by ROB GOLDSTONE -nytimes.com

“AS soon as I board an aircraft, the first thing I do is make a beeline for the flight attendant and begin a routine that has changed little in 20 years:

Discreetly, I point toward my stomach, offer a half-smile and wait for a nod. Once I’m in my seat, I prepare for the “handoff.” Without making eye contact, the flight attendant approaches, and, like a player in a secret drug deal, quickly slips a small package into my palm: a seat belt extender.

At 285 pounds and 5 feet 7 inches, I may not be the tallest, but I am almost always one of the biggest passengers on a plane. That’s “one of”: as anyone with even the most tangential relationship with news headlines over the last several years knows, Americans are getting fatter and fatter. And as the well-proportioned gird themselves for the hassles of holiday travel, plus-size travelers like me prepare for a plus-sized ordeal.

It starts with finding a place to sit on the plane. The airline industry has responded to its ever-widening clientele with new rules: a handful of carriers, including United and Southwest, now insist that passengers who cannot fit comfortably into an economy seat (with the armrests down) buy a second seat (something I’ve done for years whenever possible); and three domestic carriers have instituted a policy that bans overweight people from sitting in exit rows. (Our bulk, they reason, could hinder an evacuation in an emergency.)

Yet for large travelers like me, the issues persist long after we have figured out whether to buy one seat or two. Going through airport security, for example, I could set off the metal detector not because I’m smuggling a box cutter or pistol, but because my girth comes too close to the sides of the machine, prompting it to beep. (After years of trial and error, I have a technique to eliminate this embarrassing possibility: I extend my arms forward, lower them with my palms out and twist my torso slightly to one side.)

But for truly novel challenges one must leave America, where being fat, in many ways, has become the new normal.

Having visited more than 50 countries in the last 20 years, I have become extremely adept at remaining calm and unfazed throughout situations that unfold because of my weight. Still, there have been occasions when I’ve been caught off guard.” (via  nytimes.com) by ROB GOLDSTONE

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Dear AA,

You and I have had a close relationship for nearly 20 years, and it has been mostly wonderful.

In the beginning, as we were getting to know each other, I was OK with being herded to the back of coach as I worked hard to gain favor with you. I was committed to loyalty.

The day that I reached 25,000 frequent flier miles was a big deal for me. Wow. A free trip. But I wanted more. I wanted 50,000 miles for two free round-triptickets. So I persevered. I flew and flew and flew. And finally, I made it. And you came through, just as promised. My husband and I loved that vacation in New England with free airfare and all.

I was hooked. I made sure that all of my trips were booked on AA. You loved that, didn’t you!

Through the years, we have logged nearly 1.5 million miles together. And I thank you for my lifetime elite status. But things have changed. I haven’t seen an upgrade to first class in what seems like years. I notice you are booking the flights to full; there is not an open seat anywhere.

I don’t mourn so much for myself, because despite all the downgrading you’ve done, I retain my lifetime elite status. But I have to warn you that my eyes have been wandering.

In a few weeks, I’ll be flying to Massachusetts. On Delta.” (via  dailybulletin.com) by Mary Hunt of debtproofliving.com

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read all of  - Frequent flier breaks up with favorite airline

Just because you show up at the airport with a ticket reservation doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up on your intended flight…

Most airlines overbook flights to compensate for last-minute cancellations, but they don’t always get the numbers right. And with so few seats open on later flights, fewer folks are volunteering to get bumped. As a result, the number of involuntarily bumped passengers is up, having grown 45% between 2005 and 2009, according to the Department of Transportation.“Instead of fixing the problem,” says Tony Polito, an associate professor in the college of business at East Carolina University who has published academic articles about airline industry issues, “they are institutionalizing it.”

What’s worse, travelers who get involuntarily bumped aren’t necessarily entitled to “denied-boarding compensation.” If the airline arranges substitute transportation that gets you to your destination within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation. If you arrive an hour or more later, the airline is required to pay you, up to a maximum of $800, depending on the price of the ticket and length of delay, according to the DOT’s rules.

2. “Your hard-won air miles are probably worth less.”

Air miles are easy to accrue. You can earn them using your credit card, getting a mortgage, “for anything short of breathing,” says Tim Winship, editor at large of SmarterTravel.com. American Airlines, for example, has thousands of participating companies in its frequent-flier program, making it an important revenue center. And United Airlines’ Mileage Plus plan brought in $700 million for the company in 2008, the most recent year for which data is available, up from $600 million in 2006.

