I've never complained and its only been shorter flights, but you don't have a leg to stand on, they wont kick off a passenger because of your say so. They have made obese people buy 2 seats rarely.

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Styrrell

Just deal with it, if it's embarrassing/uncomfortable for you think about how they feel. I think obesity is a huge problem and people don't do enough to counteract it but it doesn't mean I'm gonna ruin someones day.

The worst for me was a cross country flight next to Thor (the god, not cyclist). He was seriously the size and look of what I'd imagine a Norse god to be. I didn't have much room but it's only 6 hours

Welcome to my world. I travel a lot for work and spend far too much time on airplanes. It's not just obese people, it's sick people who should have stayed home, and smelly people, and sticky people, and sweaty people whose arms touch yours, and the tall dude reading the newspaper with his elbow in your chest, and the parents who sit on one side of the aisle and stick their kid on your side. And the kid who kicks the back of your seat, and the guy that thinks he can quietly fart the whole flight, and the nervous flyer who grabs your hand. I could go on and on...

I just sit there quietly and suck it up. Theres nothing you can do about it. If you let it get to you as a frequent traveller it will drive you insane.

What I don't understand is with all the flying I do how come Ive only sat next to an attractive woman maybe twice in hundreds and hundreds of flights.

They are coming for you. Yes, eventually, they will find you and unleash their unholy fury upon you.

I would gently suggest that your "fear of fat people" is a pretty telling subject to post on. It sounds you have never had this happen to you and yet you still managed to work the scenario into a conversation with a gate agent?!

I fly a lot and have been sat next to 205-300lb people a few times. Even in economy there has never been a real encroachment issue. Small people feel smaller because there's a lot of space around them but if you objectively look at "overlap" it's never been an issue. In my experience you're much more likely to get annoyed by a slim and selfish passenger who claims both armrests while you're still on the runway and spends the whole flight playing elbow chess.

In the truly exceptional case where a passenger can't fit in the seat (and not the more common situation where skinny triathletes find sitting next to a passenger distasteful), my understanding is that most airlines require the obese passeger to pay for two seats. I have seen this happen once while checking in and it was mortifying.

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"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek

Well, this one is an interesting topic that varies by airlines. Just about 24 months ago I was that guy. And trust me I hate flying. If for some reason I could not get a first class seat I always bought two seats in coach. The interesting thing was that the Airlines do not really know how to deal with this; I can not tell you how many time I was on full flights and had the flight attendant give my second seat to someone. The last thing that I wanted to do was to have a discussion on a full plane with the flight attendant on the topic. But that is what happened. I never wanted to be the person that infringed on the next person as it is super uncomfortable for both parties.

I can happily say that this is no longer the issue for me due to a ton of S,B,R; I am surely not headed for Kona any time soon but I am no longer that guys. I can say that most airlines say that if you can not lower the arm rest that you have to purchase a second seat. Now that I am not that "big guy" any longer; I feel for the "big guy" in the center seat on longer flights. But I tend to agree with the OP that airlines are not really setup to deal with this; I am not sure if they are scared of litigation or what....but in all cases it is a lose, lose situation as many people do not have the means to buy two tickets (which were always at full price). But I have found that SouthWest is the best about making people buy a second seat; and Continental being the worst. Just my .02.

Overnight Lufthansa flight from JFK to Frankfurt. Shakira would have been jealous of her hips. She knew when I sat next to her and right away tried to roll the fat in but without success. I knew I wouldnt be able to deal with this for the next 8+hrs. I asked the stewardess and got resigned to a new seat...
On a bus, next to dude eating chips. I asked him if he knew this seat was for two people and if he wouldn't mind scooting over a bit. I got a nasty look when he was rolling to the bus exit and "You don't have to ride this bus if you don't like it"...i didnt have the heart to comment.

In today's age, in western countries, being fat is a choice.

Fat people are coddled and protected. Some call that enabling.

When I was kid fat people were made fun of, openly. We need to bring that back. There were a lot less fat people in the 70s and 80s even though the food choices and knowledge about diet weren't as good as it is now.

Ridicule the fatties into shape!

Oh no, you say? Some will snap and commit suicide, you say? Better to do it quick with gun (or rope, or bridge) than slowly over time with food.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

The one time I was on a flight next to a very, very large man there was another seat open, and I chose to move - this gave me a bit more room and allowed him to raise the armrest that had been between our seats so it wasn't cutting into his ribcage.

It was a win for both of us.

My airplane nemeses are people who take a bath in the most foul perfume that they can find, and then continue to re-apply it throughout the flight. I would much rather sit in 3/4 of a seat for four hours than have a cologne related migrane upon disembarking.

