I'm just amazed at how little the word "impinge" was used here after its heavy (Heh) usage in the last tall-passengers thread. :)

I agree that if someone is required to buy two seats, they should get all the benefits that come from that purchase: FF miles, additional meals, additional baggage allowance. After all, limited use of the benefits of a ticket are what prompted this in the first place.

What gets me about the rancor of this debate, though, is that I have very rarely seen an actual Customer of Size on an airplane. Maybe 2 or 3 a year, in my extensive mostly domestic travel. I define a customer of size as someone who actually can't put the armrest down or truly hangs over. I think some of these are exaggerations based on a general discomfort of having the entire adjacent seat occupied as opposed to having the additional buffer zone that comes with a smaller seatmate.

And, yes, I think some of it is a generalized disdain for the obese.

But, in the legitmate case of a passenger who cannot fit in seat, I don't think anyone has a problem with asking such a passenger to buy two seats (nor do I think any such customers really have a problem doing so).

So, actually, I'm not sure what the rancorous debate is actually debating. It seems a little like the "debate" is "Fat People: Hate 'em or really hate 'em?"

Maybe I'm just to shy to do it, but I feel like the problem is that by asking (again - I haven't personally been in this situation) I'm basically saying "This guy is fat - that's not fair" where all I'm trying to say is "I paid for a seat, I'd like a full seat, please."

For me, the best scenario would be that the FAs patrolling the aisles during boarding, or the GAs before boarding, realize the situation and take me out of the process.

Not only the above issues but the airlines are desperately trying to reduce the weight of the planes-every possible way.

As a POS, fat person (I have no problem with that term, I hate PC), I usually travel with my husband, who is even bigger. I'm about a size 20. I can fit in the seat, barely, and push down the armrest.

I, like Jim, usually try to shrink in the other direction of the passenger next to me to give them more space. I agree that attitude and consideration is everything.

However, my husband is 6'4" and over 350... when he was in perfect shape (high school) he was still 275, and didn't fit in the coach seats. Lifestyle and two blown knees from football meant that 275 is now 350, and we sit together whenever possible. It's fine being miserable if you are miserable together! Besides, if we can get a two seat configuration, no one else need be bothered. If there are only three seat configs available, we'll buy the center seat.

Now, what if the airline required both of us to buy an extra seat? We only need the one between us.

As for knowing ahead of time you won't fit, that's not true. My weight fluctuates (due to diets and other things) about 30 pounds a year. That makes a big difference. Some flights I need an extender, most I don't. Some flights I feel pinched, some I don't. It depends on the airline, the seatbelt, the other passenger next to me, and my weight that day. All this can change between buying a ticket and boarding.

If it does become common policy to buy an extra seat, I have no problem with that - as long as they have some discretion in the policy, like two fat folks flying together can share three seats, they don't need 4.

I'm like Jim - if you can't laugh at yourself, well, then everyone is laughing without you :)

Those that dislike 'spilling' people - do you also dislike pregnant women? They frequently 'spill' (better that than breaking water!) :)

Of the two airlines that I'm aware of that have a large-passenger policy, Southwest and CO, I don't think they make specific provisions for a couple traveling together. I agree that is an omission that should be remedied. Southwest's policy makes the most sense, I think: large passengers must buy two seats, but if there's space on the plane, the extra seat is refunded.

I don't think (or, at least, I'd like to think) that no one dislikes anyone solely because of the fact that they spill over into another seat. The issue isn't size, but having to involuntarily cede "seat-estate" to another passenger. In that context, the considerations would be the same for a pregnant woman who requires more than one seat -- she should also purchase two seats.

Most pregnant women that I have know didn't get significantly broader in the beam. It seems like the bow is always the most likely area to extend. ;

Only one time have I ended up next to a person who didn't fit in the seat. This was back before FT, when I still flew in coach on a regular basis. My colleague and I were flying together, and had seats D&F in a three and three configuration. Shortly before take off, a very large woman came up and attempted to claim E. There was just no way that she could fit into that seat and I, at the window had no intention of raising my arm. After she raised the other arm and claimed D & E, it was obvious that my collegue was left seatless. :(

I rang the bell for an FA and when she came and scoped out the situation, said, "Just a minute". She came back with new boarding passes for my friend and I--in first. ^

We all deserve a whole seat when we buy one. If the plane is full, then we should ask that one of us be rebooked. My vote would be for the one who couldn't fit into the seat, but that is just my humble opinion.

