Elvis, we are both 5'6 and I had no problems with seatbelts from at least 230 and under. I remember having to suck it in for 250+, but even at my highest, 265, I managed to buckle them.

You have NOTHING to worry about. Have a great trip!

Thanks everyone, I can't believe all of the replies on this thread! You are all awesome!

And sorry about the confusion with the 195. It was just Joe bustin' my chops knowing I get all worked up very easily! (And I still haven't measured my butt yet!)

The trip isn't for a couple of months but nothing like getting worked up and worried well in advance! Now I'll be on a mission to lose a few more pounds just in case, talk about incentive to stay on plan!

LOL I take offense! I grew up listening to Elvis and I do not consider myself elderly. Of course, the older I get, the older "elderly" becomes!

Just want to make a comment from another prospective. If I was buying a car, I would pass on a car with a little seating area and go for one with a roomy seat, and probably pay more for that car. I would be more than willing to pay more for that car rather than squeeze into that little car every day. And if I was too big to fit into an airline seat without infringing on the space of the persons around me, I would buy the extra seat.

I am not talking about anyone here in this post. We are all on this forum because we want to lose weight or we are maintaining. It's just my personal opinion of what I would do if I was in that position.

If I could afford the 2 seats every time I flew I'd buy them both. I'd say most of us don't have that luxury...but I don't want this thread to turn into that type of battle.

I think most people who fly regularly would buy an extra seat if they could afford to do so. Airplane seats are not built to be comfortable or roomy. They are built to cram as many people into as small space as possible. The most miserable flights I've been on in the past year where someone was encroaching on my space involved men who were not fat but they had broad shoulders. Should they have been forced to buy an extra seat because of that?

Uh, OK, derail of the thread. Sorry, elvislover.

On some airlines there is an option to upgrade to their business class for an up-charge. I have bought those seats before and it was nice. But to have to buy TWO seats just to get extra space doesn't seem reasonable. To use your car analogy, you and I would be willing to pay extra for a car with more roomy seating. But would you pay TWICE as much for that car?

Also, on some planes there aren't any upgrade options. Many flights out of where I live, in Lansing, MI, are small commuter planes with substantially the same seating for everyone. The exceptions are a little more leg room by an exit door or the non-reclining seats at the very back of the plane.

On planes with upgrade options, the less expensive upgrades are nice so I always go for them when I'm able. The best seats, first class, are well out of my price range to buy although I get into them occasionally because of my frequent flier status.

No, I would not pay twice as much for the car, but the price of the car is a lot more than the price of an airline ticket. I can't even afford the first ticket let alone buying an extra one. If the airlines made all the seats bigger, then everyone would be paying more for their seat. No one wants to be singled out, but I personally would take responsibility if I were the person who did not fit properly in the seat whether it is my butt or my shoulders or whatever is preventing me from fitting into my allotted space. That's just me. I also don't like when the person in front of me reclines their seat so far back that their head is practically in my lap and I can't move. But that's another story.

Sorry if my comment offended anyone. It wasn't meant that way.

As everyone said, you will be fine.

Unlike some people who have posted, I was not able to fly without an extender when I went to Costa Rica, which was when I was about 280. I just have a big gut, I guess. I would pay extra for first class so I wasn't so uncomfortable.

I always avoided Evil Southwest because of their anti-fat policy until last July when I had no choice because my company makes us choose the lowest price fare and SW also had a direct flight. I was about 225 at the time and like you, I was nervous. I even bought the extra early bird pass that lets you move up in the boarding order so I could get a seat where I would be least likely to have someone sit next to me and make that person uncomfortable.

I had nothing to worry about. Tons of room in the seat (I actually think SW's coach seats may be bigger than some other carriers) and even got to tighten the belt! And I guess I didn't look too big since someone sat right next to me without looking like they wanted to cry.

It was quite the NSV. The other great NSV is when you fit into a commercial airline seat. Those planes are like toys, they are so tiny! But I fit without n extender and don't even bring extenders with me.

By the way, you are right that the standard belt extender you buy online ("model A") doesn't work for SW. However, you can buy ones that do fit on SW. I think it's model B or C. And most flight attendants aren't going to check to see if you are using a regulation extender (except for one particularly evil American attendant who called me out publicly and yelled to her partner that I needed an extender and didn't bother to discreetly hand it to me, and publicly asked me to return it when I was getting off the plane).

Oh, something I just thought of...

I always try for an aisle seat. It is kind of a pain to be bumped by the drink cart and by folks walking up an down the aisle, but it's worth it to me to not feel as closed in as I do in the middle or window seat. Also, I have a peanut bladder and I always have to pee on flights that are longer than an hour. Having an aisle seat means that you don't have to ask others to move or try to climb over them.

Thanks again everyone!

I think I am going to take my chances and be brave without buying the extender. And hopefully I'm down a couple more pounds before then.

And Garnet, I haven't peed on a plane since like 1989 (lol), once someone mentioned that they were afraid of getting sucked down the toilet with the waste I was so over it!! (I think I was in high school when someone made that comment and I never forgot it, as silly as it sounds.)

I have another NSV that I want to see if I can get. It's sitting at a sub shop about 45 mins away from our house (it's one of the pre-formed old style booths that are screwed to the floor). I figure if I can get myself into that seat, I can sit anywhere (the last time I was there, I think the seat was tighter than an airline seat!). Might have to make a trip there soon. I can't eat pizza and subs on my diet but my husband sure can (fatten him up while I bask in an NSV hopefully!).

I have flown at my highest, and I never had any problems fitting in my seat.

What I would pay more for, if it was always an option, and it wouldn't mean paying more for my entire family, is more leg room. I'm 5'10" and have very long thighs. I never fit comfortably on airplanes/buses/auditorium seats/etc. I have to sit sideways if I don't want my knees crammed into the back of the seat in front of me. I'm tall, but not that tall. My husband is several inches taller, and he doesn't have that problem.