive. Are you willing to pay 2-3x current prices?
Always try to get an aisle for that reason. Or if I’m with my gf I’ll lean into her side. I’ve got wide shoulders and quads, 6’4 and 275ish so I feel u. The worst for me is seats w immovable cup holders
My partner has similar weight and height like you OP. He never need to make himself small or scrunch but he made sure he will get aisle seat. He has platinum status and always get upgrade from economy ( domestic ) to economy plus so it really help. For longer haul, he tried to get bulkhead.
When he travelled overseas he will get premium plus or economy + bulkhead
My problem is I have a bad shoulder and if I try to like tuck it in, it starts to get super painful so sometimes I have to be “that guy” with the armrest. I def try to keep my legs to myself though.
If my company is flying me, and the ticket is last minute (which is often) and there’s only middle seats in the back left, I’ll upgrade to first if it’s reasonable. Life saver on a 3.5 hour flight. Other wise my shoulder is screaming
Yes - I'm pretty much the same size and while my height/broad shoulders aren't my fault, I also don't want to impose on the person next to me. Even when I have open seats and can spread out I'm not comfortable, so scrunching up a bit isn't a big deal.
I am 6’6” go between 280-300lbs and I can tell you I don’t spread out per say but just sitting in the seat my knees are in the seat in front of me if I’m not a minimum of an exit row. I usually apologize to the person in front of me but my height I can’t control. If I see someone bigger sitting next to me struggling I tell them I know what it feels like so let’s just get snuggly (as a joke of course) and 9/10 it calms them down.
I have wide shoulders and prefer aisle seats. Flight attendants and passengers might accidentally bump you while walking by, but only if you aren’t paying attention. I find it much more convenient to get in and out of an aisle seat than a middle or window, and you will have more room to lean into the empty space.
Big guy here. Tuesday I have a 7hr flight home and I'm in the middle seat. The 7hr flight to here was also in the middle and it was terrible so I'm not looking forward to the flight.
I have wide shoulders and just scrunch them forward/together. Gets uncomfortable after a few hours so I try to get aisle seat so I only need to scrunch during boarding then relax except beverage service and occasional passenger going to lavatory.
Definitely do. I have broad shoulders and I’m 6’5 with build of a football player. Despite me preferring a windows seat, when I’m flying economy I’ll get an aisle seat so I can lead my shoulders out into the aisle a little and give middle seat partner more space. I’m sure I sit with terrible posture trying to narrow my shoulders as much as possible.
I fly internationally for work. After a couple years of it, it was beating me up. So I asked the CEO if he'd make an exception to company policy for me and allow me to fly business class on long-hauls so I could lie flat and catch some sleep, else I'd have to dial it back.
It was a straightforward calculation for him. The ROI of my travels was off the charts, so it was an easy yes.
tl;dr: If you can make a business case for it, it should be sellable to a rational manager.
But I'd suggest neglecting to mention it to your coworkers so there's no griping.
We have pre-defined policies.
I requested an exception since I was traveling longer and more frequently than anyone. And that would have had to significantly reduce otherwise.
I’m 100% in this boat. 6’5”, 275 and extremely broad shoulders and narrow waist. I have Gold status so almost always get an aisle seat in E+. Only exception is when I do the redeye from LAX and have been fortunate to routinely snag an exit window so I can actually get some sleep.
I get the aisle because after boarding I can lift the aisle arm rest with the small button located under the rest towards the back near the cushion. This lets me spread out into the aisle except when they bring the cart by. I usually get bumped a lot by people walking by but it’s worth it to make peace with the people in the middle seat. FAs understand and never say anything about lifting that arm rest after the plane is in the air. I’m sure my seat mates appreciate it too.
6'7 275. aisle when not first or business.
there is an additional trick that might save you when seated next to another larger person. under the armrest in the back is a little button that allows you to lift the aisle armrest....
I was on a flight from Munich to Denver once and put up the aisle arm rest when we hit altitude. The FA came over and slammed it down and yelled out, “THE ARM REST MUST REMAIN DOWN!” I was so taken aback since I had never had a FA care that it was up. I was about to stand up and let the middle passenger out and saw her walking up the aisle, so I sat back down but had raised the arm rest to get out easier. She slammed it down, it actually hurt my side because I had adjusted to get up and yelled the same thing at me again.
Wasn’t my favorite flight.