But as miles flood the market, they’re getting harder to use. Some airlines have reduced the shelf life of air miles, while others have increased the amount required for an upgrade. Winship says customers can keep their account current by using a credit card affiliated with the program, which will build miles as they make purchases. You can also redeem a small amount of miles, to keep your account active, on things like magazine subscriptions.

3. “We’ll give you a good deal — if we can get something out of it.”

Airlines prefer that you book directly with them, so they often feature promotional codes and special deals exclusively on their own web sites. The goal is to get more consumers to book airfare there as opposed to on the discount web sites that list pricing from most airlines. Why? Airlines pay these online booking sites a commission for the tickets they sell — something they prefer not to do.

While consumers can find helpful deals on the airlines’ sites, they should compare pricing there with what the other sites are offering. Also, travelers might find the lowest fare by booking two separate airlines for each leg of their trip, but they’re unlikely to be informed of that when they book a ticket on an airline’s site.

Some airlines, like Southwest, only permit travelers to buy tickets online from their own web sites. However, Southwest’s computer application Ding will scan for the best fares and update you on deals. What does the carrier get in return? Loyalty and repeat fliers. In 2007, American launched a similar application called DealFinder, which offers big discounts on flights.

4. “We love adding fees.”

A big chunk of the price you pay for a ticket covers additional fees that are often added at the end of the booking process, when buyers are less likely to change their mind. That way, the listed ticket price looks lower than it actually is.

The most common fee these days is for checked bags. For example, United now charges $23 to $25 for the first bag a traveler checks in at the airport, and $32 to $35 for the second. Other examples of fees: Passengers who reserve a seat on Spirit Airlines pay $15 extra for an exit row seat.

Even frequent-flier programs, which are supposed to let you book “free flights,” have added fees for things like booking too close to your travel date.

Passengers booking a flight just seven to 20 days before takeoff can incur a fee of $50 fee or more, and those who book between two hours and six days before departure can incur a $fee of 100, minimum. In addition, she says, there’s a $10 security service fee that’s collected on roundtrip airfare for passengers boarding in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

5. “Customer service isn’t always our top priority . . .”

After being stuck in a plane on the tarmac for nine hours in 2006, Kate Hanni decided to fight back against poor customer service. She formed the group Flyerrights.org, which in December was successful in getting the DOT to issue a rule on “enhancing airline passenger protections” that includes requiring the airlines to allow passengers to disembark after three hours on the tarmac and requiring airlines to provide adequate food and water to passengers within two hours of them being stuck in a plane.

A DOT spokeswoman says the rule will take effect on April 29, after the department reviews requests from certain carriers that have asked for temporary exemptions. ” (via  smartmoney.com) by Jonathan Dahl and the editors of SmartMoney

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That’s not to say that looking smart can’t still work miracles today, but why leave anything to chance when you can buy a first class seat for next to nothing?

Ever eager to squeeze every penny out of every flight they possibly can, the airlines aren’t always keen to reward their frequent flyers by handing out free upgrades like candy. Nope —now, some carriers are just unloading them more democratically — first willing to pay, first served… ” (via  msnbc.msn.com) by David Landsel-airwarewatchdog.com

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US Airways has a stinky plane that sends you to the hospital.

Which one puts your tray table in an upright and locked position… of fury?” (via consumerist.com ) by Meg Marco

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to vote and view results for Delta Airlines VS US Airways: Worst Company In America

“Continental Airlines will begin charging coach customers extra if they want a seat with more leg room…

Prices will vary depending on the length of a flight and popularity of the route. A spokeswoman said extra room on a Houston-New York flight might cost $59. International fliers would pay more than that…

Starting March 17, coach customers will be able to pay the charge at check-in to get an exit-row seat with at least 7 inches more legroom than the other rows..

Top-level members of Continental’s frequent-flier program — those who rack up at least 25,000 miles a year — and their traveling companions will still be able to claim the exit row without extra charge…

.Some other airlines already charge extra for exit-row seats. United, for example, sells “economy plus” seats in coach, with up to five extra inches of legroom…

On its Web site, United says the upgrade costs $49 on Denver-to-Seattle flights and $109 going from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

JetBlue also charges more for legroom. Some carriers charge extra for aisle or bulkhead seats. On US Airways, window or aisle seats can cost $5 to $30 extra. ” (via seattletimes.nwsource.com  ) by DAVID KOENIG

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No, I don’t mean showing up at the gate lugging your own personal La-Z-Boy (complete with cup-holder armrests!) — I’m talking about flying first class, or your own fancy jet…

But those options aren’t available to everyone, so let’s lower our sights a bit and talk about getting the best seats available in steerage – you know, the holding pen that the airlines wittily refer to as “economy class.”…

Even economy has “good” seats: windows and aisles — with aisles leading ever so slightly –

and the best of best are located in the exit rows or bulkheads.

