Size on planes

[MzDiz]

My husband is a big guy.... BIG guy. As of yet, we have not booked a flight or rented a car for our upcoming trip (I know, I know) and I'm not sure what to do.
Honestly, after reading stories about people getting kicked off planes for being too fat, I'm worried about him. He's 5'9", #270, and wears about a 46 pants. Is he going to fit on a plane? Uhg, he'd kill me if he knew I was posting this.
Help!

 

[fla4fun]

Do you know the size of the seat on the airline you plan to fly? Different airlines have different size seats, give or take an inch or two, so if you are wavering between two airlines, and one has a seat an inch or two larger, you might want to consider booking with that one.

Also, if you know the width of the seat, it's easy enough to see if he fits in a chair of similar size. A lot of it depends on how he carries his weight. If he carries it in his stomach, then it's not as big a deal for the people on either side of him. I know there is an airline that bases it on whether a customer can sit with the armrest down. It doesn't matter if they need a belt extension, because that doesn't necessarily cause a problem with other flyers, but it's whether they are expanding into another person's seat.

We have a lot of Pooh sized people in our family, and we're used to checking out seat sizes to find the best fit. Sitting in an armchair of the same width really gives us a good idea of how comfortable we'll be on the plane. If you're really in doubt, call the airlines you are considering and ask them what their customer of size policy is.

 

[Tess'smom]

I wonder if you would consider calling customer service at the airline to find out how big their seats are. If available, first class would have wider seats , or would you consider purchasing two seats. I know it is an added expense, but he might be more comfortable if it isn't too outrageous.

 

[mika911]

I've seen some pretty big people on planes, certainly bigger than what you described.

I don't know. Will you guys take up an entire row like are there 3 or more of you? If he is just sitting with you guys it might not be so bad too cause he'd just push into your space some.

If business or first class was available, he'd probably have no problem with a seat there.

 

[JoiseyMom]

He is not that big, he will fit. If need be he will need a seat belt extender. My DH is taller and bigger then him, and he fits.

 

[CarolRN]

My husband is larger than that and he fits. He does ask for a seat belt extension as soon as we board. We have used Delta and American Airlines coach and both were fine. You can go to Seatguru.com and it will tell you the width of the seat if you can narrow down the airline.