My sister and I will go to Europe for the first time in the next year or so (haven't traveled much). She is not huge, but is a size 20, and while she doesn't overlap on the person seated her, on a couple of short flights, she says it's been tight and she had a hard time getting the arm-rest divider down.

My question? What airlines that fly to Europe tend to have the roomiest seats for larger people (she is also tall)? (Hope this won't be turned into a thread on weight - I just want to know the best airline to consider!)

Degas,

Where are you?

Personally, I think coach is basically coach. Haven taken four different airlines in the past year to Europe, I would probably have to say American is good. British Airways is the worst, as far as room and space.

Don't even consider a charter flight...

Here is a link to a website with all the info you need.
http://www.seatguru.com/

It's a reasonable question. Do a search on the web and look for the airlines with the widest seats (18" is about the maximum, and charters may be as narrow as 16&quot and the longest seat pitch (31"-33" in economy is typical, but American may have a longer seat pitch of up to 36" if I recall).

Consider United Economy Plus, but I don't know the rules or extra price for getting a seat with those. Those seats do look more roomy than the rest.

She could always buy two of the cheapest seats possible, which might be cheaper than the alternatives presented. Alternatively, you could sit next to her and then share the discomfort.

I suspect she might be underestimating her size (not that that's a crime, most of us do that), because she should be able to fit in a coach seat without too much trouble if size 20.

I think US-based carriers may have slightly wider seats than European carriers, but no guarantees.

Don't get her an exit-row seat, because those are narrower due to the configuration of the seat tray (or at least that's what I've heard).

It's a completely valid question. Unfortunately the answers are confusing and most always unsatisfactory.

Boeing and (to a slightly - that's slightly - better degree) Airbus have designed the diameter of the passenger compartments to allow the maximum seating count in coach, assuming as a rule that people will sit in 17&quot; - 18&quot; wide seats, all built by a very limited number of manufacturers that serve the airlines. The seat <i>pitch</i>, or row spacing, is left to the individual airlines. The row spacing can be adjusted with relative ease by the airlines; however the width of the cigar tube obviously cannot. Thus American Airlines, which has had a marketing slogan of &quot;More Room Throughout Coach&quot; (&quot;MRTC&quot tends to offer an extra couple of inches between rows, compared to the likes of British Airways or other major carriers. (Note that AA is reneging on this to a degree in some planes.)

However, as to width, the airlines can only install wider seats by taking one seat per row out. But that means turning a 3-4-3 pattern, or 2-4-2 depending on the model of aircraft into 3-3-3 or 2-3-2, which means that on big planes with 40 rows in coach, that's a huge hit on the maximum revenue they can generate from that flight. Better more unhappy passengers than fewer satisfied ones. By comparison, adding 2 inches to a 31-inch row spacing (as done by AA), means their plane is only sacrificing one or two rows (i.e. 10-15 seats) out of the same acreage of steerage. However, even the more-legroom airlines generally have the same seat widths as everyone else.

So here's what you have to do. First, go visit www.seatguru.com, where you can find seat maps and descriptions, including width, of seats on various types of airplanes operated by various airlines. Also you can visit www.airlinequality.com, which has pitch information (and lots, lots more) on most airlines. Pick a carrier and plane that has the best legroom.

Then look for cabins that have 2-x-2 configurations. When offered the chance to select seats, go for the 2 seats on the outboard side. Aisle seats are always better for wide people than window seats, either is better than middle seats.

Don't go for exit rows, even though they offer the most legroom. The armrests in the exit rows do not lift up. The same goes for most &quot;premium coach&quot; seats, such as British Air's World Traveler Plus, although there the seats themselves are 2&quot; wider than in coach, which makes a huge difference (one less seat per row - duh.) The price is always higher for those seats, but on long flights evidently worth it - they're always full. Upgrading to those is a good way to use those pesky extra FF miles.

Business or First Class is the ultimo, but cost-prohibitive in most cases.

The slightly good news is that Boeing is apparently going to design the new 7E7 (2008 maybe) with a fuselage wide enough to let the airlines put in somewhat wider seats. A couple of the newer Airbus models out now allow for slightly roomier seats. But remember, it's the airline that arranges the cabin, not the factory.

