In their quest to squash more and more bodies into planes, airlines have made seats narrower and narrower. Whereas seat width 30 years ago averaged around 19 or 20 inches, nowadays it’s closer to 16-18 inches (depending upon airline and plane). Meanwhile, while the width of airline seats has been inching down, the weight of the average American has been inching up, which causes, of course, an issue for people of size – the inability to fit into some standard airline seats.
Safety regulations from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate that passengers must be able to lower their armrests and sufficiently buckle and fasten their seat belts (but not all people can do that on all planes). And there’s no law from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding what airlines are required to do in the case of a passenger who can’t fit in a single seat due to his/her size. So each airline has made its own rules, some of which are better and fairer than others. As a reference, here are the rules for the major U.S. carriers:
Alaska Air
The seat width on all Alaska Airlines aircraft (armrest to armrest) is approximately 17 inches and the seatbelt length is approximately 46 inches. Passengers needing extra coverage may ask the flight attendant for a seatbelt extension, which adds 25 inches to the seatbelt length. Only seatbelt extensions provided by the specific aircraft operator may be used onboard.
Seat belt extensions are prohibited in the exit row.
We require the purchase of an additional seat for any customer who cannot comfortably fit within one seat with the armrests in the down position. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats; width between the armrests typically measures 17 inches for coach and 21 inches for First Class. The purchase of an additional seat(s) serves as a notification to Alaska Airlines of a special seating need, and allows us to adequately plan for the number of seats that will be occupied on the aircraft. Most importantly, it ensures that all customers onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating.
After you have completed travel, if all Alaska Airlines flights in each direction departed with an open seat available, you will be eligible for a refund of the second seat.
Allegiant
The airline seats measure 17.8″ from inside of armrest to inside of armrest, their seatbelts are 40″ long and one of their seatbelt extenders will add another 21″. Passengers who are unable to lower the armrest and/or compromise any portion of adjacent seat(s) should purchase an additional ticket during the initial reservation. Two seats will be pre-assigned (at no additional charge) in order to ensure the passenger of size has two seats side-by-side. If on the date of travel, a passenger of size requests a second ticket, the agent will be unable to sell a second ticket unless two seats are available side-by-side. In the event the flight is sold out and an extra seat is unavailable, the passenger of size shall be denied travel in the interest of safety.
Allegiant’s website does not mention the possibility of a refund for the second seat.
American
- When you call to book, Reservations will make sure you get 2 adjacent seats at the same rate.
- If you didn’t book an extra seat in advance, ask an airport agent to find out if 2 adjacent seats are available.
- You may be offered a seat in a higher class of service that may provide more space; in this case, you’ll be responsible for the fare difference.
- If accommodations can’t be made on your original flight, you can buy seats on a different flight at the same price as your original seats.
Nothing on American’s website suggests a refund for the extra seating, although asking an airport agent to see if 2 adjacent seats are together might suggest they’ll give you a second seat for free (if available) at the gate. Or not. It’s very open-ended.
Delta
Delta’s standard Economy Seats are 17.2″ wide and feature 31-32″ on legroom. If you need more space, you can ask to be reseated next to an empty seat or pay to upgrade to First/Business class. If you want to make sure you’re comfortable, you might consider booking an additional seat. No mention is made for any refund for the extra seat.
Delta doesn’t say how long their seatbelts are, but they will be happy to provide you with a seatbelt extender – they don’t mention how long those are either, but in the past they were a whopping 10 inches.
Frontier
Customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seat or aisle should book two seats prior to travel. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats. Additionally, armrests (when fully lowered) are viewed as providing a measure of safety by restricting the seat occupant’s lateral (side-to-side) movement.
It is Frontier’s goal to ensure a safe, comfortable flight for everyone and to make every customer’s travel experience pleasant from beginning to end.
Nothing is mentioned about refunds for the extra seating.
Frontier mentions nothing about side width or length of seatbelts.
Hawaiian
Average Seat Widths:
Boeing 717 – 18 inches
First Class seats are 19 inches wide. Exit row seats are 17.5 inches wide.
Airbus A321neo – 18 inches
First Class seats are 21 inches wide. Some seats in the rear of the plane are 16.8 inches wide.
