Obesity Support Group

I am blessed like you in the hip and chest area. I also have a seat belt extender just in case. I took a trip on Jet Blue back in March and it was a very good experience. Do you know which airline you're flying on? You could check out the plane you'd be on and some airlines even let you choose your seat online. It doesn't have to be a bad experience.

Book an aisle seat -
When you board tell the Flight Attendant you MIGHT need a seat
belt extender. Attach it.. hook up and enjoy the flight !

Don't let these fears ruin your trip.

avoid Southwestern like the plague! I took a trip with them once and on the trip there nobody said anything, but on the trip back they embarassed me in front of my co-workers by saying I would need to buy an extra ticket. I didn't have money for an extra ticket. I was so furious. The manager told me that is their policy because someone "might" complain. He told me they have even been sued over it and I said "Good, so you won't be surprised when it happens again!" He had a chat with his manager, and decided that as long as I sat next to my co-workers I could go with one ticket. Jerk.
I realize this isn't helping your fears any, but just choose a friendlier airline. Sounds like Jet Blue is not as fat phobic.

Hi first time ive posted here . I can't help but feel bad for anyone in this situation . It sounds to me like airlines are just trying to make as much money off any one and every one that they can . That being said , Over weight people are in the cross hairs now more than ever . There is no way on earth that this can be leagle to do. and the moment someone starts in with the extra ticket B.S. I would be raseing holy Hell .That is discrimeination !!! and singleing out a group of people who have through the years always recieved the raw end of the deal, as well as they think they can just push people around.

I myself have put on a extra 110 lbs sceance my accident . my only saveing grace is that i am 6'4" and carry myself well . I would love for some little twirp to try that nonsceance with me . i gaurentee you that when its all said and done i would have myself a nicely plumbed bank account .

Sorry if i am sounding a little irritated over this . I'm just so sick of the way people treat other people and get away with it.

I hope your flight goes well and there is no trouble for you
take care

I travel quite a bit; even when I weighed close to 400#, and I was always treated with respect. I did take it upon myself, before it was popular or mandatory, to purchase an extra seat. Without doing that, a long flight was unbearable for me. It is much cheaper to buy two coach seats (far in advance for lower price) than a first class seat. Like someone here said, if you get your tickets on-line, you can usually pick your seat and the isle or the bulk-head (front row) is a good option because there is extra leg room and no one to recline in front of you. I feel a little differently than most here because I see this as everyone paying for a certain amount of space and if I am too large and I infringe upon someone elses space, I need to do whatis necessary to overcome that. I'm not sure which airlines go to Alaska, but I think continental seems pretty accomadating and like I hear here, Jet Blue was very comfortable. And don't worry about asking for the extender. When I'm walking on the plane, I say "hi...I'm in 12C...could you please bring me an extender...They only have a few on the plane so I get my request out there. Actually, I used to always fly on Continental and one time I did not return the extender and I had it for future flights. I know that isn't right, but I'm sorry; I did it. Anyway, don't worry about it. Order your tickets early and have a good time!

I always get an aisle seat. At least I can lean out toward the aisle for extra room! My last flight I had to ask for an extender for the first time; older planes have shorter seat belts, and on one leg of my journey, I was in an old plane!

I like susanparks04's idea and may buy my own extender for future flights. I was embarrassed asking for the extender, however Jamr41 seems to have a plan for putting in the request in a non-embarrassing way!

I like pattycampana's attitude about realizing we are larger than others (and this is something we could change if we tried)...we take up more room, and maybe we should purchase more room if we can't fit comfortably in one seat.

I like the idea of "fat acceptance" in that we don't hate ourselves for being fat, etc.....but there is a difference between being a little chubby and being morbidly obese like I am. It is more than being bigger, it is being unhealthy, and I don't want to allow myself to continue to accept that. It is NOT OK to be this fat and I don't want to fool myself into thinking it is.

For years, I considered myself a "healthy" though fat person and was rather smug about it. Then I developed diabetes and am edging toward high blood pressure as well.....so my smugness has disappeared. I didn't want to accept it, but my "healthy" days as a very obese person were limited....

I went to a seminar recently discussing obesity, and they were saying how many millions/billions? of dollars spent in the health industry were due to obesity...and the skinny people are ticked off about their insurance rates being high for people overall partly because of the choices we fat people make about what we put in our mouths.

The funny thing is, on a plane, I am really careful not to intrude on the next person's space....but on a recent flight, this skinny woman kept sticking her elbow across the arm rest and poking me in my ribs! I put my neck pillow beside me so she couldn't cross into my side and it seemed to tick her off LOL! She also talked loudly and nonstop to the person on her other side the whole trip!

I've also had the people in front of me try to put their belongings under their seat (my space)....last time it happened, I pushed their stuff out in the aisle and sweetly asked them if that belonged to them????


So...airplanes are miserably cramped places and we all need to respect each other's limited space, fat or thin!

I hope you can get some peace out of planning for the flight issues advance...

BTW, American has never given me any problems or bad vibes whatsoever!

Good Luck!!!

I guess I'm not as responsible as everyone else... There were two times I flew (both American Airlines) that the seat belt didn't fit, I fit in the seat fine for the most part (except when I was over 300#, but no one was sitting next to me thank goodness!!!) But I never, ever had the courage to ask for a seat belt extender, I just put my jacket on my lap so they couldn't see I wasn't wearing it....