Thanks for sharing your story! :)

Many years ago, I saw this thin person stuck between 2 huge guys and I think I asked the question on FT. One answer was to tell the GA/FA you were denied boarding since the overflows take your seat.

I guess it is easy to say do this and do that but some people don't want to look like a jerk - then end up suffering for the decision....

You're welcome It was more a reminder to myself of how ridiculous things can get on a flight and to provide a bit of a laugh.
Thank you for being kind.

This makes me think of those seats they have outside rides at Universal Studios that people can try before they get into line for the ride. I think it's a good idea as it must be pretty terrible to wait for hours in a lineup, only to get to the front and not fit.

I read a story when I was investigating our Universal trip and it came to mind so I googled it

http://danceswithfat.wordpress.com/2...-disney-world/

So the idea is that airline employees check your bag's dimensions and then your dimensions? It's actually a pretty good idea...or maybe I just think so because I know I won't have any issues being on the smaller side.

I remember taking a flight from St. Thomas to San Juan in the early 80s where they weighed me along with all the other pax. Maybe they should go back to that.

It's ridiculous. Fat, overweight, large, obese... All properly descriptive of an obvious and factual condition. Trying to hide it with a less than clever euphanism actually highlights what people who use it are trying to hide.

You can be a POS without being fat and relevant to air travel issues , so the distinction is appropriate.

That being said the relevance of this topic to UA vs other airlines escapes me.

Similar threads to this appear on FT on a regular basis. There is a simple answer and I can't believe no one has yet brought it up UA has a rule about this.....well, actually it's a CO rule migrated to the merged airline. The POS needs to buy two seats if available or get off the aircraft. You should (as discretely as possible) ask for the rule to be enforced BEFORE THE DOOR IS CLOSED. From UA's website.

Customers requiring extra seating

A customer flying in the economy cabin who is not able to safely and comfortably fit in a single seat is required to purchase an additional seat for each leg of their itinerary. The second seat may be purchased for the same fare as the original seat, provided it is purchased at the same time. A customer who does not purchase an extra seat in advance may be required to do so on the day of departure for the fare level available on the day of departure. The customer may instead choose to purchase a ticket for United First®, United Business® or United BusinessFirst®, or elect to pay for an upgrade to a premium cabin if there is availability to do so. United Airlines is not required to provide additional seats or upgrades free of charge.

A customer is required to purchase an additional seat or upgrade if they do not meet one of the following criteria:

The customer must be able to properly attach, buckle and wear the seat belt, with one extension if necessary, whenever the seatbelt sign is illuminated or as instructed by a crew member.*
The customer must be able to remain seated with the seat armrest(s) down for the entirety of the flight.
The customer must not significantly encroach upon the adjacent seating space. See our seat maps.
United will not board a customer who declines to purchase a ticket for an additional seat or upgrade for each leg of their itinerary when required.

*The average length of the seatbelt extension is approximately 25 inches. As the seat designs on our aircraft vary, it is possible that the seatbelt extension presented on your flight provides less than 25 inches of additional coverage. Regardless of the actual additional length the extension provides, if you do not meet the first criteria listed above when using the extension provided on your flight, it will be necessary for you to purchase an additional seat or an upgrade, where available.

I've printed the rule out and carry it with me whenever I fly on UA in case the FA balks and says there is nothing they can do.
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...e/default.aspx

You were in the wrong.

It also seems you're exaggerating a bit - I've been in a lot of airplane seats and I've never been in one where the passenger in front of me was able to recline into my lap.

Even if you're not exaggerating, the only problem here is that your car seat was too big to fit in an airplane seat.

I find the majority of people would rather suffer any number of inconveniences than suffer a conflict with another person.

+1 - including the POS. One of my best friends is an ex-football player and for every flight he does the same thing - he goes up to the GA and says the same thing "You may have noticed that I'm not the smallest person on this flight - if at all possible if you can keep the seat open next to me I'd appreciate it and so will they".

It works 95% of the time - the GA avoids a potential conflict and unhappy passengers. Of course it's not always possible to accomodate - but my friend knows he is a POS and deals with it head on - and he has found that it is usually appreciated. He told me once that he hates being the guy that gets on the plane and he knows that every single person looks at him and prays that he isn't next to them...

This is a great solution, but of course the danger for the POS is that they are forced to pay for a second seat or take another flight. You become "known" and risk UA enforcing their policy, which they clearly try to avoid in the case of this particular policy.

I suspect your friend fits in his seat, so it's not an issue for him. It's convenience rather than necessity.

LOL although in a pinch he can physically fit - it's not a pretty sight. Yes it is a convenience of course, but it works for both him and the potentially affected person, done in a way that saves embarrassment and is fair, at least to me...

Last person on the plane from DIA-ANC was a huge guy who sat in the middle seat next to me. He sat down and 1/3 of him hung over on me. He could only float cross his arms and he immediately went to sleep or pretended. My back was in tremendous pain from leaning in the aisle and bending over during drink cart and passerbys. I'm not oversize but I definitely take up my whole seat at 6, 220lb. Very miserable.

+1, the only time I have the armrest up is when my spouse or kids are sitting next to me.

Why is everyone complaining about their experience. There is no reason to suffer. See my Post #53 above. According to UA rules, A passenger must "be able to properly attach, buckle and wear the seat belt, with one extension if necessary." and "must be able to remain seated with the seat armrest(s) down for the entirety of the flight," and "must not significantly encroach upon the adjacent seating space." If all these requirements are not met, they must buy a second seat even if it means they have to take another flight.

That said, it would be interesting to have some posts from flyers where they've witnessed the rules being enforced, or blatantly disregarded by FA's when the issue had been brought to their attention.

Definitely a major exaggeration. Coach seats don't have much more than a 5 degree recline, if that. While a passenger has the underseat space in front of them, the air space in front does belong to the passenger ahead of them. You can lean the seat back as far as possible and you're still good. You can ask someone if they mind not reclining, but if they say no, then that should be the end of it. They're entitled to recline their seat, and you're not entitled deny that.

It sucks that airlines keep ratcheting back seat pitch, but it's not the reclining passenger's fault. Make sure you get E+ or an exit row, or get a seat in First.