Is it feasible for a Big & Tall man to fly coach?

[Luv'sTink]

There are seats that do not recline and they don't charge less for those.

Exit rows: Exit rows usually have greater seat pitch or legroom to facilitate quick evacuations in emergencies. As a bonus, seats in front of exit rows often don't recline keeping the exit path clear and giving exit row passengers even more space. Exit rows may only be occupied by passengers capable of assisting in an emergency. These seats are usually assigned at airport check in. Arrive at the airport early to claim a seat in an exit row.

There is nothing someone with long legs can do about the length of their legs...More of the ME FIRST mentality at it's best.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I spent a transatlantic flight with a very very very tall man's knees in my back in coach on British Airways. You simply do what you can--but you will have to decide if comfort or cost is more important. Tall people do "fit". But it may be a very tight fit. I was fine with not reclining my seat, and I didn't mind that his knees had no wear to go. What I did not appreciate was his constant wiggling of his knees. He certainly could have been kinder about it. I finally said something and he was quite rude about it. (And I was nice!)

 

[Nancyg56]

My DH is 6'6" and about 270. He can fly coach but we do try to get an aisle. He does not stick his legs out but seems to be able to move a little more.

Now I have no idea if the person in front of him can recline. He keeps his legs in th space in front of him. He is not in parked in or on or above the seat in front so I do nto think he infringes on space.

You know, we go to the theater and he feels badly if he is in front of people but he paid for his seat. While we never try to obstruct the folks behind us I refuse to sitin teh back of the theater and I think this is kind of the same thing.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

There are seats that do not recline and they don't charge less for those.

There is nothing someone with long legs can do about the length of their legs...More of the ME FIRST mentality at it's best.

Well, that's why I pay extra to choose my seat before I fly...so that I'm not stuck in a seat that doesn't recline.

The other poster said that she was 'too cheap' (her words) to pay the extra $60 for her DH to fly round trip in an exit row seat, but seems to have no problem inconveniencing the person in front of her DH. But hey, go right ahead accusing me of having a ME FIRST mentality.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

He's not infringing on their space. No part of his body is in the seat in front of him.

Not entirely true...

On the flight I was on--the guys knees were IN my back--to do that, his knees had to be jammed into my unreclined seat, applying pressure through the seat. The moment you cannot occupy your space without touching the other person physically or through a seat, you are infringing.

I can understand that one may not be able to help it, which is why I will not recline. But it isn't true that there is no infringement just b/c there is no skin to skin contact.

 

[stepmommyof1]

I totally agree with the poster who said the real me first mentality is when people decide that instead of paying for the extra space they need, they'll just inconvieniance the people around them.

 

[deegack]

DH is 6'7" 200ish pounds. We upgrade to first class when available or pay for exit row or bulk head. Unfortunately we sometimes do sit in a regular coach seat. We usually arrange our seats for window and aisle and hope that the middle is not occupied. IF it is, I offer to switch with the person. This allows him to stretch his legs a bit out to the side. It can be painful for him is the person in front reclines all the way so he will ask if they can move the seat up a bit. Ninety five percent of the time they are fine with it.

 

[stepmommyof1]

To the poster above this post: They are fine with it because they have to be. There options are to accept it even if they don't like it, and tell you it's fine, OR, appear rude to you. Very often, a majority of people don't want to be rude and will put up with things that inconvenience them just to avoid being rude. That doesn't mean they appreciate being cramped in their seat or being asked to change seats (even if you're asking so that they can have the better seat).

 

[mefordis]

I really hate it when people recline their seats. I feel like they are in my lap. Then I have to recline my seat, which I do not want to do. I feel like when people recline the seats, they are infringing on my space. I wish the airlines would disable the seat recline in coach. Or if everyone on the plane agreed not to recline their seats, or everyone reclines. Yeah, take a vote before each flight!

 

[kaytieeldr]

If he's not infringing in her space, then why is she unable to recline? I'm assuming it's because his knees are in the space her seat would occupy if she were to lean back (which is a seat function/position for which she has paid).

For an hour-long flight, yeah, it probably wasn't necessary for the other woman to get worked up about it. However, I do think that preventing another passenger from reclining is little different than spilling over the armrest into another person's seat.

It's a lot different. There are remedies for girth (e.g. purchase an extra seat, travel when slimmer [yes, I know one's expensive and one's difficult]). There's no "remedy" for height. Unless, as that poster's husband offered, someone wants him to cut off his legs. There's no right to recline.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

Now... onto new topics... my DH is super tall and super skinny! His legs never fit on planes

I agree with PPs who suggest asking on the podcast forum

 

[scrapquitler]

I think if people are tall enough or large enough that they infringe on others, then they really should just purchase an extra seat, whether that seat is next to them or in front of them. It may seem unfair to expect them to purchase an extra seat for something they cannot control (height etc) but it is hardly fair for them to inconvieniance others with their girth or knees poking into seats, etc

Purchasing an extra seat is not going to do anything to make the seat the in front of a tall person recline.

It's not the tall persons fault that the seat in front of them doesn't recline...the airline makes the seats that close together. It's the same thing if there is a child in a car seat behind you, you just can't rely on reclining your seat because there are situations where they are just TOO close together for it to be possible: car seat, very tall person, you are in front of an exit row. Tough luck, sit up. Don't blame the person behind you, blame the airline for cramming so many seats in the plane.

My husband is tall (6'3") and he can(and does) sit in coach, it's not comfortable, but paying for first class really isn't an option (he did fly first class for work a couple of times...the seat that would have cost $500 in coach cost almost $1800 in first class, that's just NOT in our budget for vacations).

 

[crashbb]

Purchasing an extra seat is not going to do anything to make the seat the in front of a tall person recline.


