by Miguel Polanco-Plata

Created on: April 29, 2009   Last Updated: April 30, 2009

Big People or Just Small Seats?

Are you as thin as a supermodel? Because I know I'm not, but airlines tend to think we are. As Americans we like things big but when it comes to airline seating, airlines leave the average Joe short. When you get into an airplane seat today you'll feel more like Andre The Giant than who you really are. I have flown many times and I am not a large individual I stand 5"8 and 190lbs and I find it difficult to get into the seat because of the cabin height and the seats narrow size. The average seat size according to independenttraveler.com and delta.com is between 31-33 inches wide. That is quite a mini seat if you ask me. Take a woman for example let's just say the average dress side is a 6 which I think is really small that makes her hips 37inches. How embarrassed you be if you are a woman who wears a size 8 or 10 and they make you buy an extra seat, because your hips squeeze to tightly into the seat.

When on my last vacation I went through the kiosk to check in and was asked if I would like to upgrade seats, the cost was roughly $100.00 for the upgrade so I declined and when I entered the plane I saw the so called upgrade seats and they looked like you average theatre seat. Now when I found mine it was more like a kiddy seat than a full size passenger seat. I was forced to duck my head just to get into the seat and the closeness of it to my fellow passenger was just too close for comfort.

I know that if the seating were larger there would be no need to charge a larger passenger for an extra seat. They would sit down and have a normal flight to where ever they may be flying. Airlines seemed to have just figured out another way of squeezing out that extra dime that we couldn't afford before. When I fly, I fly affordably but even when you find that great deal it is often just too good to be true. I recently vacationed and found that the airline charged for bags over 50lbs. When you are going on a two week trip you pack more than 50lbs I assure you; and now while on delta.com I also found that Delta is also charging for any bag not carry-on $15.00 for the first and $25.00 for each one thereafter. Is the issue here really about the weight of the passenger not fitting in the seat? Take a passenger on my flight to Salt Lake City he was about 6"3 or so and very wide, instead of being asked to pay for the "upgrade" or an extra seat he was moved up without any monetary charge. So I say the issue is not with the passenger but with the airline!

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>