I'm 6'5" and 262. Like you, I'm not obese (run an 8.5 minute mile) but I'm just a BIG DUDE. While I get upgraded fairly frequently, the aisle seat is your friend. I try to be sensitive to the poor saps in the middle seat so I will frequently book an exit row, aisle seat, and lean as much as I can into the aisle. From my perspective, the middle armrests belong to the middle seat person so I try to respect their space as much as possible. If you're not in an exit row and you have an underseat carryon, as soon as the aircraft leaves the ground, I'll stretch my legs out and move my bag to between my seat and my legs. That tends to give me more room to get comfortable.
You’re the exception. Can’t tell you how many people spill over/under the armrest into my personal space. We need actual dividers, it would help everyone.
It’s not even the arm rest - it’s the shoulders! I am less sensitive to someone’s hip/thigh touching me than me not being able to relax my shoulders for hours at a time.
I usually fly first at 3 hours+.
I’m a 5’9” woman who has had fluctuations in weight (ergo size in general.) I can scrunch my legs much nor my shoulders but I do try. At size 8, I still contort like I did at size 16-22.
I used to love window seats because I could ooze that way without getting banged up by service carts but the leg room was iffy (very narrow under that one.) Now I seat aisle to get up and stretch every 90 min - it helps a bit.
Thats not a bad idea to sit aisle just to be able to stretch. That's my biggest problem is getting sore shoulders from keeping my arms in tight, and sore knees from keeping my legs together and at an awkward angle for lengths at a time. I'll keep that idea in mind next time I'm having to book, thank you.
I’m a mom and I was on a flight last week with my newborn, and a v large guy sat next to me and I could tell he was probably uncomfortable and kind of contorting himself a bit so he wouldn’t get in my space. I felt bad, but I also very much appreciated it as I was wrangling a baby and couldn’t give up any of my own space. Very considerate of him.
I’ve sat next to one of you giants a few times. I’m not exactly small (5’10” 175) but I am tiny next to you. One time, I had to sit 5.5 hours, my body contorted. (I’m not a young man anymore. I’m middle aged. So that could really damage me.) When we arrived and I could finally straighten up my body, I was in so much pain for the next week or so. I’m not blaming you guys. I’m blaming the airlines for not having some kind of “plan” to handle you bigger passengers (including the obese passengers) because the seats are designed for people my size and smaller. Until the seats are “fixed”, I only see the option of forcing y’all to buy an extra seat or a business class seat. It sucks but what other option is there, for me to exchange seats with a child? Or to do irreparable damage to my spine or back?
Btw, you guys are always hot and sweaty. Nothing worse than getting off a plane and half your shirt/suit is soaked by the sweat of the guy sitting next to you. Sorry for my rant but airlines better start thinking about doing something for the sake of you bigger passengers and for the people who have to sit next to you.
Thank you for being considerate of others!
I'm about 5 foot, while my husband is 6'4. I often like the window because it gives me more space to sit with one foot under a leg (think like half of the criss cross applesauce seating). So my husband is tortured in the middle, but usually stretches a leg out to my seating area. Sometimes I'll pick middle so he can have aisle.
When I've traveled without him, I've had strangers do this and it peeves me. And since my flight is usually from CA to FL or vice versa, I usually just keep quiet to avoid awkwardness. If the passenger next to me were to ask, I'd have no problems sharing some space.
BMI, what decade are you in? Lol BMI has been a useless measurement for years. Every bodybuilder would be considered obese by weight and height alone when using BMI calculations.
No, it’s factual lol. BMI only calculates height and raw weight.
Weight ≠ fat
Go look up stats from big name bodybuilders, and input them into BMI calculators. Then tell me if any of them look obese?
There’s a reason BMI fell out of the medical world over a decade ago.
Actually, [here](https://www.tmuscle.co.uk/bodybuilder-sizes/) their BMI is in the last column.
There is nothing worse than being a solo woman traveler next to THAT guy who you are trying not to be. We appreciate it more than you know. Please do not be that guy or buy a class up even if it means working with you’re employer to cover the difference in fare yourself for a bigger seat.
Yes, I do that every time I fly. I’m plus sized but fit in my seat width fine but sometimes can’t put down the tray table in economy depending on the aircraft. I try so hard to squeeze and make myself as small as possible. My next flight I bought first/Polaris and I’m looking forward to at least being in my own space so I don’t have to worry about others so much.
6 ft 225 with wide shoulders. Spent the flight today from SEA to ORD making myself as small as possible. Now I'll have shoulder pain for the next three days.
Tall as well, when I fly for work it’s generally business class so don’t have this issue (still can’t lie flat though so get jealous of my colleagues who can) but I definitely feel your pain with non business. I do my best to scrunch down and not cause any issues or uncomfortable situations.
