Flying for the 1st time in years...Will I fit???

[jdb in AZ]

Do any airlines enforce the arm-rest-down policy? I've never heard a flight attendant mention it in their pre-flight spiel and they've never said anything to DH and me -- we always travel with the arm rest up, and no one has ever mentioned it on any of the domestic of international flights we've been on. The flight attendants are probubbly too bizzy getting everybuddy to turn off their cel phones and other electronic devices.

 

[jm-mom]

The armrest up may be a policy but in all the times we've flown SW no one has said a thing. My young daughter curls against me in the seat next to me during take-off and landing out of fear. I put my arm around her and hug her snuggly and she's does fine but we need the arm raised to be most comfortable with this. As for fit, the policy states you have to be able to fit in the seat with the arms down even if you don't keep them that way during flight.

 

[bidnow5]

I never fly with the arm rest down and it's never been a problem

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Do any airlines enforce the arm-rest-down policy?

They do. I fly a lot and I have seen it enforced. However, I would guess it's not something they scrutinize as much as fastened seat belts.

There are planes/seats where the arm rest does not go up, or only partially goes up.

 

[Pine View]

I got a question, If you buy an extra seat does that mean you get the extra baggage allotment that goes with that extra seat?

You do with Air Tran; 0 bags without paying for both.

 

[miztressuz]

I have to say everything here has been pretty right on, but I must stress it really depends on where your weight is and what airline/seat you pick.

I am a 26 with my widest part being my thighs/hips/bum. I've flown Southwest, Airtran and US Airways while being this size. I have been eye balled a few times cuz I just about don't make the arm rest down rule. However, on most planes I make the seatbelt without the extender. I found Airtran had the longest seat belts while US Airways had the shortest. My hubby is a big and tall guy with the usual belly so he always needs the extender. The extenders are those demonstration belts the flight attendants use during the pre-flight safety announcements to explain the locking mechanism. Sometimes if they have extra we get one when we sit, other times the flight attendant hands it off as they walk past after the demo. Personally I always thought it was handled discreetly, even when we have to ask or have been asked if we wanted one. (Some have been mind readers and we just had to put our finger up and say 'excuse me...' and they offered it and hardly anyone would have seen the transaction)

On Southwest planes my husband finds that it's actually better to sit by the window as you get a little room from the curve of the plan to lean into whereas on the aisle you're always on guard to not get hit by someone walking by. USAirways really depends on the plane - I second the SeatGuru.com suggestion, that is a really helpful site. However, airlines have the option (and sometimes necessity) to substitute planes, so just because you book on a A321 doesn't mean you might not get a 767 on flight day. This happened to us on USAirways and our carefully picked out seats were thrown to wolves as the plane that showed up had a completely different coach configuration.

I am more familiar with Southwest policies regarding extra seats for 'people of size' and I think theirs is pretty fair. If you buy a second seat and the plane is not full, you can request a full refund of the second seat fare. Should be up on their website for the full rules, etc; but it would give piece of mind to buy the seat in advance. Depending on the price it might just be worth the extra money for the comfort If we have to do another flight longer than 2 hours that's what we're doing. Depending on the itinerary, 3 seats on Southwest is cheaper than 2 First Class on USAirways. However, I believe if you call any of the airlines you can book and pay for a 2nd seat for yourself but they all have different policies regarding refunds and pricing, etc. (However, we have yet to actually book 2 seats for 1 person so I can't vouch for how easy the process is, all I can see if that you usually have to call since the website won't let you put in the same passenger information twice. you'd think they'd give a checkbox or something that says, 'i want 2 seats' ~ )

I don't know the rules for the arm rest during take off and landing, but we always put the armrest up between us as soon as we sit (easier to get the belts on) and noone has said anything. Only one time on a completely full Southwest flight did the attendant mention it since I had the other armrest between me and a little girl up while I did my seatbelt. I think she was concerned I'd try to take up the room on the little kid's seat too but I explained it was just while I got the seatbelt fastened. I got the lock clicked, put the arm down to show I could and she went on her merry way. On about 8 total short haul and long haul flights across the 3 airlines in the last 4 years, that's the only time I heard the arm rest thing mentioned at all. So it's an interesting little factoid to learn but seems to be only intermittently enforced.

