What airlines have the widest seats? – There are seat regulations that must be followed – according to FFA regulations seats must be at least 16 inches wide. At this moment in time, all US airlines offer more than the federal minimum width. Southwest offers a 17.5 inch seat in standard economy, which isn’t the widest out of all the US airlines, however, Southwest is the most generous airline when it comes to flying as a plus size.
- Passengers who require extra room can purchase another seat at the time of booking and receive the money back after contacting customer service.
- The airlines with the widest seats among US airlines are JetBlue Airways and Silver Airways.18 inches wide.
- Spirit Airlines’ average economy seat has a width of 17.75 inches.
Breeze, Delta, Hawaiian has a seat width of 17.6 inches.
Will a size 22 fit in an airplane seat?
A size 22 won’t have difficulty fitting in a airline seat, and doing up the seat belt. Don’t worry.
Which airline seats have the most room?
JetBlue – Among all US carriers, JetBlue probably stands out for the most spacious seats. These vary between aircraft types, but the airline offers up to 34-inches of seat pitch. Out of its fleet of 130 Airbus A320 aircraft, 12 are currently configured with a 34-inch seat pitch. 
JetBlue offers a spacious cabin. Photo: JetBlue JetBlue also offers more space on all its aircraft with its “Even More Space” concept. This features several rows of economy seats with extra legroom. Again this varies, but is at least 37 inches on all aircraft (and 39 inches on the ERJ 190).
How big is too big to fit in an airline seat?
What to know as a passenger of size – When it comes to air travel, the term “passenger of size” is used for anyone who’s overweight or too large to potentially occupy one seat on an aircraft. Many airlines have rules that require a larger passenger to pay for a second seat if he or she can’t comfortably fit in one seat with or without a seat belt extender.
Which airline has most comfortable economy seats?
JetBlue Offers Superior Comfort in Economy – Frankly, it’s tough to beat JetBlue in Economy. Every seat on every airplane offers inflight entertainment on a personal seatback screen. If you’re not into that, maybe you’ll like the free wifi. In addition, you’ll get some of the widest seats available on domestic airlines and better than average legroom.
What is the maximum weight for cabin crew?
New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator is considering a proposal to specify physical standards for flight attendants in an attempt to ensure that the cabin crew is fit enough to deal with any onboard emergency. “We are working on creating physical standards, which will include body mass index (BMI),” said a senior government official who declined to be named.
BMI is a measure based on the height and weight of a person, and is used as a way to calculate the health risks of carrying any excess fat. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has so far only specified the age, educational and medical standards for flight attendants, leaving other qualifications to the discretion of airlines.
Pilots, on the other hand, are required to meet stringent medical criteria every six months to keep their licences current. If they gain excess weight, they are asked by doctors to undergo blood sugar and thyroid tests because excess weight is a high cardiac risk factor.
- To avoid these, pilots typically maintain their weight on their own.
- To qualify as a flight attendant, a person is required to have at least passed high school, be 18 years of age, and be able to reach safety equipment, and open and close overhead bins in the aircraft while standing.
- The candidate also needs to pass mandatory medical tests, with check-ups every two years up to the age of 40, and subsequently medical examinations every year.
Implementing physical standards relating to weight and appearance may not be easy. The US had age, height, weight and marital status guidelines for flight crew, but now only the one relating to height is observed in practice, said Steve Forte, a former chief executive officer of Jet Airways (India) Ltd, the country’s largest carrier by passengers flown.
“Today, you can have old and fat attendants, sloppy in appearance and so on, thanks to changes in labour laws enacted in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, (any restriction) to do with appearance, weight, age is considered discriminatory,” he said. Very few airlines— Singapore Airlines is a notable exception—have the leeway to dictate the appearance, weight and age of their cabin crew, he said.
“Airlines can choose their best candidates when hiring new employees, but once they are hired, if they become 300lb (in weight).it is tough luck,” he said. So long as overweight crew members are able to do their job, airlines have to retain them. Forte said restrictions based on physical standards may invite a backlash from state-owned Air India Ltd, for instance, which has “several ageing overweight attendants”.
- Air India’s key All India Cabin Crew Association general secretary Sanjay Lazar was not available for comment despite repeated attempts to reach him.
