flying in a plane

what are your experiences with flying. i will have to fly for my surgery and i am sick thinking about it. i have never been on a plane in my life and i have 2 fears one of flying in general, and  2 of not fitting in a seat or hanging over into other seats. ive heard you could ask for a seat near the rear of the plane were they put the really tall people at request. ive also been told i may have to pay for 2 seats. that will hit my wallet for over 700$ ouch. do they offer any discount if you have to buy 2 seats for the same body. my other question is what if my stay in the hospital is a little longer than expected, how do they handle getting you a new flight and at what cost lol nothing seems to come free or cheap with flying lol. the only good thing to come from this part of the experience is knowing when i lose the weight and ever decided to fly again this ^ wont be a problem :) 

When I bought TWO seats, I check with the airline for their return policy -- if the plane isn't full (i.e. you see ONE seat open) you can get a refund on the second seat.  Be careful - Hawaiian only offers a VOUCHER for another flight -- Alaska (Southwest, also - but Southwest HATES fat people) will happily refund the extra seat.  I have traveled to and from Hawaii & the Mainland, as well as in the Northern American Continent, so don't worry too much -- I was a 74.4 BMI & my boyfriend was pretty close around 70+ BMI.  

Make sure to board early - when they ask for "those needing some assistance, or families with children..." THAT is your cue!  I ALWAYS board early, as I am fat & have a gimpy leg.  Airlines are becoming more accustomed to larger customers, and I have only had one experience with anyone being nasty, and the lady actually was pulled to the gate to APOLOGIZE to me!

Don't be too worried, you will be just fine!
Brenda  : )~

  To say Southwest Airlines hates fat people is and understatement. I think find was to humilate fat people on purpose. I was flying to wedding with  my sister  and our entire family. We bought a third sit inbetween us.  We actually did not even need to buy.  Because , We did fit in the seats given us. But, we Did not want the worry.  Of bother another person with our size. Just in case.  So there would be no problems. We used the extra seat  for carry on luggage. Long dresses and Ex-suits needed for a wedding.  We did not want to lose.  When got on the second plane from a delayed fly.  The stewardess had given our seats to 4 year old.  Who wanted to sit next to his father. Instead of in back of him.  My sister said, These are our seats. The numbers match. The stewardess, Said We switch your seats so the baby does not have to sit alone. The seats they gave us.  Were on three gave were on three different rows. So Guess half was suppose to seat on one roll and the half of me sit one the back roll.  My sister got mad and told the stewardess.  We wanted the seats we paid for now. I paid 1300. dollars for three seat together. So something just like this would not happen. 
   This man should have fix his own and made sure his seat was next to his son.  The way the we did.    The man was sitting in our seats next to his son.  At the same time. I could feel the judgement of everybody on the plane , Then little boy start to cry when his father got up.  He want to seat by his father.  An the evil fat women were just being mean to them making it hard.  I have been through alot of awful things in my life. But, I had never felt the hatred and disgust as felt the from the people on that plane  and stewardess on that Airplane.    She made us feel like evil fat disgusting  women who were beating up on a small child.  So Finely after what seemed like forever.  Somebody else gave up their seat in the very front of the plane to the man and his son and they switched to the back of the plane.  So,  We could have ours seats and take off.   I don,t think ever felt so humilated or shamed in my life.  As, I was made to feel on that plane. Even after we bought  and extra seat. So we not have any worry about our weight being a problem.  I will never fly again.

We were made to bad for standing up for ourselves.
People think fat should stay quit and hide out of site.

How long did your doc tell you he expects to keep you in the hospital?

If it were me, I would book a flight maybe a week later, and stay in a hotel until then. One, prob gives you enough time to make sure you are out of the hospital and dont have to worry about changing flights, and gives you enough time to stay around your docs office in case of any complications. The first week was awful and I had to go to ER for dehydration, so its best to hang around and make sure you are healthy before flying back home.

It does depend on your size and how you normally fit into seats (i.e.: like fitting into movie theater seats). I flew a few years ago when I was 450 or higher. The only thing I would recommend is to pay for a business class seat which is roomer. I didn't have a problem and, because I needed an extender seat belt, a lot of times I was seated somewhere in the back where there was more room (my seat was a window seat and you can't wear an extender belt on a window seat for safety reasons).

Don't fly Southwest, I didn't and never have, because they definitely make you pay two seats up front. I went on Air Tran and they didn't enforce that rule at the time. On one flight back the woman told me I might have to buy two seats because the plan was full, but when I got on the plane there was plenty of room. (Probably because so many of us coming back from our cruise were late.)

Just don't worry yourself over and just do it. Be prepared for two tickets but explain to the ticket person up front your size issues and request a business or 1st class seat accomodations. Pray over it and hopefully you'll be in a plane that isn't full and they can let you spread out if anyone compains. One person did with me and they just moved the guy to a business class seat (I barely touched him--jerk!).

Incidentally it was my first time flying too and I had two take four planes between coming and going. I had the vacation of my life and just being that high in the clouds and seeing God's handiwork was overwhelming. I would gladly fly again but I'm definitely looking forward to it after surgery (thinner)!

I fly pretty often for work and leasure and I've never had an issue with SW making me pay for two seats (I'm 332 now but less than a month ago at my highes I was 363).  Prior to boarding I always ask if the flight is full....if not, I'll as the flight attenant to move me to a row where there is an empty seat inbetween.  If the flight is full, then that's not usually an issue for me.  I dunno maybe a big black women invokes fear in folks so they just sit down an shut up or maybe I've been lucky to not get the seat next to the jerk...who knows.

My suggestion is to try and get upgraded to first class or business class.  The seats are bigger and you get more space so no worrying about touching the folks next to you.  As far as the fear of flying...just take a deep breath....relax...and if need be, take something to relax!

Good luck with your surgery!