Unfortunately, someone has to fill all those middle seats; let’s try to make sure it’s not you.

Ten Strategies for Getting the Best Seats Available

1. Obvious Approach: Select your seat when you purchase your ticket. That sounds like a no-brainer, I know, but you’d be surprised how many travelers don’t do this and simply accept the seat they’re assigned without ever looking at it. Days (or weeks) later, they are horrified to discover they’ve been shunted into a middle seat. Pick your place as soon as you can.

2. Pay for Premium Seats: These are generally roomier exit rows or seats with a

little more leg room, but hold off before paying the fee for these seats. I’ve noticed that when the plane isn’t filling up, the fees for these seats can drop dramatically. Maybe you wouldn’t want to pay an extra $35 each way for a “good” seat, but how about an extra $10?

3. Promptness Pays: Some airlines don’t release seats until precisely 24 hours before departure, so you must be ready for seat selection then — at that very moment. In other words, if you’re on a 6 a.m. flight, set an alarm clock for 5:45 a.m. the day before, so you can fire up the computer and make your selection the instant seats are available. If you delay this by even a couple of minutes, all those wonderful windows and aisles can disappear.

4. Southwest Method: If you’re traveling on this no-frills carrier, check-in early. This won’t necessarily get you a seat, but it will get you a good place in line to claim a seat. Alternate action: consider paying the $10 charge for EarlyBird check-in, which lets you board the plane ahead of the masses.

5. Don’t Be Shy about Aches/Pains: Some airlines set aside sections that include “good” seats so families can sit together, or people with disabilities can be more comfortable. Do you have a legitimate medical problem? If so, contact reservations to inquire about your options and be prepared with a doctor’s note.

Do not, however, wait until you’re onboard to request a special treatment: one fellow who’d recently been in an accident tried that on a US Airways flight and became so demanding that the airline eventually diverted its flight to London to dump Mr. Injured off in Boston.” (via  abcnews.go.com) by Rick Seaney

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Wearing an elegant outfit can open doors in business — and in business travel. Richard Rheindorf learned this firsthand, when he sported a well-tailored suit while waiting to board a flight from San Francisco to Vancouver…

Even though the coach cabin wasn’t oversold, the ticket agent bumped Rheindorf to first class…. “You looked the part,” the agent told him…

“It’s rare, but it does happen,” says George Hobica, president and founder of AirfareWatchdog.com. “If you’re standing there in a three-piece suit, they’re certainly going to pick you over the guy in gym shorts.”

Dressing up for a flight — and charming gate agents — works on occasion, but there are more sure-fire ways to score the best airplane seats. Whether it’s knowing a plane’s layout, requesting an exit-row seat or obtaining high status in a frequent-flier program, there are myriad routes to avoiding that non-reclining seat next to the back lavatory.

To uncover the most effective methods, we polled a roster of travel experts including Matt Daimler, founder of SeatGuru.com; Joe Brancatelli, founder of JoeSentMe.com; Patrick Evans, spokesman for STA Travel; and Hobica. They agreed: All seats are not created equal. There are tremendous differences even among coach seats on the same plane, not to mention other airlines and classes.

“Obviously there are seats that are more comfy than others,” says Hobica. “Pinpoint a seat and buy intelligently.”

Game of inches
Flying coach always seems to entail sitting with knees at one’s chest, squeezed by the encroaching bodies of corpulent neighbors. Though it may not seem like it, there are many ways to avoid this scenario. For one, know your airlines. Different carriers configure their planes differently; though most offer 32 inches of legroom, some, like JetBlue, offer 34 inches for the same price.

To get even more space, reserve a spot in an exit row. These seats typically offer six inches more legroom than the typical coach seat, and they’re often the same price. Airlines usually release these seats via online check-in 24 hours before departure; some, like JetBlue, sell them for a modest premium.

“For about $10 more, you can get an exit row seat with 38 inches of legroom — that’s more than some airlines’ first class,” says Hobica. “Personally, I always buy the exit-row seat.”

