Man has to stand for 7 hour flight due to fatty next to him.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I'm "Gold" status with Alaska Airlines and Delta, which means I've flown more than 50K miles (all domestic) in each of the past two years. Here's what I've observed, as a not-so-tiny-person who fits into the seats but finds them uncomfortable anyway:

- Older planes (737-400, 757) have slightly wider seats (I mean, maybe a half inch or so).
- If you don't like your seat, blame the airline. They choose their own seats as part of the airplane ordering process, and they have a lot of options to choose from. That said, there is very little difference from airline to airline in the width and pitch (legroom) of the seats. Standard is 17'' on U.S. carriers, and you might find one that offers 18'', but it's a rarity. The difference is basically nil from one carrier to another in terms of seat width and legroom.
- We don't have a true First Class on our domestic flights in the U.S. Our FC is like European Business Class. I have yet to fly on a U.S. domestic flight that had three class cabins. That said, "Business Class" is not really an option in the U.S. If you pay to upgrade, you pay dearly for what is basically just wider seats and a little bit more legroom. Most people cannot afford to pay for FC seats. The people in FC in most cases are frequent flier complimentary upgrades.
- Of the airlines I've flown more recently, Continental had the narrowest seats and least legroom.
- The new 787 airplanes have seat bottoms that move forward rather than seat backs that recline. So if the customer wants to recline, they do so using their own space, not the space of the customer in back of them. Of course, not sure that's good for those of you with really long legs.
- My favorite plane to fly on is the 767, but don't get that opportunity in the U.S. (except for a random redeye SEA-JFK flight recently). Still haven't been on the 777.

[preciousjeni]

My apologies if this has been posted already.

http://www.xojane.com/relationships/...nes-fat-people

I almost fell out when I read this because it's EXACTLY how I feel as a larger person whenever I have to fly. I particularly liked the different take on the situation that prompted this thread in the first place.

Some key passages for me:

Flying is not always about jet-setting off to some glamorous vacation. Sometimes people have to fly for not-fun reasons, like for work. And sometimes people have to fly to get to their sick mom’s bedside before she dies.

Some feel fiercely entitled to the arbitrary amount of space the airline has decided we deserve; some think it’s unfair for space to be distributed according to need, as why should a fat guy get to be as comfortable on a plane as a smaller person? Some think the fat guy should be punished with discomfort: see, this is what you get, for being so fat.

and

There is no easy solution; if one existed, airlines would have implemented it by now. But I do think it’s reasonable to expect airlines to provide reasonable accomodations to all bodies, without surcharging the people who require slightly more space than others. I also think it’s reasonable to ask that we all remember that the fat people on that plane with you are also people, and they are not always edging into your seat out of a callous disregard for your comfort. As unhappy as you may be with their companionship, I can assure you they probably feel even more self-conscious and miserable than you do.