Airline Ticket Question

 I have a sticky situation that I need some advice on. My boyfriend is working toward bariatric surgery. Hopefully in early June. In the meantime the Vegas Meet and Greet is in May and he is planning on going with me. He went with me to the OH event in October and had a blast. (For those of you that went and were at the Friday night party - he was the guy in the hula outfit!) Anyway, the problem being the policies of the airlines regarding "customers of size" and ticketing. Most if not all of them, are pretty much requiring the purchasing of an extra seat if you cannot fit into a 17" seat without spilling over or under the arm rests. I know that this is going to be the case for him. I tried to tell him that we need to buy three seats for us but he is insistent that we will deal with it when we get to the airport. I want to save him the grief, aggravation and embarrassment (not to mention the huge extra cost because there will be no discount tickets at that point) and just buy the seat. How do I convince him to get it now instead of waiting?

Is there anyway you can call the airline ahead to inquire as to how they treat oversized passengers?  He is going to be uncomfortable on a long flight stuffed into a single seat that he most likely will over accommodate.  You need to explain the length of the flight and how offensive it will be to a person who might get seated along side of him.  Take the initiative of calling the airline and then tell him what they say.   Or you can just go ahead and order the extra seat.  Who is paying for the flight?  You say he is your boyfriend so I don't know the financial situation.  I will never forget my last flight as a morbid obese passenger.  I did not require 2 seats but I did have to get a seatbelt extension and the look of this woman over the aisle made me uncomfortable the entire flight.  She looked at me like I was some amazon from another planet....so insensitive.  I have not been on a plane since.

 I already know the policy of the particular airline we are using. It is two seats. The financial issue is a big factor here too. We are talking about what he wants to do. 

Ok, since you know the facts then you really don't have a choice.  If his decision is to go, then he must buy 2 tickets plain and simple.  I would tell him that he buys 2 tickets or stays home.  Its not negotiable especially since money is a factor and you want to get the best price you can prior to arriving at the airport.  Its simply the costs of this disease.  There will be other meet and greets once he is on his way to losing and shedding those pounds.  He will appreciate the fact that this will no longer be an issue for him when wanting to attend anything.  For now, you must explain to him that you won't go unless he purchases ample seating.  You have to be firm and stick to your decision.  Consider the price of the trip and the fallout to your relationship.  There's no easy way to explain or sugar coat this with him.  Its really just a matter of semantics.