Quote:
Originally Posted by zxckelly
If you know you won't fit in the seat - isn't that really unfair for the person sitting next to you? You should have bought two seats. I sort of doubt that you are "too fat to fly" (others can probably chime in on this), but if I paid full price for the seat next to you and didn't get full use of it I would be angry.
This isn't a jerk comment/flaming...this is rather logical, if a bit abrupt.
OP is worried that she will not fit properly into her seat. If that is indeed the case, and the airline lets it slide, OP can be potentially causing a safety hazard for herself and those around her...and thats before we consider anyone's personal comfort.
If OP is
truly too big for the seat (not saying you are...just hypothetically), she will either not be allowed to fly, be given the option to fly first class (at her expense...larger seats)...given the option to purchase another seat (if two side-by-side seats are even available...but keep in mind that airlines will usually shuffle people around to be accommodating, and they deal with this fairly often) or the airline will look the other way and let her squish into the seat. If that happens...it IS unfair to people next to her.
Airplanes are built to maximize capacity in a small space...each passenger is allotted only so much of it. While it looks feasible on paper to whoever is planning these things, most of us are already feeling like we paid way too much for that little space, even if it is a necessary evil to arrive at our destination. If one person is overlapping into someone else's already cramped space, it's going to cause conflict.
I know that I've spent several flights sitting in the middle, completely twisted in my seat because I was the smallest out of the three in the row (this is when I was at my largest weight). Not a fun way to spend several hours.
That said, my husband was also at his largest weight (over 300), 6'0" and broad-shouldered...and they didn't kick him out/make him buy two seats. I think the lack of leg room was worse for him than the actual seating.
OP - don't worry too much. It's probably going to be uncomfortable (welcome to airline travel!), but you'll probably make it worse on yourself mentally since you're self-conscious about it.
Try not to stress - you're going on vacation! Have fun.