"I plopped myself into a chair near the front of Gate 18D on Jan. 25 at Sacramento International Airport, taking a final swig of my 32-oz Diet Coke. The plane would arrive in 40 minutes, so I leaned back for some doom-scrolling. Then, a friendly Southwest Airlines agent approached me, asking to see my e-ticket. A lady in a pink track suit and matching headphones next to me perked up, probably wondering if some meme-worthy security meltdown was about to unfold. I just smiled, knowing what was about to happen before I even handed over my ticket."
""We are going to have to get you a second seat," the Southwest woman said, perfectly pleasant and nonjudgmental. "You don't have to get up. I will take care of it for you." OK. It's impossible not to feel bruised when a stranger assesses your size and determines you are too big to fit into a plane seat. But that did not begin to describe the emotions running through my mind. The plane seat is my crucible - and the most difficult part of every trip. I scrutinize plane maps; consult Reddit about seat dimensions and the retractability of armrests."
A traveler was told at Sacramento International Airport that an additional seat would be required, prompting complex emotions. Airline staff assessed body size and determined a single seat was insufficient, causing physical and emotional discomfort. Plane seats became a recurring travel obstacle, prompting careful research of seat maps, dimensions, armrest retractability, and airline policies about purchasing extra seats. Past incidents included being stopped for a second seat at 465 pounds, selecting a fixed-armrest premium seat that forced a seat change, sitting on a carry-on for a 10-hour flight to Istanbul, and being assigned three seats on a return flight due to weight.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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