I wish you luck. There seems to be some good suggestions on here (I like the lawn chair one) so hopefully this will ease some apprehensions. The #1 advice I can give is just relax If someone makes a comment, ignore it, you are who you are at this moment and it can't be changed. I'm sure if you could snap your fingers and be a size 8 you would do it (I would!) but we can't so it's out of our control at this point in time. (for the future anything's possible ) If the airline makes a comment, just be prepared to defend why they are wrong (if they are) or pay for the extra seat and enjoy your vacation. I always make sure I have a reserve for unexpected annoyances, and this qualifies as one I would agree that off-peak times to fly would be most likely to have the extra seating available so you wouldn't be cramped. For the life of me though I can't remember how full our last 7 am flight to FL was . The 7am to Puerto Rico was empty enough we got a 3 seat row to ourselves, but I don't think that helps this situation An earlier flight time would help if for some bizarre reason the flight is full and they want you to buy the extra seat - you'd have more options for them to rebook a later flight same day for you.

 

[carebee21]

Please see my post (#16) above. It is a requirement not only that a passenger fits in the seat with the armrest down, the armrest must be down for takeoff and landing.

You know that when you buy 2 seats, all they do is raise the armrest between the two seats. There are not any safety reasons for the armrest being there, only personal comfort and to define space between strangers so there are no rules regarding the armrest being up or down during takeoff or any other part of the flight.

 

[kylieh]

I'm a size 20/22 and mainly in my hips region. Fully agree about seats in the bulkhead. You will lose an 1" because of the tray table. Do what you can to skip these!!!

Be aware too that depending on the tray table it may not come all the way flat onto your stomach. I've recently lost a quite a few kilos, when I was at my biggest the tray table sat up a bit, resting on my tummy. I flew last week and it was almost sitting by itself without resting. I'm hoping another few kilos will fix that!

Have a great trip!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There are not any safety reasons for the armrest being there, only personal comfort and to define space between strangers so there are no rules regarding the armrest being up or down during takeoff or any other part of the flight.

Actually, airlines do have rules about armrests being down at certain times, as I have stated several times. You may believe what you please. I'm not a POS, so I really don't have any experience in not fitting into an airline seat; I'm just providing factual information to help the OP make a decision as to how many seats to book.

You might want to take a look at this FAA document:

http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=951701E9DE3AE1518525734F007665E7

3-3483 PROTRUDING PASSENGER SEAT ARMRESTS. Inspection of the Hardman Model 9500 and other passenger seats installed on several aircraft, disclosed that the armrest in the upright or stowed position can protrude approximately 45 degrees aft the seat back. In the event of an emergency evacuation, protruding armrests could present an obstacle between seat passageways, obstructing emergency exit access. Air Carriers should emphasize to F/As that prior to takeoff and landing they verify that the armrests are in the normal forward/down position in order to ensure that they do not obstruct the passageway between the row of seats leading from the aisle to the emergency exit.

 

[Pine View]

3-3483 PROTRUDING PASSENGER SEAT ARMRESTS. Inspection of the Hardman Model 9500 and other passenger seats installed on several aircraft, disclosed that the armrest in the upright or stowed position can protrude approximately 45 degrees aft the seat back. In the event of an emergency evacuation, protruding armrests could present an obstacle between seat passageways, obstructing emergency exit access. Air Carriers should emphasize to F/As that prior to takeoff and landing they verify that the armrests are in the normal forward/down position in order to ensure that they do not obstruct the passageway between the row of seats leading from the aisle to the emergency exit.

That clears that up. I must have never riden on/in a Hardman Model 9500 seat so, have never had to have the armrest down. It only pertains to that model. I wonder what all planes they are on?