Maybe the better answer is to avoid the airlines with the narrowest seats. Let em reconfigure or get none of your business. I'm 6'3" and got hooked on AA when they offered "more legroom in coach" , but when that program ended they lost my loyalty. Better yet, the lost alot of my money. Here I thinke we need to speak up with our dollars.

The seats on all the legacy airlines are, for the most part, identical in width within a specific aircraft type, i.e. the seat width on everyone's 737s will be the same. AA's "more legroom in coach" referred to seat pitch, i.e. the distance between each row, and not the seat width. UA has Economy Plus which, like AA's more-legroom program, offers up to an additional 5" in seat pitch.

LOL

A few months ago, I took an all-nighter from LAX-MIA.
Although I am overweight, I had to ask for a seatbelt extender for the first time.
The reason was because the short strap was much shorter than normal. I lacked about three inches after adjusting the long strap.
The friendly Cubano couple sharing the row understood what was going on.
The unfriendly judgmental hag across the aisle gave me dirty looks.
The FAs were super...confirmed that the strap was too short and even offered me a free glass of wine.

Just thought I'd share an opposite story...
many years ago (early '90s) I was in Economy on a red eye from LAX to the midwest or east coast...probably TWA to St. Louis or NY. I could tell it was going to be a pretty full flight...I had a window and was hoping to sleep, but a bit harder when you're cramped (3-4?-3 config).

Shortly after boarding, an enormous guy in his 20s sat down at the aisle seat. Enormous -- football-player style, he wasn't fat, just huge, and at least 6'3" or more, and mostly legs. He had one leg into the aisle, one leg toward the middle seat, and the armrest up -- there just wasn't anything to do about it. Turned out he'd never been on an airplane before, and had no idea how cramped it would be!

Anyway, I was very grateful...the only empty seat on the plane that night was the one next to me ;)

Hey guys, I am just going to chime in here. I was intrigued by the topic, so I kept reading. I think these types of situations can be so insulting and just uncomfortable to deal with. But I see that everyone here is super respectful, which is a great. I think if I would have been in that position, I would have just sat there. I hate conflict, and would hate to hurt the other person's feelings by moving or complaining. I am sure, that person was quite aware of the problem, and was probably more horrified than I would be. Random thoughts....

I've looked all over the internet to see if I'm too fat for the seat. Please don't be mean to me because I've gained about 100 pounds in the last 8 years (not entirely my own fault) and that's how long it has been since I've flown.

I'm travelling NWA and I'm 5'4" and 275 pounds......I wear 24 pants. Does this make me too fat to fit the seats? I am travelling with my husband and son so we are booked for 3 in a row on each leg (two out and two back).

I don't even know if the armrests move. Help..help....

I'm sorry, I don't know women's sizes. I will tell you that you can look at www.seatguru.com and look up the seating details for the specific type of aircraft you'll be on. It will tell you the width of the seat (probably 17" -> 18"). You can then use two books or something like that to see if you'll fit in between that kind of space. Almost assuredly, the armrest will go up UNLESS you are traveling in an exit row or bulkhead (the first row in a given section--one with no seat directly in front of you). Those seats are narrower and do not have movable armrests because of traytables in the armrest.

Again, seatguru.com can tell you those details like whether or not your specific seats have movable armrests. I also don't know the Northwest Airlines website, but somewhere it should be able to tell you the type of plane you'll be flying usually if you select the option to change your seat assignments, it will show somewhere on there. Of course, you can also call Northwest and they will tell you the exact type of equipment you'll be flying.

Welcome to FlyerTalk and good luck.

Peaches44,

Look for the aircraft type you're scheduled to fly on at www.seatguru.com - click on the 'N' at the upper left and then click 'Northwest' and find your plane(s). The seatguru seat maps will tell you which rows have non-movable arm rests.

Thank you Robb and thank you too, Dmitzel. I have been to seatguru and looked up the aircraft. We are flying, specifically, Airbus320, the 757 200 and 300 and a DC9 50.

If none say "immoveable armrest" can I assume that they do move? As in up and out of the way? I'm not so worried about spilling over into my family's space (that's a change - usually they're occupying my space) as I am about not being able to sit down at all......that would be just awful. But I keep thinking that if a great biiiiig guy can sit down then probably so can I.....