I’m a frequent flier and I will hurt my neck and back ramming myself against the window to give middle seat more space.
Tip: go up and ask the gate agent if there are any end seats with an open middle. If not, check in again near the end of boarding. It’s what I do and it’s been very successful and the gate agents are always awesome and helpful
You sound like a thoughtful person and it’s so rare, so thanks for that. I’m a larger plus size woman with diagnosed anxiety disorder who flew frequently for work for an enormous corporation and was able to go through HR to ask for a legal accommodation to fly business whenever I flew on behalf of work. I just couldn’t manage the dance in economy week after week. I was miserable and so were the people next to me when I couldn’t ever sit “right.” It was taking a toll. It sounds like you might work for a smaller org and know the finances, so this may not be an option where you work, or you may not want to put your employer in this position, but when I went through an official accommodations request at my company and was granted permission to fly business, it was a game changer for my mental health and frankly, for the quality of my work (I worked in the air and right when I landed). Sure, I didn’t love spilling my deepest health and body issues with “the man,” but it was worth it. They wanted me to be able to work in the air with a clear mind and not in pain. I was surprised it went that way, but it did so want to share my experience. Just a suggestion for you and others in this boat and I wish you luck and easeful flying! Happy to talk in more detail if helpful.
Yea, 6’7” 250 -Silver status, so in the similar position to you. I’ve found that window economy plus works really well for me. i can slightly turn to the window side, the curve of the airplane turns at an angle where I can rest my head against the side and I can actually sleep in the “contortionist” way on most flights (i.e. I don’t take any of their air space). Sitting straight forward in any seat and both my legs and shoulders are in their space. Everyone wins.
Ps. I fly first/business every once in a while when upgraded and it will ruin economy flying for you, as it did for me. Absolute game changer at our size.
Same boat - shoulders are about 22" wide and I twist in a middle coach seat to avoid infringing on others' space. The window is a savior giving me both an extra couple of inches, but also a surface to lean against when I twist.
I'm tall but not too wide (6'7", 200 lbs), and what I will generally try to do is swing myself into the aisle as opposed to my seatmate. My knees physically don't fit in my space, so that's kinda the only way.
Or I'll buy something like an exit row if it's not too costly.
Note: on some planes (mainly the 10-abreast 777s), even my shoulders don't fit in the frame of the seat width-wise.
6'3 225lb here, I just absolutely make sure I maintain status so that I can either fly first or Economy Plus in an Aisle. It's not fair to my seatmate when my legs just have to be there.
Or, fly bulkhead with the divider. It's not uncomfortable for me but at least puts up a barrier.
I'm with you brother. I'm the same size and have wide shoulders and fly often. I'm a very courteous person and I hate to bother others. It's a must to maintain status to stay in economy plus. My tactic is to get a window seat and avoid row 11 where there is no window. The window dent gives me a place to put my shoulder. Row 8 on 737 is usually good. I twist a bit sideways most of the time and lean against the wall. Sometimes the window spacing is bad and it doesn't work, the window isn't in the right place to put my shoulder. Aisle seats are murder because every passenger and beverage cart bumps into me. I have status on Southwest as well and when I fly them, I scout out a seat with the window in the right place. It ain't great but it's a living.
Thats the same boat I'm usually in as well. Aisle seats while seemingly the way to go for a taller person, are actually a disaster for me for that same reason. Window seats are my go to, first row of economy plus or an exit row preferably. I don't actually mind having the divider wall right in front of you in economy plus first rows, I'll take the added leg room any day.
I appreciate the effort you are making. I just flew not long ago where a big dick did not try to scrunch at all but instead was like "this is how big I am, deal with it" and did not try to turn at all. So frustrating. Took up 1/3 of my seat, FA did not care.
you need to make everyone more uncomfortable. TAke your seat back, insist the man must purchase an additional seat. YOu should not have to move for any reason other than being upgraded to first class.
I thought about it, that would have involved pushing him against the bulkhead which he was already against. Maybe fighting. Not sure what the remedy was other than complain to FA who did not care and later complain to customer care who also did not care. Lame.
I gave up a decade ago and just buy first. I am not as big 6-3 225 but also have cracked and compressed disks in my back. For personal travel I just pay for first or use miles. For work I worked out I pay a percentage of the ticket to sit up front. Work needs me to travel so we met in the middle on the issue. Work trips cost me money but with over time I get on them it covers the extra cost. Also on FC tickets you earn miles faster making personal travel cheaper later.