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http://aclockworkmango.com

"What I don't understand is with all the flying I do how come Ive only sat next to an attractive woman maybe twice in hundreds and hundreds of flights. "
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Sounds like a Seinfeld episode!

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

i also fly a lot, and fortunately have never been really encroached on too much. however, i'm totally unforgiving on this. i also don't buy the argument you're getting from people that you've "got issues" or are somehow "anti fat people." to me, it's a simple business question and one the airline needs to resolve: i paid for a seat, and i'm getting 3/4 of a seat. give me a whole one. i don't particularly care how they solve it, but it's on them to make the customer whole.

-mike

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____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

If you can't accomodate a 400lb person in the seat next to you, it's clear you need to lose a few chubby.

"What I don't understand is with all the flying I do how come Ive only sat next to an attractive woman maybe twice in hundreds and hundreds of flights."

I'm surprised the airlines haven't capitalized on this. For a fee, they could let you choose your seat preference: Window, Aisle, Next to a hot chick.

To the OP: I once had this conversation with a fat woman on the runway in Boston heading towards LAX:
Me: "Hi"
Her: "Hi...do you mind if I put this arm rest up, it's really digging into me."
Me: "Uh, actually, I do, sorry. I'd hate to take up any of your space."

That was the end of our conversation for 6 hours.

I fly SW and they seem to be more active about handling fatties ( I define that as rolling over 350+) and making them buy 2 seats .... interestingly when it doesn't work out well, it seems they always get seated next to 130 pounders .... sort of makes me laugh.
To me the worst is a mom with a small kid who refuses to buy a second seat, but then acts indignant when the flight is full and you have to listen to screaming the whole flight.
Interestingly, since I'm older now .... I always seem to get cute young women sitting next to me .... I must remind them of their dad or something ...at least there's finally something to be said about getting older!

Dave

Lavender Room?

  
You forgot the drunk. I think that is by far and away the worst.

If you fly enough, you get to see humanity in all it's glory. I am just thankful they no longer let people smoke on flights.
In my early days flying back and forth to Asia, the planes were flying ashtrays.

I fly Southwest at all costs FOR this reason in addition to the fact I just dig their program. If you can't get a single lap belt around your waist you have to buy an extra seat with SWA and many 'persons of extra substance' choose not to fly SWA for this reason. I keep waiting for some attorney to sue Boeing for not redesigning their airframes around the tender feelings of the morbidly obese.

There have been a few overweight people who actually recognized they were squishing me and I truly appreciated their efforts to pull their flaps off my arms, but it's been rare.

People still fly Economy/coach? How quaint.

Last year, I was walking down the aisle to my seat. As I approached, the enormous person sitting next to my seat was smiling ear-to-ear (maybe thinking, "Yeah, I got a skinny guy"). I was thinking "oh boy, going to be a cramped ride!".

We had a great 3 hour chat - he even let me wear his $30,000 Super Bowl ring.

Agree 100% with Nick and Doug. If yoiu travel a lot, you see all sides of the equation. Just suck it up and accept that the world is full of compromises.

I travel way more than any individual should....I rarely get bent out of shape re: travel issues anymore. Just not worth it. If you end up with a big person next to you, just lean to the side as much as possible and deal with it. It is only a few hours....and trust me, the larger person is way more uncomfortable (both physically and emotionally) than you are.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

My strategy: Fly Southwest as often as possible. Get a boarding pass in the late "A" group. Walk on the plane, size up the people that are already seated, and sit down next to someone who looks un-annoying. Problem (usually) solved.

thats awesome!!!you mind sharing who the dude was??
i dig southwest as well but the rare occasion i fly united or something else i expect to get what i paid for. a whole seat not 2/3 of a seat with some fat hanging over into my seat. 9 times out of 10 ill ask for a new seat or ask they buy 2 seats depending on how nice they are and if they could be a good talk buddy. it starts getting out of hand when i get my airplane pretzels and fat starts eating my pretzels!!! thats when i pop in an ironman dvd on my portable dvd player wendy ingram crawl and inspire fat to make it to kona. id much prefer a 15 hour drive over a few hours of flying. im the guy that brings on starbucks and treats and eats them during flight while u are jealous and eat your over priced dry airline sandwhich.
big dooayne out

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Call of Duty

Twice? Lucky guy. 10 years of stupid amounts of flying as a consultant, and I've NEVER had an attractive woman as a passenger.

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Those who are slower than me suck.
Those who are faster than me dope

the one time I complained, red eye coming home from a meeting in Las Vegas, I was the middle seat next to an EASY 400 pound AWFUL smelling guy (like I thought I was going to hurl).. I complained I was the one who spent the night in the airport and flew home the NEXT day (on a different carrier).