Plane seats a squeeze in the age of wide bodied passengers

PASSENGERS are getting too wide to fit into some aircraft seats, it was revealed yesterday, as an airline called for a standard measure to inform consumers.

Two-thirds of men are too broad-shouldered for their neighbours' liking in seats of 16in width, a survey found, while women have on average grown 1.5in around the hips between 1951 and 2002.

The report, which analysed data from the national sizing survey SizeUK, also showed one in seven women would feel too broad-shouldered in the narrowest seats, while about a third of male passengers would feel cramped in seats 17in wide.

The survey, commissioned by holiday company First Choice, was released during the Association of British Travel Agents' convention in Marbella, Spain. First Choice said it would be using the findings to lobby authorities to set an industry-wide standard for defining seat width.

It comes as more airlines change their policies to reflect our expanding size. Many carriers now offer premium economy services, offering added legroom at a higher price, and some insist passengers who occupy more space than their own seat must buy a second ticket.

None of the airlines contacted by The Scotsman yesterday would reveal how many times they had asked passengers to buy a second seat. But Simon Evans, of the Air Transport Users' Council, said: "It is an issue for all of us as sizes get bigger - not just those who are larger, but also those who sit next to larger passengers. While no-one has yet brought a formal complaint about the width of a seat or the size of a fellow passenger, we do think it is crucial that airlines address the issue of comfort."

Information on airline websites can be misleading, as the size of a seat can often vary between types of plane as well as between operators. Seats on Continental Airlines' direct flights to Newark from Scotland have one inch less legroom than seats on its comparative flights from London Gatwick.

A spokeswoman for the Association of British Travel Agents said: "Figures which allow consumers to compare different carriers are hard to come by. While we won't be lobbying the government over this issue, we do welcome any airline which allows consumers to make an informed choice between comfort and price."

FlyGlobespan, which flies to destinations including Florida from Scotland, advises its customers: "Our seat pitch is the same as most other similar airlines, therefore passengers who normally experience difficulty due to their size should consider whether or not our service is suitable to their needs."