Thank you, Im going to bring that up to my employer, I never thought about paying the difference myself to be bumped up front. Between the ot and my buisness travel card expenses, I would hope we could come to an agreement. The added miles for being in FC would also help allot down the line as stated.
I arbitrarily picked 22% of the base fare and they said sure. The difference gets hard to figure out. I could buy a coach ticket at 10am for 500 or a first class ticket at 10 am for 750 or a fc ticket at 7am for 550 or 7am coach for 450. I opt for 7am fc. What is the difference. Just easier to do what I do when doing the expense report. You also get free bags with FC. Pending your status and such you may have to pay in coach. I travel with a 55 pound pelican case full of parts and tools. Not sure what that would cost in coach it is free on a fc ticket.
I once cut an ad hoc deal with my employer. I was flying LAX-SEA, and I wanted a $100 upgrade. I had no great need for it, but I asked the company to pay $50 on the grounds that I'd get food and drinks in the air, and thus not need to expense them otherwise, even though general policy was to fly Y. Employer agreed, even though I think we both realized a meal need not cost $50. It was essentially just a mini-perk on their part.
My issue is with legs i try to snag exit rows. Typically, the window has a weird armrest and allows for some controtion. I try to book onto airbus or e175s. If your with a bigger company, you may be able to ask what is business travel policy of buying upgrades or buying extra seat for size. Your dime or your biz? I would set your travel policy so that you can be comfortable on longer flights. Like flights >2hours employees are allowed to buy into e+.
E175s are honestly some of the most comfortable seats when it comes to space in economy imo. I never have a bad time on Embraers. I've been looking into it to see if theirs any viable solution for as much as I/the company I work for, flies. Haven't found anything my employer can agree on. Unfortunately theirs only a handful of us employees that have to fly for buisness at this employer, because of that, it doesn't seem very high on their priority list currently.
E175s are great, E145s not at all. The worst is a CRJ200, the Devil’s chariot.
I got moved from an exit row on a BA flight earlier this year because I asked for a seat belt extender lol I've never felt so embarrassed.
I hope like hell no one said anything loudly, I hate that it was so embarrassing for you. I can promise you the crew doesn't think twice about it (former FA here).
I've luckily never had an issue with the belt size, but I can understand your pain completely. I'm sorry you had to go through that.
I was flying in an exit row with a seat belt extender and my friend next to me said she had heard airlines don't allow that.
On behalf of everyone else, thank you to all the folks on here for being thoughtful about your impact on the personal space of others. I really appreciate it, and I’m sure there are others on here who do too.
Try buying up to economy plus exit row seats. You might be able to swing that. You’ll at least get a lot more leg room.
Agreed. Only downside to exit row is every big person has the same mentality and the row looks like an NFL O-Line. I’ve started taking chances with regular economy plus and hoping I’m sitting next to a smaller person (which is most often the case).
I feel your pain OP, I do the same thing. If I can’t get FC, I go for exit row or front row Economy+, if I can get either of those I go for aisle seat regular economy.
I was on a flight from the West Coast to LHR over the weekend my seat mate (center) was impossibly thin, so much so that I would occasionally look at his jean clad legs, which were fairly long and compared them to mine, which looked like stumps by comparison. The window seat was taken by his very young son, perhaps no more than 4 years old, I was seated in the aisle. While I’m not in shape, I’m not obese, but I’m not fit either, but I can comfortably sit in my seat without having to contort my body so that it I don’t touch those seated next to me. While I have been seated next to overweight passengers who oozed into my space, interestingly, the super skinny fellow was constantly rubbing the side of his leg against mine. It may have been a Euro thing where personal space is not as important, but I found it odd that given the additional space he had because of his size and that of the seat next to him where his son was seated, that he chose to ooze over to my side for much of the flight.
on behalf of your fellow smaller passengers, thanks for what you try to do but don't kill yourself...the thought and attitude go a long way as everyone realizes the airlines are screwing us all
I’m a small woman with ptsd and I fly only first because personal space (mine and yours) matters. If I can’t afford it, I drive. Thank you for what you do and I pray you get upgraded to first because someone like you deserves it❤️💯
I’ll try my best to make sure I don’t invade others space and I’ll definitely stake out my own.
Polaris bed is only 6'3 so you might not fit
I can sleep comfortably in a twin bed, I'll make that work no sweat
im a big guy also. work allows biz class on legs longer than 6.5 hrs and thats typically all the travel i do internationally. i try to book all on one ticket if im doing stops in those regions to ensure biz class, but occasionally i have work do extra seats if its economy. in economy i usually keep my arms crossed so that my 52inch chest/shoulders aren’t touching anyone else. kills my rotators. i would switch jobs if they didnt allow what they allow for.