My own view is that one of these days someone's going to win the mother of all lawsuits over DVT or &quot;coach class syndrome&quot; and the airlines will listen to their risk managers and fall all over themselves to make More Room Throughout Coach Or Else.

Gardyloo, good summary. I did read a while back that business-class passengers are just as likely to succumb to DVT as anyone else. &quot;Economy-class syndrome&quot; is apparently a journalistic misnomer.

The best thing for Leelani's sister would be to get an empty seat next to her. You can do that if you have an elite status on some? carriers. If she doesn't fly much, though, I guess that isn't likely.

Wow, Gardyloo, what a thorough reply! How kind of you to take the time to post so much useful information.

(Without, I might add, any snide and pointless remarks on weight. Examples of the best and the worst of Fodorite responses in one thread.)

Ira: I, too, immediately thought of soliciting Degas' advice!

A full-figured co-worker buys two seats or she and a friend buy the middle seat on a plane.

It is worth the money to her to be comfortable on a long flight and she is even going to pay more soon to have a stomach by-pass operation.

Look for flights that use 777's, especially if it's possible to get Economy Plus seats.

I would say without a doubt that the seats on Swiss Air econ class are the tiniest in the sky. Last year I did not feel that British was as tight of a squeeze. I do think that a tall size 20 would be very uncomfortable on a long flight and it may be unrealistic to attempt a regular coach seat. I would suggest upgrading to business for the extra space. Feeling bad about yourself at the beginning of a trip may set the tone for the rest of it. She should travel in comfort and enjoy the trip from the moment it starts. Hope you both have a wonderful time.

mgmargate,

I don't know. When does too skinny start?

Thanks to all of you who gave me kind and positive responses. My sister is a pear-shaped size 20 (women will understand that) whereas my cousin, for instance, is a size 20, but has broad shoulders, large upper body, more narrow hips and doesn't feel as uncomfortable when she flies. I will check out all the information you have given me before we make any decisions. Much appreciated, especially the website information. You're all the best.

Two years in a row I have flown Air Transat, a Canadian charter aircraft on flights just under 10 hours. The seat width is 16&quot; and the seat pitch is 29&quot;. Ryanair felt like a pleasant delight in comparison, although that was probably due to the empty seat next to me.

There have been several threads lately where people say they are afraid to ask questions because they'll get criticized and scorned and ridiculed. Leelani, you get the Red Badge of Courage award in my book for posting this question. And I note that most of the replies have been helpful and polite. (Of course, now that I've said that this thread will probably degenerate rapidly...)

No it won't Marilyn.

I don't think anyone has mentioned that both Virgin and BA have a class of cabin that gives you business class seats (wider as well as more legroom)but is priced inbetween business and economy. This might be worth considering. You might also think about getting a credit card that will earn frequent flyer points for an airline that flies the route you want. You can use ff miles to upgrade from a coach ticket to Business Class.

Leelani, we have taken my sister with us for several vacations to Europe and other places. She was, at the time, size 20 or larger. She had the same problems you mentioned that your sister had. One thing I did was call ahead and request a seat belt extender to be placed at her seat so she wouldn't have to ask for it herself.

Enjoy your trip with your sister!

I have toyed with the idea of buying a whole center row of seats for my husband and me. 2 business class are way more than 5 econos. But I find the seat configuration does not always fit the ones on seatguru.com or even what the airlines tell you. If 2-5-2 suddenly becomes 3-4-3, it becomes not quite what was expected. And sometimes seat assignments get changed. Despite 6 months ahead reservations, my family of 6 all reserved together became a far flung family all over the plane. This involved children on a transatlantic flight. Complaints brought nothing but &quot;see if you can get someone to trade with you.&quot; And if they overbook, you might really cause trouble when they go begging for volunteers &amp; there we sit with 3 empty seats between us.
So, has anyone ever tried this &amp; won or lost?
I will go post this on airlines board too because it sort of strays from the title of this thread.

gardyloo rocks