If we left it up to the airlines, they would probably strap us to an ironing board and pack us in like sardines. The re-appearance of the Skyrider seat that looks more like a saddle than a seat at the 2018 Aircraft Interiors Expo is an indication of the thinking for future plane seats. The more passengers that the airlines can fit into a flight, the more money they can make. But fitting more passengers into their cabins, does not only benefit airlines who have tiny profit margins; it makes flights affordable for people who would otherwise not be able to enjoy the benefit of air travel. But the problem is that seats are shrinking while the flying public is expanding. World Health Organisation figures indicate that 28.3% of South African adults are obese; it is the highest level of obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa. It creates a problem not only for people who are regarded as 'too fat too fly' but also for the Skinny Malinks who find themselves hemmed in as their bigger seat neighbours spill over the arm rests. There is off course also the issue of fat shaming; it is not only obese people who spill over seats as anybody who has found themselves in a seat next to a rugby forward can attest too. Some airlines charge bigger people for two seats while other airlines are more generous and allow bigger people an extra seat. Scott McCartney from the Wall Street Journal looks at some of the suggestions to accommodate the issues of bigger passengers and their seat mates. – Linda van Tilburg

When the plane seat doesn't fit

By Scott McCartney

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