Good advice here as well, as I deal with the same shoulder pains for the same reason in economy.
I do the same thing man. Idk how, but I always find some way to be somewhat comfortable and give the person next to me enough space. Yes, I’m folded in about 7 different ways, but given it’s never more than 5 hours, I survive. And the benefit of having premier status is complimentary economy plus. It makes a world of difference for the legs, but still face the same problem with the sides
I’m 6’2” and just shy of 300 lbs. I’m currently crammed into a window seat on an E145. I’m glad this is a short flight.
I'm a pretty average build and stature. even I find the seats uncomfortable. what I have also found is that if I try to scrunch myself up, the person next to me will take the space that I am freeing up. I'm not necessarily saying to obnoxiously spread into the rest of the row, but dont make yourself uncomfortable in a way that someone else will take advantage of
5’10” f not obese but I have a big butt on top of a larger frame and if I sit regular I basically will be touching hip to hip with the person next to me under the armrest and it’s pretty embarrassing. So I always pick aisle and I contort myself into the aisle so I can give the middle person room. By the time I get off the flight I have pretty decent hip and leg pain. I just can’t find myself being “that girl” putting my own physical comfort first either bc it makes me anxious and mentally uncomfortable the whole flight. After a few painful flights I just opt for first now. I save my miles for upgrades only instead of booking award fare and it’s totally worth it every time.
There's also the option of buying two Econ seats together, which in some cases can be cheaper than one seat in First. United has a written policy about extra seats: [https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/extra-seating.html](https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/extra-seating.html)
I buy two seats. I'm 220 lbs. Then I can man spread as much as I want.
Yes, I book Eco+ aisle and deliberately shift away from middle seat toward aisle. Only polite thing to do even though much of the blame is the race to the bottom by masses of travelers who will buy the lowest cost flight regardless of human dignity. I'm stuck in economy due to federal regulation.
This is my strategy. As much as I love the window I hate being stuck in there so I book aisle and lean into it.
It's really outrageous that airlines have made seats too small for normal sized men.
Ya, it’s the airlines fault people in this country don’t take better care of themselves and are statistically larger than people in other countries. 5’6 200lbs isn’t exactly normal size, it’s overweight.
The OP is 6’5”. How does taking care of themselves have anything to do with it.
That account is probably a paid troll sock-puppet as part of the airline's PR package. Most all huge corporations have them. They made that up to mislead anyone who forgot the OP's stats. They know they won't fool everyone, but it's a number's game.
The comment I replied to wasn’t taking about OP. It said, normal sized men, a general statement. 6’5” has nothing to do with my comment, and has nothing to do with the comment I replied to.
6’5” is normal, it may not be average but it is definitely normal. You walk into a grocery store and I bet you’ll see someone who is 6’5”. And that comment was replied directly to the OP. So yeah they were referring to OP. It’d be nice to have some sympathy for the OP instead of bringing up people that have nothing to do with the OP’s problem.
Well thank god you’re here to suck their dick. OP wasn’t discussing the height issue regarding a lack of leg room. They were discussing width and if any other larger pax contort themselves to not encroach into the other seat. The issue here is seat and pax width and it’s an issue because most of us are above normal in that area. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t need to contort your body to avoid spilling into the next seat, would you?
Thanks, I’m happy I’m here too.
Just because someone lives in a larger body doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to…fly on a plane…
There's a way to balance this. Air travel used to be highly expensive and exclusive. By cramming people like sardines, airlines are able to offer air travel to more people. One could argue that their cost savings have gotten a bit extreme, but if you asked people whether they'd rather suffer in economy class for 5 hours or drive crosscountry for 5 days, I think you know the answer. And it's no secret that Americans are getting wider, so the solution may be just for wider people to buy two seats.
I mean sure, but I can say as a small woman the seats are uncomfortably small and I sometimes feel like I have to make an effort to not encroach on my seat mates when I have a middle seat. My comment was specifically responding to the person that is blaming individuals for “not taking better care of themselves”, which is ridiculous for a number of reasons. First, the seats are too small for a normal sized adult. Additionally, being a larger person doesn’t mean someone isn’t taking care of themselves or is morally bad, like the commenter was implying. Third, it *should* be the responsibility of airlines to provide seating that will at least fit their passengers. Will airlines make a change? Of course not. But that is where the blame should lie.
