Air-besity is in the headlines again! How’s a person to know?

by Gailen David

No, this is not a joke about being a large person, I promise! People of size must have a way to know for sure if they are in fact too large to purchase just one seat.

Kevin Smith being booted from a Southwest Airlines flight reminds us that it can happen to anyone, you and I included. By looking at Kevin, you would not think he would be TFx2 (Too-Fat-Too-Fly) based on many larger people who fly freely. So how do we make sure that we’re not going to be escorted off of an airplane by a police officer holding a Twinkie up and walking backwards towards the door? This is coming from someone who could eat a whole box in no time flat, so I am being serious here. Some airlines are stricter than others, but if a flight is full it seems that most airlines are left with no other choice than to ignore the situation or remove someone from the plane. Airlines need to do a much better job of clarifying the rules as to not surprise and embarrass someone.

Do I need this?

Here is what I did to check out my situation:

• Went to SeatGuru to see the size of a Southwest Airlines 737 seat.
• Located the seat width of a 737 which is 17 inches. Plus about 1 inch between seats that allows for a little “spillover”. This must be split with the adjacent passenger.
• Sat in a chair and took a measuring tape out. My RSD (rear-spread-distance from outside cheek to outside cheek) came in at 16 inches
• My shoulders measured out at 19 inches. Uh oh!

Technically, I think I may be TFx2! My shoulders are taking up too much space. My butt is fine in this case if I do say so myself. When I think about it, I do have to cross my arms in front most time in the middle seat to keep my shoulders from infringing on the space of the people sitting next to me. Fortunately, the aisle and window seats have a little extra space to shift into, giving the center seat passenger more grace-space.

The verdict: If your overall “spread distance” is more than 2 inches over the width of the airline seat, you may be in the danger zone. Remember that even if the armrests contain your RSD (rear spread distance), spillover may occur over the armrest. Spare yourself any discomfort and check with the airline for the purchase of an extra seat or possibly arrange for an upgrade if possible.

At the rate I’m going, I will definitely be keeping an eye on my TFx2 status!

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