Airbus A330 – 18 inches
First/Business class seats are 20 inches wide. Some seats in the rear of the plane are 16.5 inches wide.
Most of our seats are 18 inches wide. For larger guests, this may create a safety issue. If you are unable to sit comfortably in your seat with the armrests lowered, we will try to find a suitable alternative. However, if no safe alternative seating can be found, we may not be able to transport you on your ticketed flight.
If you may need extra room, we highly recommend booking an extra seat in advance. Please reserve your extra seat by calling our Web Support Center at 1-866-586-9419. Our agents can assist you with booking two adjacent Coach or Extra Comfort seats. Each seat will be charged at the lowest available fare.
Note: Extra seats booked online are not guaranteed to be adjacent. To book an extra seat, please call our Web Support Center at 1-866-586-9419.
JetBlue
Unfortunately, JetBlue doesn’t specify any policy for people of size on its website. It does note that its seatbelts are 45 inches long, and it makes 25-inch extensions available onboard its aircraft.
Southwest
Southwest’s seatbelts are 39″ long and their extenders are 24″. Customers who encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s) may proactively purchase the needed number of seats prior to travel in order to ensure the additional seat(s) is available. The armrest is considered to be the definitive boundary between seats. The purchase of additional seats serves as a notification to Southwest of a special seating need, and allows them to adequately plan for the number of seats that will be occupied on the aircraft.
Passengers who were required to purchase extra seating may contact Southwest for a refund of the cost of additional seating after travel. Customers of size who prefer not to purchase an additional seat in advance have the option of purchasing just one seat and then discussing their seating needs with the Customer Service Agent at their departure gate. If it’s determined that a second (or third) seat is needed, they will be accommodated with a complimentary additional seat, if such a seat is available.
Spirit
Spirit requires that a passenger who “encroaches on an adjacent seat area and/or is unable to sit in a single seat with the armrests lowered” must purchase an additional seat (or a “Big Front Seat”). If there aren’t any available additional seats on the plane, the passenger will be rebooked on the next flight or get a refund on his or her reservation.
It’s also noted that guests who require a seat belt extension may not occupy any seat equipped with an inflatable seat belt.
| Rows with inflatable seat belts | |
| Aircraft | Seat Row |
| A319 | 1, 4, 5 (D,E,F) |
| A320 (32A, 32N) | 1, 3, 12, 13 |
| A321 (32B) | 1, 3 |
Spirit makes no mention about the possibility of refunds for the second seat(s).
United
United’s seatbelts are 31″ long and you have to pre-reserve an extender, which is 25″ long. A customer flying in the economy cabin who is not able to safely and comfortably fit in a single seat is required to purchase an additional seat for each leg of their itinerary. The second seat may be purchased for the same fare as the original seat, provided it is purchased at the same time. A customer who does not purchase an extra seat in advance may be required to do so on the day of departure for the fare level available on the day of departure. The customer may instead choose to purchase a ticket for United First®, United Business® or United Polaris℠ business class, or elect to pay for an upgrade to a premium cabin if there is availability to do so.
They continue: We will not board you if you decline to buy a ticket for an additional seat or an upgrade for each leg of your itinerary when required.
If you do not require two seats but require a seat belt extension, you may ask for one from a flight attendant on board. You are not allowed to bring or supply your own seat belt extensions.
But wait, there’s more!: The additional seat must be available without downgrading or unseating another customer. If an additional seat isn’t available on the flight for which you’re confirmed, you’re required to rebook on the next United flight with seats available for accommodation. We’ll waive penalties or fees that may otherwise apply to this change.
If you’re away from your home and must rebook for a flight for the following day, amenities, including applicable meals and hotel accommodations for one night, will be provided as appropriate. When you’re able to rebook for a later flight on the same day as originally scheduled, amenities will not be provided.
Checked bag allowances are determined by the number of seats purchased. When two seats are purchased for one customer, the checked bag allowance is doubled. The number of carry-on items permitted is determined by the individual passenger allowances set by the TSA, rather than our policy. Consequently, the carry-on allowance isn’t doubled. Learn more about bag allowances.
Which airlines are the most/least fair to passengers of size?