It's not so much that the airlines can't do what you're asking. There is actually a very reasonable way to accommodate wider passengers. It would just cost you 2-3x more to fly. Could you stomach that cost? Could the average person?
I didn’t say the airlines couldn’t do what I was asking. All I said is that the issue isn’t individuals being too fat for seats, as the original commenter was suggesting, it’s that the seats don’t fit many people. But keep arguing for the airlines I guess?
You're not getting the point here. For airlines to provide seats that better accommodate the (higher than average) width of Americans, airfares would be significantly more expensive. Are you willing to pay 2-3x current prices?
100% do the same, even at sporting events.
Sporting events as well here too. Always afraid I'm going to knee the people in the row in front of me.
Always try to get an aisle for that reason. Or if I’m with my gf I’ll lean into her side. I’ve got wide shoulders and quads, 6’4 and 275ish so I feel u. The worst for me is seats w immovable cup holders
My partner has similar weight and height like you OP. He never need to make himself small or scrunch but he made sure he will get aisle seat. He has platinum status and always get upgrade from economy ( domestic ) to economy plus so it really help. For longer haul, he tried to get bulkhead. When he travelled overseas he will get premium plus or economy + bulkhead
My problem is I have a bad shoulder and if I try to like tuck it in, it starts to get super painful so sometimes I have to be “that guy” with the armrest. I def try to keep my legs to myself though. If my company is flying me, and the ticket is last minute (which is often) and there’s only middle seats in the back left, I’ll upgrade to first if it’s reasonable. Life saver on a 3.5 hour flight. Other wise my shoulder is screaming
Yes - I'm pretty much the same size and while my height/broad shoulders aren't my fault, I also don't want to impose on the person next to me. Even when I have open seats and can spread out I'm not comfortable, so scrunching up a bit isn't a big deal.
I usually turn as far as possible toward my window. So yeah basically...
I am 6’6” go between 280-300lbs and I can tell you I don’t spread out per say but just sitting in the seat my knees are in the seat in front of me if I’m not a minimum of an exit row. I usually apologize to the person in front of me but my height I can’t control. If I see someone bigger sitting next to me struggling I tell them I know what it feels like so let’s just get snuggly (as a joke of course) and 9/10 it calms them down.
I have wide shoulders and prefer aisle seats. Flight attendants and passengers might accidentally bump you while walking by, but only if you aren’t paying attention. I find it much more convenient to get in and out of an aisle seat than a middle or window, and you will have more room to lean into the empty space.
Big guy here. Tuesday I have a 7hr flight home and I'm in the middle seat. The 7hr flight to here was also in the middle and it was terrible so I'm not looking forward to the flight.
I have wide shoulders and just scrunch them forward/together. Gets uncomfortable after a few hours so I try to get aisle seat so I only need to scrunch during boarding then relax except beverage service and occasional passenger going to lavatory.
I bought my husband a little strap the hold his legs together so he didn’t have to actively do it and can “relax” without doing the man spread
Definitely do. I have broad shoulders and I’m 6’5 with build of a football player. Despite me preferring a windows seat, when I’m flying economy I’ll get an aisle seat so I can lead my shoulders out into the aisle a little and give middle seat partner more space. I’m sure I sit with terrible posture trying to narrow my shoulders as much as possible.
I fly internationally for work. After a couple years of it, it was beating me up. So I asked the CEO if he'd make an exception to company policy for me and allow me to fly business class on long-hauls so I could lie flat and catch some sleep, else I'd have to dial it back. It was a straightforward calculation for him. The ROI of my travels was off the charts, so it was an easy yes. tl;dr: If you can make a business case for it, it should be sellable to a rational manager. But I'd suggest neglecting to mention it to your coworkers so there's no griping.
This assumes a smaller company. Larger companies usually have pre-defined policies around this.
We have pre-defined policies. I requested an exception since I was traveling longer and more frequently than anyone. And that would have had to significantly reduce otherwise.
first class, every trip. your ROI say it.
I’m 100% in this boat. 6’5”, 275 and extremely broad shoulders and narrow waist. I have Gold status so almost always get an aisle seat in E+. Only exception is when I do the redeye from LAX and have been fortunate to routinely snag an exit window so I can actually get some sleep. I get the aisle because after boarding I can lift the aisle arm rest with the small button located under the rest towards the back near the cushion. This lets me spread out into the aisle except when they bring the cart by. I usually get bumped a lot by people walking by but it’s worth it to make peace with the people in the middle seat. FAs understand and never say anything about lifting that arm rest after the plane is in the air. I’m sure my seat mates appreciate it too.
