Dat First Cl-ass Tho...

Hello lovelies!

My surgery is only 13 days away and I'm feeling all the feels.

Ironically, the thing that I am MOST stressed out about is fitting in the airplane seat.

For the first time ever I booked first class tickets, And after researching seat sizes in www.seatguru.com *coach is generally 17" and first class is usually 21", I felt pretty excited about my WAY cool researching skills...

After I booked (two first class tickets, bc hey, let's be nice to the smaller size inclined folk) I started to have a bad feeling. So I called Alaska Airlines, who I will be traveling through, and they informed me that:

A. The armrests do not go up in first class.

B The seats have wall-like armrests (completely opposite of theater style like I thought it would be)

Soooo....I have been doing some pretty impressive measuring, and comparing and all sorts of happiness to try to figure out if my slightly more than 21" hinny will fit.

Alaska Airlines has been super helpful and accommodating so far, I just don't know what to do...

1. Stick it out and hope somehow my buttocks can mold into the seat.

2. Suck it up, be completely humiliated (and trust me, I know how lame that sounds), and try to switch over seats now to being squished in coach, with a TON of people, but hey, the arm rest raises, so who cares if I will be having a metal wedgie for two and a half hours.

Anyone have any advice?

What-what-what-what would YOU do?

Once I booked  two seats in coach. The arms of the chair lift, so you can be comfortable.   I seem to recall its less expensive than first class.  My travel agent said its not that uncommon - people traveling with musical instruments book a seat for their instrument.  Sometimes business people do it just for a bit more comfort on flights where there is no first class. 

I am so glad that I don't have to deal with this anymore.  Soon you won't either.  That's the good news! 

best of luck with your surgery.

Carol

Congrats on your nearby surgery date!! Wooohoooo!!!

I would think two coach tickets would have been a better purchase than the two first class...is coach booked? The prospect of sitting between two metal walls for a flight isn't too enticing.  That being said, I'm sure you will be fine in the seats you have, you just might have to suffer through a little discomfort.  Most people in first class keep to themselves in my experience, so I don't think anyone would notice.  Best of luck!!!!

I travel a good bit and can give you my experience. 

First class seats do not have raisable arms rests but do have more "pitch" and better service. Pitch is leg room.

Coach seats have less pitch but the arms rests go up in most rows (the emergency exit rows are the exception to this). You will find in coach that if the person in front of you reclines (and you have a big tummy) that the seat in front of you will be really close and feel a bit claustrophobic. You might need to use the tray table on the other seat you are occupying. 

Try to book an aisle and a center seat, you don't want to have to climb over someone to go to the bathroom. Also on the aisle seats if you feel back under the armrest (toward the back of the seat) you will find a little button that raises that arm rest as well. This makes it MUCH easier to get in and out of the row.

Check in early, the airline will screw up your second seat, 8 out of 10 times, they have had to fix stuff at the last minute. Once you get to the gate, check in with the gate agent, explain you have a second seat, make sure you have boarding passes for both seats and they are together. If you fly international they will need to make sure they slightly alter your passport number on the second seat so your boarding pass will scan at the gate.

The bathrooms are small! Try to pee before you get on the plane as I could not fit into the bathroom door at my heaviest weight. First class tend to have bigger bathrooms, ask to speak to the cabin manager to get permission in advance to use them (if you decide to go coach)

Now, I am not telling you all this stuff to cause anxiety, just trying to give you my experiences so your trip will go smoothly. 

The easiest path will be to book one first class ticket and squeeze into the seat, that way you don't have to deal with the hassle of the second seat. If you truly think you won't fit, then book two couch seats in a non emergency exit row, raise the arm and have a nice comfy flight. 

Also, when you board ask for a seat belt extender. They will discreetly bring you one. 

I hope all this helps out.

Thanks for all the great advice guys! Just nervous and frustrated about how far I have let myself go. :(