- Shakti Lumba, who has in the past served as a vice-president at Air India and InterGlobe Aviation Pvt.
- Ltd —the operator of low-fare carrier IndiGo —said the focus in hiring is usually on the appearance and attractiveness, although these are not specified in job ads.
“Clear complexion, attractiveness, caring, pleasing personality, no spectacles, pleasing voice, etc., are the key criteria,” he said. Any DGCA guidelines may come under tough scrutiny, Lumba said. “The maximum they can regulate is minimum medical standards and not physical standards,” he said.
It is difficult to impose it across the population.” Samir Valia, president of Frankfinn Aviation Services Pvt. Ltd, one of the country’s largest flight attendant training firms, welcomed the move towards common physical standards for cabin crew. “It’s definitely a positive,” he said, noting that airlines now maintain different height-to-weight ratio charts.
Generally, female flight attendants need to be at least 5 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 3 inches in height and weigh 58-70kg. Male flight attendants need to be 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet 3 inches in height and weigh 68-82kg. “It just brings standardization to the self-discipline the airlines are already maintaining,” Valia said.
How much should I weigh to be a flight attendant?
Flight Attendant Weight Requirements – You will see a lot of flight attendants that are in great shape. It’s a physical job, but not all flight attendants must be slim and trim. You do, however, have to fit into the flight attendant jumpseat. Flight attendants have no set weight requirements, as body types can vary even if two people are the same height and weight.
- It’s impossible to give a size or weight for the jumpseat because some harnesses are smaller than others, and people carry weight differently.
- The jumpseat harness goes over the shoulders and also has a lap belt.
- So it can be a four-point harness or simply adjustable shoulders straps and a lap belt.
- Don’t think you’ll fit in the jumpseat? Apply anyway, don’t count yourself out because you may easily fit into the seat.
Another thing you can measure with a weight requirement? You do have to fit in the airlines largest uniform. Sizes can vary, but women’s flight attendant uniform sizes can go up to anywhere from size 20-32. Each airline uniform sizes do vary. Flight Attendant Age Requirements At some airlines, the minimum age requirement to be a flight attendant is 18, but for most, it’s 20-21.
- As a flight attendant, age is just a number.
- You can be too young to be a flight attendant, but not too old as long as you are in good shape and can work long hours and do some heavy lifting.
- How Old Is Too Old To Become A Flight Attendant ? As long as you are in good shape, you will never be too old to be a flight attendant.
Airlines hire flight attendants in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60+ years of age. Many flight attendants start after retirement as a second career. However, there are flight attendants of all ages, so don’t let your age stand in your way if you want to be a flight attendant. 
Photo Credit: Breeze Airways Some airlines hire flight attendants at 18, and that’s a great place to start for aspiring flight attendants fresh out of high school. Flight Attendant Height Requirements Each airline will have its height requirements. For example, some flight attendants are under five feet tall, and some are over six feet tall.
Are flight attendants allowed to sleep?
You’d never know it’s there – the entrance is made to look like a toilet door – but hidden above the back section of economy is a humble space where flight attendants sleep. On the Boeing 777-300ER, cabin crew climb a set of stairs up to the secret rest area; on the Airbus A350 there are ladder-style stairs and a sliding door.
What lies within differs slightly, too: on the 777-300ER there are eight bunks – two rows of four with a small aisle in between – separated by partition walls and curtains. On the A350-1000, the bunks are adjacent to each other. Beds aren’t ‘officially’ allocated, but there’s a pecking order. ‘Junior crew will automatically take the smaller one,’ says Inflight Services Manager Charlotte Lam.
Crew require a minimum of three hours rest when the flight duty period exceeds 14 hours (from when crew ‘sign on’ to 15 minutes after engines off). For flight duty periods longer than 18 hours, 4.5 hours bunk rest is required. The crew take turns for rest breaks.
- The first group will rest after the first meal service.
- Usually cabin crew prefer to be in the second group,’ says Inflight Services Manager Roy Lai.
- After two meal services the second group of crew are tired, so it can be easier to sleep.’ The rest area is a strictly no-noise zone.