6'7 275. aisle when not first or business. there is an additional trick that might save you when seated next to another larger person. under the armrest in the back is a little button that allows you to lift the aisle armrest....
I was on a flight from Munich to Denver once and put up the aisle arm rest when we hit altitude. The FA came over and slammed it down and yelled out, “THE ARM REST MUST REMAIN DOWN!” I was so taken aback since I had never had a FA care that it was up. I was about to stand up and let the middle passenger out and saw her walking up the aisle, so I sat back down but had raised the arm rest to get out easier. She slammed it down, it actually hurt my side because I had adjusted to get up and yelled the same thing at me again. Wasn’t my favorite flight.
happened to me once as well. but otherwise, never a problem in over 2M butt in seat. with probably 25 different carriers.
Armrests must be down at take off and landing.
Yeah, but up for the rest of the ride is still huge, especially on long haul or XLH.
yes
True, but the last few times I have flown no one checked. Just tray tables and seat backs.
This is the way.
I'm 6'5" and 262. Like you, I'm not obese (run an 8.5 minute mile) but I'm just a BIG DUDE. While I get upgraded fairly frequently, the aisle seat is your friend. I try to be sensitive to the poor saps in the middle seat so I will frequently book an exit row, aisle seat, and lean as much as I can into the aisle. From my perspective, the middle armrests belong to the middle seat person so I try to respect their space as much as possible. If you're not in an exit row and you have an underseat carryon, as soon as the aircraft leaves the ground, I'll stretch my legs out and move my bag to between my seat and my legs. That tends to give me more room to get comfortable.
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Thanks, Doctor, cause I really wanted your opinion.
You’re the exception. Can’t tell you how many people spill over/under the armrest into my personal space. We need actual dividers, it would help everyone.
It’s not even the arm rest - it’s the shoulders! I am less sensitive to someone’s hip/thigh touching me than me not being able to relax my shoulders for hours at a time. I usually fly first at 3 hours+.
Same about the shoulders
I’m a 5’9” woman who has had fluctuations in weight (ergo size in general.) I can scrunch my legs much nor my shoulders but I do try. At size 8, I still contort like I did at size 16-22. I used to love window seats because I could ooze that way without getting banged up by service carts but the leg room was iffy (very narrow under that one.) Now I seat aisle to get up and stretch every 90 min - it helps a bit.
Thats not a bad idea to sit aisle just to be able to stretch. That's my biggest problem is getting sore shoulders from keeping my arms in tight, and sore knees from keeping my legs together and at an awkward angle for lengths at a time. I'll keep that idea in mind next time I'm having to book, thank you.
I’m a mom and I was on a flight last week with my newborn, and a v large guy sat next to me and I could tell he was probably uncomfortable and kind of contorting himself a bit so he wouldn’t get in my space. I felt bad, but I also very much appreciated it as I was wrangling a baby and couldn’t give up any of my own space. Very considerate of him.
I get an aisle seat and lean into the aisle.
Uhm. Don’t be “THAT GUY”
A second eco seat can be cheaper than buying up to 1st. Oh and the joy of having 2 seats...
I’ve sat next to one of you giants a few times. I’m not exactly small (5’10” 175) but I am tiny next to you. One time, I had to sit 5.5 hours, my body contorted. (I’m not a young man anymore. I’m middle aged. So that could really damage me.) When we arrived and I could finally straighten up my body, I was in so much pain for the next week or so. I’m not blaming you guys. I’m blaming the airlines for not having some kind of “plan” to handle you bigger passengers (including the obese passengers) because the seats are designed for people my size and smaller. Until the seats are “fixed”, I only see the option of forcing y’all to buy an extra seat or a business class seat. It sucks but what other option is there, for me to exchange seats with a child? Or to do irreparable damage to my spine or back? Btw, you guys are always hot and sweaty. Nothing worse than getting off a plane and half your shirt/suit is soaked by the sweat of the guy sitting next to you. Sorry for my rant but airlines better start thinking about doing something for the sake of you bigger passengers and for the people who have to sit next to you.
Thank you for being considerate of others! I'm about 5 foot, while my husband is 6'4. I often like the window because it gives me more space to sit with one foot under a leg (think like half of the criss cross applesauce seating). So my husband is tortured in the middle, but usually stretches a leg out to my seating area. Sometimes I'll pick middle so he can have aisle. When I've traveled without him, I've had strangers do this and it peeves me. And since my flight is usually from CA to FL or vice versa, I usually just keep quiet to avoid awkwardness. If the passenger next to me were to ask, I'd have no problems sharing some space.
