Pooh sized travelers and airplanes

[jlindemer]

I am toying with the idea of flying this time (who am I kidding? I toy with this idea every trip!). I am scared that I will buy airfare and then they won't let me on the plane due to seat restrictions. I am a pooh sized gal who wears a size 24 pants. Will I fit? Will they make me buy 2 tickets? What if I buy 1 ticket, get there and they say I need 2, but the plane is booked?

I am considering SW or AirTran.

I appreciate any info you can give me! (And, yes, I will be getting on the eliptical tomorrow, but I'm not sure I will lose enough junk in the trunk by Oct/Nov.)

Thanks!

 

[peemagg]

You will have no problem. I fly Airtran and am the same size as you and have never been given a second look. Not even when I flew with Delta once.

If you want to fly go for it!

 

[ccudmore]

Not sure what the laws are like in the U.S. but here in Canada airlines are obliged to give any passenger who cannot safely sit in one seat a second seat for no extra cost.

 

[kaytieeldr]

See Southwest's Customer of Size information pages for exact, specific explanations about their policies, the reasons for them, and how things work. They do explain what happens how they determine a specific passenger needs two seats; IF they determine a particular passenger does, and the plane is full, they have a procedure for that. The policy has been in effect for over twenty years; it's pretty well-thought-out

Pretty much all airlines have similar policies, but SWA enforces them more publicly than the others. Odds are, you won't have any problem.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Not sure what the laws are like in the U.S. but here in Canada airlines are obliged to give any passenger who cannot safely sit in one seat a second seat for no extra cost.

Definately not the case in the US (and nor would I want it to be) as the passenger would be utilizing space that could be revenue generating.

SW has a pretty specific policy as the previous poster mentioned.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Definately not the case in the US (and nor would I want it to be)

Ditto - and I say that as a possible Customer of Size on Southwest.

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

I am toying with the idea of flying this time (who am I kidding? I toy with this idea every trip!). I am scared that I will buy airfare and then they won't let me on the plane due to seat restrictions. I am a pooh sized gal who wears a size 24 pants. Will I fit? Will they make me buy 2 tickets? What if I buy 1 ticket, get there and they say I need 2, but the plane is booked?

I am considering SW or AirTran.

I appreciate any info you can give me! (And, yes, I will be getting on the eliptical tomorrow, but I'm not sure I will lose enough junk in the trunk by Oct/Nov.)

Thanks!

I think you will be fine. If you're worried, purchase your seat in advance for an aisle seat, that way you'll feel like you can lean towards the aisle instead of against the person beside you. Be careful when they bring the drink cart by so your elbow doesn't get nailed!

DH & I are pooh sized, we always prebook 3 seats together & put our teen in the middle seat (although last couple of trips he wanted the window seat) but either way we are all still comfortable - and that includes carry ons under the seat with our feet.

 

[YenSid1222]

Another reason I will not fly on WN.

 

[MAH4546]

Another reason I will not fly on WN.

Just about every major U.S. airline has this policy.

 

[kaytieeldr]

DH & I are pooh sized, we always prebook 3 seats together & put our teen in the middle seat (although last couple of trips he wanted the window seat)

It's great that you do that - but if you read Southwest's Customer of Size explanation page, they do state that their policy is based in part on the fact that each ticket entitles the passenger to one (and only one) complete seat - for, if I recall correctly, both comfort and safety.

Another reason I will not fly on WN.

Okay. Don't. Personally, I find having only one reason not to do something is sufficient - and my reason for not flying Southwest is the lack of nonstop flights to my destinations of choice - but if you need multiple reasons... okay

 

[kaytieeldr]

Just about every major U.S. airline has this policy.

Ah, but few enforce it

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

I used to be size 24 now im a 12 and I never had issues fitting into a seat on Air Canada, Continental, Delta or United. The only seat I ever felt *Cramped* in was on a commuter plane where there was a row of one and a row of two, the row of one seat was very small.

