Airline Seat Belt Extender

Airline seat belt extenders have been approved by the FAA; you can bring your own and use it on any flight unless a flight attendant tells you otherwise. Remember, a flight attendant's instructions have to be followed or you could get into serious trouble--and miss your flight, too. Generally, if you're polite and cooperative, you can use your airline seat belt extender without any problem.

Americans have become much bigger in the last 20 years or so--about two-thirds of us are overweight--but airline seats have not. Most seats are 17 to 18 and a half inches wide, and, for commercial reasons, flights are full more often than not. The chances of having an empty seat next to you are slim, so be prepared wedge in for the duration of the flight.

Airline Seat Belt Extenders Make Your Trip More Comfortable

Many airlines have their own seat belt extenders for large customers who need the extra slack. While the airline should make one available to you upon request, sometimes they don't, or can't, or perhaps you don't want to call attention to it in the first place. Many frequent travelers bring their own--they are made in the same way as the airlines', and are completely approved by the FAA.

The only drawback to having your own airline seat belt extender is that you'll have to own four of them; that's how many seat buckle varieties there are. You may have to do a little research to find which version you'll have to bring, but for a discrete, comfortable flight, it's worth it. Other resources are also available for large travelers looking to make their trips as pleasant as possible.