Each airline is different. The size of their seats vary from airline to airline, as well as from plane to plane. Same goes for their respective seatbelt extenders. On top of that, you have differences in policy.
We studied each airline, their seats, extenders and policies in this post and determined which airlines seemed to be the most/least fair to passengers of size.
It’s a sticky situation. Airlines have a point – as businesses, they want to make money. People of size also make a point – each one of them is just one person. Is there any easy answer? No. Is the way the situation is being handled now fair? No. Hopefully in the future things can be better.
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17 comments
I was recently on a flight with a Person of Size. She told me that Southwest had refunded the cost of the second seat. She seemed pleased with the way in which Southwest had handled her request.
Really? That’s what we come to? A person of size is now capitalized??. The world has gone mad
I was once seated between two big people. I was squished. I did not say anything because the flight was short (about an hour) and the two men were military (but not US).
It’s nice that you didn’t say anything. Sometimes you have to put others before yourself and depending on what was said, and how it was said and handled, it could have potentially been very embarrassing for them, I’m sure.
I don’t get American’s policy. They are allowed to extend 1″ OUTSIDE of the armrest. If I am sitting next to them, that is 1″ taken away from me on an already narrow seat. That isn’t right.
I was on a flight next to a large woman. Her shoulders were a couple of inches out of the seat on both sides. It was a full flight so there was no where else to go. It was miserable. The comment that “A person of size is now capitalized” must be coming from someone who has never had their already small space compromised even more. If you can’t fit in a seat, the person next to you should not be penalized.
I don’t think you understand what “capitalized” means in Dublin’s reply. It has nothing to do with penalization of the person sitting next to the person of size.
I support the United policy that makes the oversized people responsible for their size, rather than penalizing the passengers adjacent tomthem.
Meh. I care more about being a good person and caring for your fellow man.
That goes both ways, Sharon. People of size need to respect the comfort of others. If you cannot fit in the airline seat and need more space, it’s disrespectful to take that space from another passenger. People of size need to be caring of their fellows, to quote you. . It’s wrong to make their problem, someone else’s. It’s not being a bad person to expect your personal space to be respected.
Sorry, I still feel more for the person of size. They’ve already had to be uncomfortable by squeezing into a seat that’s many inches narrower than it was years ago, worried about having to pay for 2 seats (depending on the airline), embarrassed about having to ask for a seatbelt extender and have to deal with the snide looks and comments in person (and the latter online). Those of us next to them just have to give an inch or two – a minor inconvenience in comparison to the lifelong “fat shaming” strangers will give (you should see some of the disgusting replies to this post that we didn’t approve). I’m willing to give a little, and make small sacrifices, in the name of my fellow humans. It’s a shame that others in the same situation just talk about their personal space.
American women are an average size 14. I don’t fly often but can they comfortably fit in an airline seat?
If you don’t fly often, how would you know if you fit into a seat? Is it hip size or what?
Each airline lists the width of their seats and some list the size of their seat belt extenders. Beyond that, I guess it would mean calling the airline and asking?
I am waiting for the first lawsuit. Really. I think that this would be so embarrassing for anyone that this is going to happen too. I know people that are certain medications and unfortunately they are weight gainers. I am appalled and I hope that we can all agree this is discrimination. Shame on them. Hopefully they won’t get off the ground with such asinine rules.
I do see both sides, however, if a person of size doesn’t have to pay for two seats if that is what they need, why can’t I pay 1/2 price for my 4 year old grandson who only takes up 1/2 a seat? Oh, it’s because he is taking up a full seat. If a person is taking up 2 seats, I don’t see why they shouldn’t have to pay for it. My son is 6’6″ and has to upgrade his seats due to legroom. He does not get those seats at the regular economy price. If he and other passengers that are tall have to pay for more legroom because their knees will be to their chins or encroaching on an adjacent passenger’s leg space, persons of size should have to pay for an upgraded location or multiple seats.
A couple of points. The seat width of narrow body planes has not changed. The vast majority of domestic flights operate with narrowbodies and they are the Boeing 737 which generally has a 17″ seat width and and the Airbus 320 18″ seat which has a 18″ seat width. Where seats have become narrower are on widebody planes.