I wish you all the best and reccommend an aisle seat or if you flew say United you could pay for extra leg room etc in Economy Plus. I qualified for 1K membership so I always get the economy plus room and its sooo nice the extra room.

Have a magical trip!

 

[Missytara]

I am toying with the idea of flying this time (who am I kidding? I toy with this idea every trip!). I am scared that I will buy airfare and then they won't let me on the plane due to seat restrictions. I am a pooh sized gal who wears a size 24 pants. Will I fit? Will they make me buy 2 tickets? What if I buy 1 ticket, get there and they say I need 2, but the plane is booked?

I am considering SW or AirTran.

I appreciate any info you can give me! (And, yes, I will be getting on the eliptical tomorrow, but I'm not sure I will lose enough junk in the trunk by Oct/Nov.)

Thanks!

I am also a size 24 and travel Airtran all the time. If I ask for a seatbelt extender, they are very discreet about handing it to you as well.

 

[seashoreCM]

Ah, but few enforce it

It is to be enforced upon quiet request prior to departure.

If it gets to the point where the flight is going to depart late, possibly because a complaint resolution officer was summoned, the airline will concoct a solution, possibly asking for volunteers to be bumped.

The airline does have one ace up its sleeve. Someone who did not reserve enough space to accommodate himself may be bumped without compensation.

 

[Alexander]

If you fly AirTran, you can always try to upgrade when you check in at the 24hour mark. It is $50 for us to fly from Upstate NY direct to Orlando (much cheaper than if you booked it outright). The seats are bigger and you get to fly in business class. I know this may not be an option, but just a suggestion for how you can be sure to have more room.

 

[Disneylvr]

I think you will be fine. If you're worried, purchase your seat in advance for an aisle seat, that way you'll feel like you can lean towards the aisle instead of against the person beside you. Be careful when they bring the drink cart by so your elbow doesn't get nailed!

DH & I are pooh sized, we always prebook 3 seats together & put our teen in the middle seat (although last couple of trips he wanted the window seat) but either way we are all still comfortable - and that includes carry ons under the seat with our feet.

That is what we do although our child is only 7 and not a teen. I assume you are not flying on SW since they don't allow prebooking of seats. We pretty much avoid SW but I do understand their customer of size policy. We flew AirTran for the first time this past March and it was a very good experience both for customer of size and for a child with a disability. Good luck!

 

[Inkmahm]

If you fly AirTran, you can always try to upgrade when you check in at the 24hour mark. It is $50 for us to fly from Upstate NY direct to Orlando (much cheaper than if you booked it outright). The seats are bigger and you get to fly in business class. I know this may not be an option, but just a suggestion for how you can be sure to have more room.

This is what my DH and I do. We use our Airtran + rewards to pay for upgrades to business class rather than for free trips. When we don't have enough rewards to use, we pay the $69 fee to upgrade between MKE and MCO. The seats are wide and comfy and it is generally much quieter in Business class away from all the traveling families. If we need to stay in the main cabin for some reason, I spend the $20 to get an exit row seat ($40 for the two of us) as the extra leg room makes the seating much more comfortable even if the seats aren't any wider.

 

[buckirj1]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the obvious answer: just buy two seats and be done with it. I'm about the same size as the OP, and buy two seats routinely. Totally worth it not to have the hassle. I get the best air sales I can, and stay at a 40% pin rate, which easily saves enough to justify the extra seat. The other person in your row is usually so happy they'll offer to buy you a drink during the flight!

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Sometimes you can't find an affordable seat The flights I fly most often it is around 450 - 500 round trip so that'd be 1000 dollars! (Yikes)
It really depends on the route if its affordable to buy two seats.
But again I think OP will be fine I always was fine when I was size 24 !

 

[MickeyCrazed]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the obvious answer: just buy two seats and be done with it. I'm about the same size as the OP, and buy two seats routinely. Totally worth it not to have the hassle. I get the best air sales I can, and stay at a 40% pin rate, which easily saves enough to justify the extra seat. The other person in your row is usually so happy they'll offer to buy you a drink during the flight!

I agree... although, I've never been offered a free drink.