I have found that AirTran has the roomiest seats on the lines I’ve been on and Continual was the only line I ever had to wear and extender. They also were nasty when I asked for one. Said they weren’t sure if they had any. HUH!
I had a lap band so didn’t have that problem for two years. It has failed and now I have to face this again. That is why I take my 9 year old Grandson to sit next to me. Thankfully on AirTran with the arm rest up

 

[MacFam4]

I'm afraid my mom won't fit! We're flying in Nov, I'll be sitting next to her on all the flights. The last time we flew 5 years ago, she didn't need an extender, but she barely got it buckled. This was on our small commuter flight. The larger plane was OK I think. But this time she's gained even more weight, and I bet she'll need an extender on the small plane this time. We're flying Continental the whole way. Should I go ahead and mention to her, in a nice way of course, so she will be prepared incase she needs to ask for an extender?

 

[jdb in AZ]

My DH usually asks for a seatbelt extender and the flight attendants politely and discretely give him one without "suggesting" that he buy an additional seat. Your results may vary.

 

[PrincessSarah314]

I had to fly to Boston unexpectedly last week for business. I went on SW both ways. Here is what happened.

While checking in at the gate to make sure everything was on time they mentioned to me that I may need to buy 2 seats. I told them I was sure I could probably fit.

The employee was phenomenal. She took me to a plane that was empty at the next gate, let me sit and show her that I can fit with the armrests down (which I could ). I asked her about a seatbelt extender (which I did need) and she told me to ask once I boarded.

I had an A boarding group so as soon as I was on I grabbed an aisle seat in the 2nd row. I quickly asked a flight attendant for a seat belt extender and sat down.

Everything was fine.

On the return trip they actually paged me to the gate, and tried to make me buy a 2nd seat. I pointed out that I knew I could comfortably fit in 1 seat since I had just flown with them earlier that week.

They let me on the sold out flight with just my 1 ticket.

 

[toocherie]

On my trip earlier this month I had a window seat on United, our row was full, the armrests were fine and I didn't need a seatbelt extender.

On the trip back--on American--I inquired at the desk before I flew whether the flight was full and was told "no." I then asked if the seat next to me was occupied (the middle seat) and she said "no--and I'll block it for you." I did need a seatbelt extender on the American flight. (Shouldn't something like seatbelt length be standard? I will say I liked the American flight because they had a lavatory mid-plane so I didn't have to walk all the way to the back (not that it's too far, but those aisles are narrow!) I did put up the armrest on the American flight just because it was more comfortable. (The seat on United seemed to be bigger, which is weird because that was the one I was worried about given what I had seen on seatguru.com.)

 

[jm-mom]

I will be travelling with my very small 8 year old and 10 year old and my husband and we anticipate using SWA. Based on their rules, I may be required to buy an extra seat and in doing so, I will get the chance to pre-board the flight. My children will either be able to come with me or I'll go alone and save them seats next to me. If my children pre-board and sit next to me, what do I do with the extra seat I bought, or for that matter even if they don't preboard with me. If I get to pre-board and have two children, obviously I'm going to "save" the two seats next to me. I can't very well tell either of my kids who are terrified to fly and need to be near me, that they have to make do in flight being an empty seat away just to follow the rules of the airline. Frankly if one of kids is next to me, we don't require the extra seat for comfort because we WANT to close in flight. No matter how you look at it, when travelling with young children and being required to buy the extra seat because of size, that extra seat would be a waste of money. What parent isn't going to put their child next to them? I understand if the plane was full and my kids were late to board there may be an issie of the family being able to sit together. But even then, ewhat passenger isn't going to give up their seat to allow the child to sit next to the parent extra seat purchased or not. If the airline requires you to buy the additional seat for the comfort of the other passengers but your children are MOST comfortable next to you, what's the point of making make that purchase? Even on an airline that normally flies at full capacity and doesn't have reserved seating, what passengers and flight staff wouldn't move people around to get those kids with their mother, at least one of them. I do understand the idea of having to buy an extra seat if you are flying alone and are large enough to cause the person discomfort, then the additional seat seems like a good idea. Does all of this make sense. I wish that SWA would go back to where they let families preboard and get them seated together the way they want to be and if they are comfortabe, that's all that matters.

 

[Mrsjvb]

I


On the return trip they actually paged me to the gate, and tried to make me buy a 2nd seat. I pointed out that I knew I could comfortably fit in 1 seat since I had just flown with them earlier that week.