It's not the tall persons fault that the seat in front of them doesn't recline...the airline makes the seats that close together. It's the same thing if there is a child in a car seat behind you, you just can't rely on reclining your seat because there are situations where they are just TOO close together for it to be possible: car seat, very tall person, you are in front of an exit row. Tough luck, sit up. Don't blame the person behind you, blame the airline for cramming so many seats in the plane.

I think that the argument is that the seat in front of the tall person remains empty (it being the "extra" seat purchased). Similar to the way that some airlines make passengers who are too wide to fit into a single seat purchase the seat beside them.

Which brings a point - airlines can (and do) force people to buy an extra seat if they cannot fit into a seat width wise (we don't blame the airlines - we blame the person who cannot fit in the seat). What's the difference? Note - I'm not advocating the purchase of the seat in front, just asking.

In terms of car seats, when we've traveled with my nephew, I sit in the seat in front of his car seat so that we don't force a stranger to have a non-reclining seat. He's always been in a rear facing car seat (he's only flown a few times) which really restricts the ability of the seat in front from reclining.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You can control somebody not sitting next to you. Try controlling somebody not sitting in a seemingly empty seat in front of you, crashbb. NO sarcasm whatsoever. Southwest gives its passengers of size who buy two seats a 'reserved' sign for the adjacent seat, plus the passenger is sitting right there to tell others the seat's not available.

Compare that to having to monitor the empty seat in front of you for the entire flight. "You can't sit there. I paid for that seat, too."

 

[NotUrsula]

It's a lot different. There are remedies for girth (e.g. purchase an extra seat, travel when slimmer [yes, I know one's expensive and one's difficult]). There's no "remedy" for height. Unless, as that poster's husband offered, someone wants him to cut off his legs. There's no right to recline.

Well, I agree that there is no right to recline (the airline doesn't give rebates for getting stuck in a broken seat even if you do pick the position.)

However, I disagree that there is no remedy for height in coach. It's the same remedy as the remedy for girth -- buy one or even two extra seats so that you can place your legs to the side. Yes, you will get arguments from most airlines when you buy that extra seat and you do not appear "portly", but size is size, and if you need more space to accomodate it, the remedy is the same.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

It's a lot different. There are remedies for girth (e.g. purchase an extra seat, travel when slimmer [yes, I know one's expensive and one's difficult]). There's no "remedy" for height. Unless, as that poster's husband offered, someone wants him to cut off his legs. There's no right to recline.

Yes, there is a remedy...pay extra for an exit row/bulkhead row seat. The poster I was responding to said that she refused to do that since she'd have to pay an extra $30 each way for those seats.

While I know it's not always possible to get those seats (especially without status on the airline), and business class is financially infeasible for many, I still think that an acknowledgement at least (and possibly apology) that you are inconveniencing the passenger in front of you is reasonable.

Also, as I mentioned upthread, I always pay so that I can choose my seat in advance, and I would never select a seat that doesn't recline. If I ended up stuck in a seat where I couldn't recline because the passenger behind me was too tall, then I've basically wasted that money that I spent pre-selecting my seat. I'm also likely stuck on a 12 hour flight with no space in front of me because the person in front of me has reclined, a sore back from trying to sleep upright, and an inability to even watch the tv screen because it is now too close (damn that turning 40! ). I would be one grumpy camper, that's for sure.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Well, I agree that there is no right to recline (the airline doesn't give rebates for getting stuck in a broken seat even if you do pick the position.)

Actually, I did get compensation for being in a broken seat on a flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver back in the late 90s. It was minimal (maybe 5000 extra airmiles?), but at least there was an acknowledgement that I was inconvenienced.

 

[tlbwriter]

I'd be thrilled to pay extra for a better seat, but it seems like half the time I fly (or someone in my family flies), the flight gets canceled or changed. What happens if you pay extra for a bulkhead seat, and then a week before your flight, you're informed that your flight has been canceled and you've been moved to a different flight where the bulkhead and exit rows were already snapped up weeks ago?

 

[asta]

I really hate it when people recline their seats. I feel like they are in my lap. Then I have to recline my seat, which I do not want to do. I feel like when people recline the seats, they are infringing on my space. I wish the airlines would disable the seat recline in coach. Or if everyone on the plane agreed not to recline their seats, or everyone reclines. Yeah, take a vote before each flight!

I strongly agree. I think this feature should be disabled on all airplanes. The rows are just too close together to make sense anymore. I think that those who recline their seats are infringing on my space. If you recline your seat and I don't have enough room to use my tray, the you are taking away one of the features I paid for. It is just rude to recline your seat into someones lap. You should at least ask the person behind you first. But better yet would be if the airlines just admitted that they are packing you on in such a small area that reclining seats just don't work.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I think that the argument is that the seat in front of the tall person remains empty (it being the "extra" seat purchased). Similar to the way that some airlines make passengers who are too wide to fit into a single seat purchase the seat beside them.

Which brings a point - airlines can (and do) force people to buy an extra seat if they cannot fit into a seat width wise (we don't blame the airlines - we blame the person who cannot fit in the seat). What's the difference? Note - I'm not advocating the purchase of the seat in front, just asking.

In terms of car seats, when we've traveled with my nephew, I sit in the seat in front of his car seat so that we don't force a stranger to have a non-reclining seat. He's always been in a rear facing car seat (he's only flown a few times) which really restricts the ability of the seat in front from reclining.

Just a guess and not meant to incite anything--but absolutely NOONE on this planet can control the length of their femur...the length of which controls whether or not the knees poke the seat in front of them.

Reclining is a luxury, and while it isn't fun to not be able to recline the half degree that a seat reclines, it is what it is. Still--knee poking is just so uncomfortable, for the tall person AND the passenger in front of him or her.