- Inflight Services Manager Steven Lui says: ‘Even when you tear the plastic open on the bedding, you have to be careful and quick.
We can’t use an alarm clock either.’ Instead, flight attendants set their phones to vibrate. But in such close sleeping quarters, it’s a chain reaction. ‘The first person will wake up and the others will follow, like a wake-up call,’ says Lui. ‘Then it’s time to roll up the blankets and be ready to serve our passengers once again.’
What happens if a plane tries to fly with too much weight?
An overloaded aircraft may not be able to leave the ground, or if it does become airborne, it may exhibit unexpected and unusually poor flight characteristics. If not properly loaded, the initial indication of poor performance usually takes place during takeoff.
Can an airline legally bump you?
Involuntarily Giving Up Your Seat (Bumping) – Sometimes, when an airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats and fly on a different flight, there are not enough volunteers. When this occurs, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called “involuntary denied boarding” or “bumping.” How does an airline determine who has to give up their seat?
While it is legal for airlines to involuntarily bump passengers from an oversold flight when there are not enough volunteers, it is the airline’s responsibility to determine its own fair boarding priorities. If there are not enough passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily, an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger’s check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger’s frequent flyer status. However, the criteria cannot subject a passenger to any unjust or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage. For example, an airline could not lawfully use a passenger’s race or ethnicity as a criterion.
Do airlines have to tell me my rights when I’m involuntarily bumped?
Yes. DOT requires airlines to give all passengers who are bumped involuntarily a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets bumped.
Can airlines involuntarily bump me after I have boarded the flight?
Generally, no. If you have met the following conditions, airlines are not allowed to deny you permission to board, or remove you from the flight if you have already boarded the flight:
You have checked-in for your flight before the check-in deadline set by the airlines; and A gate agent has accepted your paper boarding pass or electronically scanned your boarding pass and let you know that you may proceed to board.
However, airlines may deny boarding or remove you from a flight even after accepting your boarding pass and informing you that you may proceed to board if the denial or removal is due to a safety, security, or health risk, or due to a behavior that is considered obscene, disruptive, or otherwise unlawful.
Are airlines required to pay me money when I’m involuntarily bumped?
It depends. An airline is required to compensate you after involuntarily bumping you from an oversold flight in certain situations. However, there are many situations where you are not entitled to compensation.
Bumped passengers are NOT eligible for compensation in the following situations:
Aircraft Change – A smaller plane is substituted for the larger one the airline originally planned on using due to operational or safety reasons. Weight and Balance – Weight or balance restrictions that apply to planes with 60 or fewer seats for operational or safety reasons. Downgrading – A passenger is downgraded from a higher class of seating to a lower class. In this case, the passenger is entitled to a refund for the difference in price. Charter Flights – A flight contracted for a specific trip that is not part of an airline’s regular schedule. Small Aircraft – Scheduled flights on planes holding fewer than 30 passengers. Flights Departing a Foreign Location – International flights to the United States. However, some airlines on these routes may provide compensation voluntarily. Also, the European Commission has a rule on bumping passengers from flights that apply to passengers departing from a European Union member state; ask the airline for details, or visit this page,
Situations when bumped passengers ARE eligible for compensation:
If you are not bumped from a flight for one of the reasons above, you qualify for involuntary denied boarding compensation if an airline requires you to give up your seat on an oversold flight and:
You have a confirmed reservation, You checked-in to your flight on time, You arrived at the departure gate on time, and The airline cannot get you to your destination within one hour of your flight’s original arrival time.
If I am entitled to compensation, how is the amount of compensation calculated?
Passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation that is based on the price of their ticket, the length of time that they are delayed in getting to their destination because of being denied boarding, and whether their flight is a domestic flight or an international flight leaving from the United States. This is called “denied boarding compensation” or “DBC” for short. Most bumped passengers who experience short delays on flights will receive compensation equal to double the one-way price of the flight they were bumped from, but airlines may limit this amount to up to $775. Passengers experiencing longer delays on flights will receive payments of four times the one-way value of the flight they were bumped from, but airlines may limit this amount to up to $1,550. Please see the tables below.
