Terrified About Airplane Seats

Okay, so I am well aware I am a big girl. I weigh just shy of 23 stone And i am 5ft 11. I am a UK size 26-28. I am in the process of losing weight but I have only a month until I am travelling on a plane not once but twice....

The first is with work with virgin atlantic and the second is a holiday with Ryanair. I know the seat width is 17.5 and 17 respectively. And I am terrified I will be asked to buy two seats or kicked off the plane.

I am not worried much about the seatbelt. If I need an extension that's fine. I'm just scared I won't fit at all and get kicked off. Has anyone got any reassuring stories for me because all I'm reading online is horror stories and it's keeping me awake at night

It's tough to say because everyone carriers their weight so differently. That being said I am a 5'8" man that weighed close to 340lbs at my highest weight. I'm a very frequent traveler, and never couldn't fit in a seat/got kicked off/had to buy two seats. In fact, I never needed an extender either, although there were times it was a near Herculean feat to get minor buckled and probably really should have used one.

Are you traveling alone or with other people you know? If you are sitting next to someone you know and they understand your situation and don't mind, the airline probably won't mind.

Part of it is how you carry your weight. For me, I was a 26/28, and I just started buying 2 seats. Less stressful.

23 stone looks like 322 pounds, and that's what I was at pre-op. I'm 5'4" and my weight is mainly in my hips. I never needed a second seat, and needed an extension about 60% of the time.

Are you traveling alone or will you be with someone?

Get yourself some cardboard and make a box 17 x 17-1/2 and see how well you fit in it, then decide if you will need two seats.

That was such a smart idea. I would never have thought of it.

They have sample seats at amusement parks to see if you will fit on a ride. And airports have a box to see if your luggage will fit.

Which reminds me that when I weighed 250+ I went to Magic Mountain in southern California. They did not, at that time, have a seat you could sit in to see if you fit. I squeezed into a seat on a roller coaster, got stuck and it took several minutes for them to unlock the bar at the conclusion of the ride. And during the ride I slipped and nearly slid out.

They needed you there to save me.

I dont think they will kick you off. I've seen much bigger and they fit in just fine. No worries my dear. It will be fine.

This is a great site where you can see details about every specific seat on every specific plane for every specific flight of nearly every specific airline :) Includes seat dimensions, commentary, and suggestions as to where the 'best' seats are if you're able to choose. Enjoy!

https://www.seatguru.com/