Another tip: Know your airplanes. There are tremendous differences even among the coach seats on a single plane; the disparity between different jets operated by different carriers can be even greater. Web sites like SeatExpert.com and Daimler’s SeatGuru.com offer color-coded seat maps that reveal which seats have the best amenities.

“Some airlines on certain seats have power outlets and seatback televisions,” says Evans. “That’s not always indicated on an airline’s Web site.”

JetBlue and start-up carrier Virgin America offer seatback televisions for every passenger on every flight. On other airlines like Allegiant and Southwest, video entertainment is notoriously hard to find.

Cheap upgrades

Another method of escaping coach’s doldrums is to obtain an upgrade to business or first class. Doing so needn’t be terribly costly — upgrades on domestic flights can be had for as little as $50 per trip segment.” (via msnbc.msn.com ) by Zack O’Malley Greenburg

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Dragging your wheelie down the aisle past business class and premium economy, toward your final resting place in steerage, doesn’t have to feel like entering Dante’s Ninth Circle of Hell. If you choose your airlines and aircraft wisely and then engineer your way into their coach cabins’ best seats, the amount of extra comfort you can get might surprise you.

The most pleasant airplane experience my family of four has had, for instance, was a Continental flight from Barcelona to Newark last December. If you’re wondering how on God’s green earth a nine-and-a-half-hour confinement on that one-aisle winged sardine can known as a 757 can possibly be described as anything remotely resembling “pleasant,” I have one word for you: AVOD.

Audio Video on Demand has now been installed on all of Continental’s 757-200s. Each passenger gets his own nine-inch screen with up to 25 movies that can be started, stopped, paused, rewound, or fast-forwarded at will. I watched two movies back-to-back—good films that I’d actually wanted to see in theaters but had missed. The well-chosen computer games and easy-to-use touch-screen controls amounted to the equivalent of a built-in babysitter for the kids. There was even an interactive Berlitz World Traveler program for learning foreign languages.

Thanks to my seat’s AC power port, which did not require an adapter, I plugged in my laptop the same way I would at home. And, miraculously for a 757, my knees did not dig into the seat in front of me—apparently because Continental’s Spectrum Seat (from BE Aerospace) affords more knee room, not to mention a “comfort cut” tray table and multi-position adjustable headrest.

In times like these, when planes aren’t flying full, even if you can’t choose your airline and aircraft you can at least choose your seat. My family’s outbound flight to Spain did not have AVOD, but it did have something key: empty middle seats. I was able to snag six seats for my family of four.

How? The aircraft was a 767—a two-aisle plane with a 2-3-2 seating configuration. My family had been assigned to two of the two-seat rows, but at the airport, when I learned the flight wasn’t full, I asked the Continental agent to move us to the aisle seats in two of the three-seat rows. Middle seats tend to be filled starting from the front of the aircraft and moving toward the rear—which means that if your flight isn’t full, you’re likely to get an empty seat next to you if you request an aisle seat in the center section in the back. My family and I ended up with two three-seat rows to ourselves.

How else can you get comfortable in coach?

Fly at off-peak timesThere are more likely to be empty seats, which means you’re more likely to be able to arrange for one next to you. Midweek and midday flights tend to be off-peak, though that’s not the case for all destinations. Use Orbitz’s Flexible Search tool to find the lowest fares within your travel window—these will also be the emptiest flights.

Consider flying aircraft that have the fewest middle seats
I love 767s because there’s only one middle seat per row. This means that your chances of getting one are less than on any other two-aisle aircraft: A 767 can be 86 percent full before anyone gets stuck in the middle. Two-aisle planes tend to give you bigger seats, more legroom, and larger overhead bins than one-aisle aircraft. Within the United States, try to travel on planes configured for international flights. These often fly from an airline’s hub to an international gateway before continuing overseas (e.g., certain American Airlines flights between Dallas and San Francisco).

Compare seat dimensions

On domestic flights, coach seats vary in width from 16.5 to 18 inches and in pitch (the distance between two rows of seats) from 30 to 36 inches. Internationally, they usually range from 17 to 20 inches in width and from 31 to 42 inches in pitch. The seat you’ll find most comfortable depends in part on your body type. Say you’re choosing between one aircraft whose seats are 17 inches wide with 32 inches of pitch and another whose seats are 18 inches wide with 31 inches of pitch. The tall and skinny will prefer the former, the short and hefty the latter. Charts on SeatGuru let you compare seat dimensions on a slew of carriers. Remember that you can pay a few extra dollars for more legroom on JetBlue and United.” ( via concierge.com ) by Wendy Perrin

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