Domestic – Denied Boarding Compensation (DBC)
| Length of Delay | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 hour arrival delay | No compensation |
| 1 to 2 hour arrival delay | 200% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $775 if 200% of the one-way fare is higher than $775) |
| Over 2 hour arrival delay | 400% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $1,550 if 400% of the one-way fare is higher than $1,550) |
International – Denied Boarding Compensation (DBC)
| Length of Delay | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 hour arrival delay | No compensation |
| 1 to 4 hour arrival delay | 200% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $775 if 200% of the one-way fare is higher than $775) |
| Over 4 hour arrival delay | 400% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $1,550 if 400% of the one-way fare is higher than $1,550) |
When will I receive compensation if I am eligible to receive it?
Following a bumping incident, airlines must offer passengers compensation at the airport on the same day. If the airline provides substitute transportation that leaves the airport before the airline can pay the passenger, the airline must pay the passenger within 24 hours of the bumping incident.
Is there is a limit on how much money airlines are allowed to give me when I am involuntarily bumped?
No. Although airlines are required to give you a certain amount of money by law, airlines are free to give you more money than is required if they want to.
How do I know if I need a seat belt extender?
Tips And Tricks For Asking For A Seatbelt Extender – ⁃ If you’re feeling a little nervous about asking, sit in an aisle seat. Not only will this make it much easier to ask discreetly, but it also means they can hand it to you discreetly too. ⁃ Board as early as you can so you can get on the plane, grab your extender and get comfortable (well, as comfortable as you can on a flight) ⁃ If you’re travelling with a friend and you’re worried, get them to ask for you.
- 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.
- Don’t be tempted to buy your own extender, as most airlines do not allow these under FAA guidelines,
We totally understand how difficult it can be to advocate for yourself and ask for an extender but remember, you are worthy of safety and comfort too. Extenders are there to protect you and if that’s what you need to ensure you have a safe journey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
At what weight do you need two plane seats?
Is there a weight or size limit for airline passengers? Dear Reader, There is no set weight limit for passengers on commercial flights in the U.S., but some airlines, most notably Southwest, require customers who cannot fit in one seat to book a second.
Southwest uses the armrest as a gauge: When a passenger cannot lower the armrests on a single seat, he or she is required to purchase another, regardless of his or her actual weight. If the flight does not oversell, the airline will refund the price of the second seat. These rules are controversial, but Southwest has stood by its policy despite several unsuccessful lawsuits against it.
The TOP TEN WIDEST PREMIUM ECONOMY SEATS offered by airlines in 2022
Guidelines for this policy are listed on the, If you’re booking an economy seat on any airline and are worried about not having enough room:
Call the airline you wish to fly and ask about passenger size regulations. Request an aisle seat, and ask the airline to leave the adjoining seat empty if the flight does not fill up. Fly at off-peak times (midweek and midday), when your chances of getting on a flight with some empty seats are better.
If cost isn’t a major issue, consider flying in first or business class, where you’ll find significantly wider seats, not to mention more legroom. We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review.
What is class 3 obesity?
Class 1: BMI of 30 to BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as ‘severe’ obesity.
What airline has the longest seat belts?
Check seat belt length before buying a ticket – Most airlines have several different types of aircraft and it’s possible the seat width and seat belt length differ on each of them. Whenever possible, I try to determine the seat belt length for the airline I’m flying.
| Airline | Seat Belt Length | Seat Belt Extender Length |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | 46 inches | 25 inches |
| Allegiant | 33.7 inches | 25 inches |
| American Airlines | 45 to 47 inches | not specified by the airline but appears to be 25 inches |
| Delta | 40 to 45 inches | not specified by the airline but appears to be 25 inches |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 51 inches (42 inches for bulkhead seats) | not specified by the airline but appears to be 25 inches |
| JetBlue | 45 inches | 25 inches |
| Southwest | 39 inches | 24 inches |
| United Airlines | 39 inches | 25 inches |
If you have no idea which seat belt length works for you, do a little test at home. Take a soft tape measure (like the type you’d use when sewing). Sit on a relatively firm chair and not something like a cushy sofa you’ll sink into. Measure from the back left of the seat cushion (where your body meets it) to the back right — stretching the tape measure over your hips and stomach.
