Most 744s set up like that, the first 2-4-2 row has a very wide gap between window and the seat. Your beach ball will look extremely ridiculous and I don't see it as comfortable. Switch to row 65 perhaps, unless you also want that extra room on the floor to put things.

rkkwan, how I look to anyone else - especially fellow airline passengers - is of no concern to me.

All the 2-4-2 rows on this particular plane have the same extra width between the window and seat. The only other 2-seater rows, not next to a window, are charged at an exorbitant additional fee.

For $2, I will try the beach ball idea - if it doesn't work, oh well, nothing lost. Hopefully you will not be on my flight being compelled to witness my ridiculousness.

I was hoping this was a "trip report" on how the beach ball worked out, when I saw this thread pop up again! :-)

suze - I will definitely share the results of the beach ball experiment when it is completed - in late April.

Include pictures! :)

I used a beach ball as a foot rest on a long haul flight. It was great. No one even gave a second look. Yes....try it. What's the worst that could happen? It's not comfortable and you toss it upon arrival? No big deal! Take a pashmina for a wrap and put it over the ball for comfort.

OP here - I said I would come back and report on my success or lack of ... but circumstances intervened and I didn't have a chance to try it out. I did buy a sturdy 36" (24" inflated) beach ball for $7.95, but here's what happened.

We got an amazing price at the airport check-in for an upgrade to KLM World Business class on our outbound flight, so no need for the beach ball then.

On our way back, I fully intended to use the beach ball, but the aircraft was different than the one we were supposed to be on (possibly due to increased traffic at AMS because of the Brussels closure), so our pre-paid "preferred economy" seats were no longer in existence, and we had been reassigned to two middle seats in economy. It was a ten and a half hour flight (AMS -SFO) and we just couldn't deal, so we paid for another upgrade to World Business again. And it wasn't even a good price ...

So - I hope my granddaughters will like the beach ball!

Funny story!!! but I really do appreciate you checking back in with us ;-)

Yes, SC Dreamer, thank you for getting back with us even if you didn't get to try your bright idea. I must admit I was a bit snarky when you first proposed the idea, but on reflection it sounds like a brilliant and very economical way to get some rest in an uncomfortable window seat.

It could catch on, and you should perhaps market them; buy them for 99 cents in the dollar store, and sell them for $10.98 in the airport shops. To take it a step further, you could have different designs, to include a lovely blowup lady to rest your weary head against.

:-)

Well, SCDreamer, somebody has been listening:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel...acks/83331926/

Happy that it worked out for you scdreamer but I was watching this space and was so hoping you would have been able to report on your findings :)

Thanks for that link NoFlyZone. Tampons as earplugs...hmmm...:-p

I bought a beach ball at Dollar Tree for my overseas flight in economy after reading this. My seat assignment was a window seat. The ball actually worked great. It was exactly the right size for the space between seat and window. I left the ball on the plane because my return flight was in an aisle seat. I'll buy another one for $1 if I need it again..

That's cool! Thanks for reporting back. I sneered at first, but I'm glad to be proven wrong.

Thanks, JaneB! You proved that I was on the right track. Glad you reported this!

I'm probably going to try this tomorrow. Did blowing it up cause some strange looks? :) I also might try one as a footrest....if I need my feet a little higher. I should have room in my tote bag for 2 deflated ones, and will deflate and take with me for the return trip. Hope it works for me. Such a good idea!
Thanks for reporting back.

My beach ball was 20 inches, so not a very large one. I never noticed anyone looking at me. If you are in a window, 3-across, seat, you really are out of view of most other passengers. The ball was a great fit between my head and the
window. I just bought another one because sale of beach balls is seasonal and not always available.

Well, I used my beach ball on a flight from Detroit to Amsterdam. Nobody noticed it at all; even the man next to me never even looked. I covered it with my scarf, adjusted the inflation a couple times, and it worked! I was more comfortable leaning into it than I've ever been. I slept a couple hours, until my leg got twitchy. :)
Thanks for the original post, scdreamer!