Have airline seat width gotten smaller?

Fact: Seats are much smaller today than in previous decades The Big Four domestic carriers—American, Delta, Southwest, and United—have lost anywhere from 2 inches to 5 inches in legroom pitch, and 2 inches in seat width since the 1980s.



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Shrinking personal space in the skies is not imaginary: Experts say airline seats shrunk over the years while Americans grew larger. Airlines are balancing passenger demand for cheap airfare and more legroom.

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I am a bigger person, size 24-26-28. Will I fit in an airplane seat? You will probably need to buy two coach seats and ask for a seatbelt extender (or to have yours). Remember, two coach seats are generally much cheaper and more spacious than a single first class seat.

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Airlines with the Most Seat Space in Economy
  • Jet Blue. Jet Blue is the leader in the “most pitch” and “widest seat” contest because the majority of their economy and coach class seats are roomy. ...
  • Air Canada. ...
  • Virgin America. ...
  • Hawaiian Airlines. ...
  • American Airlines. ...
  • Cathay Pacific. ...
  • Emirates.


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In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane. Special size passengers have little to no choice when it comes to this rule.

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Most likely, it won't be comfortable, but you'll still fit at 300. Try and book next to an empty seat, if you can. I assume you already do that anyway, but I don't know how often you travel, or whether this is your first time. There's a Plus Size TikToker who gives tips for air travel.

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How fat is too fat to fly? Even though there are no weight limits for fat passengers, there are normally three basic requirements for flying while overweight: Passengers must be able to sit with both armrests down. Passengers must be able to buckle their seatbelts.

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Choose Your Seat Wisely
While some passengers prefer window seats, aisle seats are often better for overweight passengers that are only purchasing one seat. Window seats are often the better option if you purchase an additional seat.

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Delta Airlines: If you're looking for a wider variety of seating options, Delta Airlines is the way to go. They offer seats that are wider than the industry standard, with more legroom. Plus, they're known for letting plus-size passengers move to rows with empty seats free of charge.

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Will a size 16 woman fit in an airplane seat? I am a size 16/18 and fly a lot with work. I fly American and though the seatbelt can be snug, I fit. That said, avoid the aisles with the non-moveable arm rests (exit seats).

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Passengers who do not fit into the 17.8-inch seat comfortably with the armrests down must purchase two seats at the time of booking. The airline will then assign two seats next to each other, free of charge.

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You will be fine, you probably won't even need an extender on your belt. A size 22 won't have difficulty fitting in a airline seat, and doing up the seat belt.

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Since the 1990s, the width of most airplane seats shrunk from 18 inches to 16 inches, and the distance between seat backs decreased from 35 inches to sometimes less than 28. People have been getting larger, both in weight and in height, Hudson said. The seats on the other hand, have been shrinking.

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The following airlines have some seats with widths below 17 inches, making them among the smallest in the industry:
  • Qatar Airways.
  • China Southern.
  • Caribbean Airlines.
  • Hawaiian Airlines.
  • Cebu Pacific.
  • AirAsia X.
  • Uzbekistan Airways.
  • Air Transat.


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I am a bigger person, size 24-26-28. Will I fit in an airplane seat? You will probably need to buy two coach seats and ask for a seatbelt extender (or to have yours). Remember, two coach seats are generally much cheaper and more spacious than a single first class seat.

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? If your seatbelt does up but is still tight, consider asking for an extender. It's so much better to feel comfortable when you're flying, especially if you've got a long journey ahead of you. The extra little bit of room can make all the distance.

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In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane.

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If you are one of the first to board, you can ask the flight attendant for a belt as you head to your seat. If you are not able to be an early boarder, try to grab an aisle seat and reach out to an attendant for an extended safety belt.

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While there is no exact weight or size limit, a customer of size is someone that needs more than one seat on the airline. Southwest (and most airlines) state that the lowered armrest is the border of the seat, and if you cross over it, or under it, then you may want to utilize the Customer of Size Policy.

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