They let me on the sold out flight with just my 1 ticket.

not to start a fight, but I have sat next to you(or someone exactly like you). i was so miserable and and cramped because they spilled over in to my allotted space. As some one with severe joint issues( left knee, left arm and right hip being the worst due to past breaks) I was literally unable to get OUT of the seat at the end of the flight as I was unable to shift and relieve any stiffness. and it was worse because they insisted on lifting the arm rest.. so it became VERY easy to sneak one cheek over onto MY seat. longest 96 minutes of my life. had the flight been any longer I would have insisted that I be moved to another seat.

so if the seat next to you is NOT being occupied by a companion, please, consider the impact you have on the person occupying it.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I will be travelling with my very small 8 year old and 10 year old and my husband and we anticipate using SWA. Based on their rules, I may be required to buy an extra seat and in doing so, I will get the chance to pre-board the flight. My children will either be able to come with me or I'll go alone and save them seats next to me. If my children pre-board and sit next to me, what do I do with the extra seat I bought, or for that matter even if they don't preboard with me. If I get to pre-board and have two children, obviously I'm going to "save" the two seats next to me. I can't very well tell either of my kids who are terrified to fly and need to be near me, that they have to make do in flight being an empty seat away just to follow the rules of the airline. Frankly if one of kids is next to me, we don't require the extra seat for comfort because we WANT to close in flight. No matter how you look at it, when travelling with young children and being required to buy the extra seat because of size, that extra seat would be a waste of money. What parent isn't going to put their child next to them? I understand if the plane was full and my kids were late to board there may be an issie of the family being able to sit together. But even then, ewhat passenger isn't going to give up their seat to allow the child to sit next to the parent extra seat purchased or not. If the airline requires you to buy the additional seat for the comfort of the other passengers but your children are MOST comfortable next to you, what's the point of making make that purchase? Even on an airline that normally flies at full capacity and doesn't have reserved seating, what passengers and flight staff wouldn't move people around to get those kids with their mother, at least one of them. I do understand the idea of having to buy an extra seat if you are flying alone and are large enough to cause the person discomfort, then the additional seat seems like a good idea. Does all of this make sense. I wish that SWA would go back to where they let families preboard and get them seated together the way they want to be and if they are comfortabe, that's all that matters.

You're paying for three tickets and can comfortably sit three across, SWA shouldn't make you purchase an additional seat that you won't be using. Their employees are usually reasonable; if there's a problem, just tell them what you've told us here.

 

[jm-mom]

That's what I was hoping but thanks for the reassurance.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Shouldn't something like seatbelt length be standard?

I think you are asking why don't the airlines make seatbelts long enough so seat belt extensions aren't needed? Think how much extra money it would cost to make every seat belt longer when most passengers don't need the extra length. It's much more cost effective to use the extenders when needed.

I wish that SWA would go back to where they let families preboard and get them seated together the way they want to be and if they are comfortabe, that's all that matters.

That is not SWA's policy:

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/faqs.html?topic=extra_seat_policy

Can a large Customer sit with a family member or a small person who doesn't take a full seat?

No. Open seating cannot guarantee that two people will be able to sit together. In addition, we must treat the smaller person (despite willingness or personal relationship) as a valued Customer who deserves the use of a full seat. Most importantly, we have to consider the safety aspect of the family member whose movement (especially in the event of an emergency) could be compromised if encroached on by a large seatmate.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/extra-seat/index-pol.html

 

[miztressuz]

I think you are asking why don't the airlines make seatbelts long enough so seat belt extensions aren't needed?

Personally, I think the PP was asking exactly what was said. I too have found that different planes and airlines have different seat belt lengths. I have been the same exact size each time so it's got to be the seat belt that differs (especially when the flight on Thursday I needed extender but the flight Friday night I didn't. I find it hard to believe I lost enough weight in less than 48 hours to not use the extender). On some planes the seat belt is fine and on others I need an extender - which the experience the PP has just mentioned.

Seatbelt length could be based on size of the seat? I'm only guessing logically since for safety reasons they don't want the unlatched belts to pool on the floor and become a tripping hazard. Since all planes have different seat widths maybe that's why the seat belts are so varied.

Or some airplane makers are cheaper than others