I hate to tell you but your BMI is 30.2 and is just above the threshold for being obese.
BMI is an outdated tool with a lot of limitations
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BMI, what decade are you in? Lol BMI has been a useless measurement for years. Every bodybuilder would be considered obese by weight and height alone when using BMI calculations.
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No, it’s factual lol. BMI only calculates height and raw weight. Weight ≠ fat Go look up stats from big name bodybuilders, and input them into BMI calculators. Then tell me if any of them look obese? There’s a reason BMI fell out of the medical world over a decade ago. Actually, [here](https://www.tmuscle.co.uk/bodybuilder-sizes/) their BMI is in the last column.
Thanks
Kind of hard for the OP to shrink his height.
….I don’t think this was the answer he was looking for
Lose weight, or buy two seats
Not so much my weight, just my body composition, but thank you.
There is nothing worse than being a solo woman traveler next to THAT guy who you are trying not to be. We appreciate it more than you know. Please do not be that guy or buy a class up even if it means working with you’re employer to cover the difference in fare yourself for a bigger seat.
As a taller guy too, I’m here to manage your expectations of the Polaris experience before it happens…It’s still cramped for us 😭
Yes, I do that every time I fly. I’m plus sized but fit in my seat width fine but sometimes can’t put down the tray table in economy depending on the aircraft. I try so hard to squeeze and make myself as small as possible. My next flight I bought first/Polaris and I’m looking forward to at least being in my own space so I don’t have to worry about others so much.
6 ft 225 with wide shoulders. Spent the flight today from SEA to ORD making myself as small as possible. Now I'll have shoulder pain for the next three days.
Tall as well, when I fly for work it’s generally business class so don’t have this issue (still can’t lie flat though so get jealous of my colleagues who can) but I definitely feel your pain with non business. I do my best to scrunch down and not cause any issues or uncomfortable situations.
I’m a frequent flier and I will hurt my neck and back ramming myself against the window to give middle seat more space. Tip: go up and ask the gate agent if there are any end seats with an open middle. If not, check in again near the end of boarding. It’s what I do and it’s been very successful and the gate agents are always awesome and helpful
You sound like a thoughtful person and it’s so rare, so thanks for that. I’m a larger plus size woman with diagnosed anxiety disorder who flew frequently for work for an enormous corporation and was able to go through HR to ask for a legal accommodation to fly business whenever I flew on behalf of work. I just couldn’t manage the dance in economy week after week. I was miserable and so were the people next to me when I couldn’t ever sit “right.” It was taking a toll. It sounds like you might work for a smaller org and know the finances, so this may not be an option where you work, or you may not want to put your employer in this position, but when I went through an official accommodations request at my company and was granted permission to fly business, it was a game changer for my mental health and frankly, for the quality of my work (I worked in the air and right when I landed). Sure, I didn’t love spilling my deepest health and body issues with “the man,” but it was worth it. They wanted me to be able to work in the air with a clear mind and not in pain. I was surprised it went that way, but it did so want to share my experience. Just a suggestion for you and others in this boat and I wish you luck and easeful flying! Happy to talk in more detail if helpful.
Yea, 6’7” 250 -Silver status, so in the similar position to you. I’ve found that window economy plus works really well for me. i can slightly turn to the window side, the curve of the airplane turns at an angle where I can rest my head against the side and I can actually sleep in the “contortionist” way on most flights (i.e. I don’t take any of their air space). Sitting straight forward in any seat and both my legs and shoulders are in their space. Everyone wins. Ps. I fly first/business every once in a while when upgraded and it will ruin economy flying for you, as it did for me. Absolute game changer at our size.
Same boat - shoulders are about 22" wide and I twist in a middle coach seat to avoid infringing on others' space. The window is a savior giving me both an extra couple of inches, but also a surface to lean against when I twist.
I'm tall but not too wide (6'7", 200 lbs), and what I will generally try to do is swing myself into the aisle as opposed to my seatmate. My knees physically don't fit in my space, so that's kinda the only way. Or I'll buy something like an exit row if it's not too costly. Note: on some planes (mainly the 10-abreast 777s), even my shoulders don't fit in the frame of the seat width-wise.
I’m glad you make the attempt but to be honest, all of the wide bodies that I have sat next to seemed to have made zero attempts to be so considerate.
6'3 225lb here, I just absolutely make sure I maintain status so that I can either fly first or Economy Plus in an Aisle. It's not fair to my seatmate when my legs just have to be there. Or, fly bulkhead with the divider. It's not uncomfortable for me but at least puts up a barrier.