News & Advice

Flying Is Harder for Shorter People

Our shortest (and tallest) editors debate who really pulls the short straw while flying.
Image may contain Cushion Human Person Headrest Transportation and Vehicle
Getty

As airlines try and cram more and more of us between two wings, it's only natural that there's a correlation between decreasing space and increasing discomfort. And though there's been much discussion about legroom and height and seat size, we stopped and wondered: Are things really worse for tall travelers, or is it just one side of a (height-differentiating) coin? Condé Nast Traveler editors weigh in.

It's tough being short

"Being petite has its advantages, I’ll admit—my knees don’t bang up against the seat in front of me, and I never have to duck when I stand up to deplane. But think about the converse: These planes are not made for people my size. They’re not made for people a foot taller. They’re made from some imagined perfect height and weight that only exists in sitcoms. Think about this: My feet don’t always comfortably touch the floor on a plane. I dangle. I never use the headrest—it’s a forehead rest more than anything. I never get to use armrests, because in that war, I always lose. I would like to meet the 5’6 Ginger-from-Gilligan’s-Island who sits comfortably in coach and congratulate her on being the right size." -Laura Redman, 5'2" (on a good day)

"I’m not sure if this is because I’m small or because I’m a woman, but for some reason people always assume I’ll be happy to switch to the middle seat, fine with ceding land rights to the armrests, and totally cool with manspreaders inching into my personal space. Sometimes I feel like people see me as a sentient piece of luggage. I know I’m not coping with the same physical issues as a very tall person who’s scrunched into a small space, but I’d also appreciate some help getting my bag into the overhead bin when my T-Rex arms aren’t quite right for the job. Whether short, tall, or in-between, there’s one major takeaway from all of this: Sitting in coach is a generally unpleasant experience, and the real problem is that most airlines would rather make more money by packing us in like sardines than care about anybody’s legroom. -Lilit Marcus, 5'5"

Being Tall is still worse

"I may be able to help people put up their bags and reach the headrest once I'm settled, but neither of those things make me feel any physically better about having to sit entire flights with my legs extended under the seat in front of me—which I have to do if I want to avoid the knees-in-seatback situation. Despite urgings from flight attendants, putting a bag under the seat in front of me leaves me with no space. Trying to fold my frame over so that I can rest on a tray table? Leaning over to untie or tie my shoes? Impossible. On a recent red-eye flight, I was physically unable to move out of my seat without first lifting the secret aisle armrest button and sliding my legs into the aisle for some glorious space. And you wonder why I recline." -Katherine LaGrave, 5’11"

"Are we really debating this? Here's a story: Once on a long-haul transpacific flight, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up a few hours later, I decided it would be a good idea to stretch my legs. As I stepped into the aisle, I immediately fell to the floor, my body folding into itself like a slinky. Turns out my legs had turned into a lifeless jelly from being crushed up against a reclining seat for hours. As my fellow passengers looked on, I sat in the aisle, a pitiful shadow of my former self, frantically slapping my calves until they regained some semblance of feeling. Eventually, I dragged myself back into my seat and as the next round of inevitable pain and numbness began to sink in, it was time to ask for yet another glass of wine. It's always the same when you're over six feet tall and in coach." -Sebastian Modak, 6'2"