“Not My Problem”: United Passenger Refuses To Lift Armrest To Make Room For Obese Woman, She’s Livid

Mel in Georgia

Mel in Georgia

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This happened to me. I'm petite. The person next to me was squished so uncomfortably that I voluntarily raised the arm rest so they had more room. They couldn't lower their tray table so I shared mine. I'm not saying that others don't have the right to their space, but for me it was a short flight and this kindness to this polite man was a small thing. I do wish airlines offered affordable extra-wide coach seats for the growing number of people who need them, though.

And yet, every time a person who needs two seats books, two seats - they check in and get told the ~extra~ seat has been reassigned because the flight was overbooked... and this doesn't just happen to overweight people - why do you think there's a separate category for child under two with their own seat? So the airline can bump children under the age of 2 from their own seat and forced the parent to have them as a lap baby because -again- they always overbook.

There should be seat sizes at the purchasing of a ticket, just like they do with hand luggage. If you don’t fit, buy two seats…

Easy. Have a gate at security the width of the seat. If you can't fit through facing forward you buy two seats. Next problem?

A big reason why I avoid concerts, shows and air travel is because I know I am fat and don't conform to those seats. In fact, they make me ashamed of myself and wish I was a petite woman with no food issues. I say all of this because I agree with people who are able to use the seats comfortably and keep them from invading each other's spaces. I am sure nothing has been addressed yet because we know the seats won't change, but I feel like they don't know how to enforce people paying extra if they need an extra seat.

I don't fly often (last week was the first time in 3 years) but as a bigger guy (around 300 lbs) I basically fill my seat, though fortunately not my neighbor's. Even at my current size, if I was flying with a 2nd person, I would strongly consider buying the full row, not out of necessity, but just for some breathing room. It's truly crazy that seats keep getting smaller while people get bigger. I'd rather they go from the 3 and 3 to a 2 and 3 layout, widen the seats 20% and charge us the extra 20%. Even the small people would probably be happier with more room. Either that or make a couple rows with bigger seats and put size policies in place - weight is actually becoming an important factor for planes flying safely.

These people have clearly gotten away with doing this before. The obvious solution is for them to just buy three seats in the same row for the two of them to share.

No. I paid for my seat and am using it all. If you are uncomfortable buy two seats.

I am a larger person and it was always my understanding that you are required to purchase 2 seats since weight distribution is necessary for fuel efficiency and stability of the aircraft. Seems to me, since they both are of larger stature, they could have purchased 3 seats and used the middle seat as their "extra space accommodating both of them efficiently and not encroaching on others. I don't like to be a burden, nor do I like to be up against another person. Even when thin, I used to buy a window seat and wedge myself against the wall to avoid physical contact with other people.

Barely made my flight home. I had the middle seat (UGH) no choice. The lady in the aisle seat was HUGE and kept leaning into me. I finally had to ask her to stop it. She got this really offended look and I just said, "It's not my fault you don't fit in that seat, and I would really appreciate it if you would keep yourself to yourself." I wasn't being nasty or rude, but come on! She had to be at least 350 pounds and quite frankly, I didn't appreciate her big ole sweaty arm constantly rubbing up against me.

This happened to me during a concert in Spain. During summer. There were two seats at my left, and then a family with a small kid (7/8 YO maybe) taking the next 3 seats. Two girls came, and the larger one sat at my left instead of one seat over. I was so uncomfortable! And being summer, I ended up with my left side drenched in sweat (arm, leg), even though I was inclined to the right as much as I could because my partner was sitting there. She didn't say anything, and was obvious se was squashing me. I can't imagine this same t*****e during a flight

My 70+ year old mother had to endure a transcontinental flight (9 hours, mostly night) next to a man spilling over into her seat. Absolutely outrageous

As a smaller traveler I cannot tell you how many times I have had to share my seat with larger, bulkier passenger. The main offenses being arms over the armrest and legs hanging into my footwell. The flight is then followed by a nasty gram letter writing campaign to the airline where I demand a 25% refund for the loss of use of my space. This has varying success but I have received upgrade vouchers, etc. frankly, obese passengers that cannot fit in standard sized seats need to be afforded the opportunity to purchase a larger seat at an additional cost or be refused travel. I will not share my seat and have developed similar strategies as OP to maintain my space. Bravo!

It should not be legal for the airlines to put passengers in to such a conditions and that's it!! Buying 2 seats is too costly! Even if I'm slim my legs are long and I'm too much squeezed if I fly single. Also they offer to buy 1 seat for mother and baby and then you find out that it doesn't fit the reality of the space.... And then imagine that someone reclins their seat to the back and it's ALLOWED 😅 Airlines are to blame and nobody else.

My uncle and his wife are on the large side due to medical issues, they buy all 3 seats in the row when they fly because they know they cannot fit in 1. They have had people try taking that extra seat before and then complaining they are squashed and don't have room. My uncle agreed and said that is why he purchased extra seating and they'd told the guy that beforehand but he was adamant he wanted to sit with extra leg room.

These stories always make me happy there is no place I want to go that requires flying to get there.

Something like 70% of US adults are overweight, 40% are obese. If 40% of the adult population are "customers of size" then seats should be made larger. This individual sounded entitled, but many people of size are polite, considerate of fellow passengers, and find flying a humiliating ordeal. Instead of demanding people buy two seats in order to sit comfortably, why not demand that all airline seats and seatbelts are large enough to comfortably fit 90% to 95% of the adult population, not just 60%.

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This whole article reads like a poorly trained A.I.

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I don’t fly never have never will , n don’t use public transport , none around here , but I have done a few times in the past RARELY MIND cnt be doing with the people on it lol but these obese ( likely Americans ) think it’s their right , to be obese etc n take up more space than they are entitled to ! op was well within his rights here , them being huge is clearly a greed thing , that’s very much aTHEM PROBLEM NO ONE ELSES !! ,in some cases even tho I’m not judgemental ,now n then in peoples like this cases I totally do judge , my second step mother was 30 stone , n f all to do with medical issues she was. Down right greedy !! as was my highly over weight father , ( they one Xmas. I found out lol two of em , for four days spent £600 on freaking food ) aka greedy as f*k !! N yup that’s why I’m a recovering anorexic , cos I was never ending up like them , and were they entitled like these pair HELL YES !! another reason I stayed away from my father bar what I’ve said before