A few months ago, I was somewhere over the Atlantic, probably four hours into a nine-hour flight to Europe. I read about the lie-flat option that United Airlines is going to start offering within the economy section called the Relax Row. As a plus-size traveler, I couldn't get it off my mind after I saw the news. Here's why I kept thinking of it all during my flight.
I felt restless in my small economy seat, then there was the discomfort as the seatbelt buckle dug into my side. I reminded myself how truly grateful I am to travel at all. Then I felt it again, the man next to me was elbowing me with undeniable force, having extended his arm way over into my side of the armrest to do so. I was perplexed by the aggression, but it wasn't new to me.
This man continued to elbow me over and over again, even after I got so annoyed that I put the cardboard safety card between us to silently but clearly show I was completely on my side of the armrest. Nevertheless, he kept crossing into my side with each elbow punch.
I'm not new to aggressive fellow flyers. You see, I'm plus-size, and I boarded with a checklist of dread running through my head. Did I get the aisle seat? Is there enough room to pull the tray table down? Can I discretely ask for a seatbelt extender? Am I taking up anyone else's space? What should I do if someone verbally abuses me? (Verbal abuse about my size from strangers is rare, but it's certainly happened a few times.)
I'm petite and small-framed along with being fat, and I know I don't spill into other seats. Just to make sure, I double check every time I sit down. Also, I am careful about making myself as small as possible when I am on a plane. When I need to go down the aisle to the bathroom, I make myself as compact as possible so I don't bump people along the way.
On this particular flight, the man in front of me fully reclined his seat the moment we hit cruising altitude, and he kept it there. For the entire flight. Even when meals were served. I had requested a vegan dinner, but when it was served, I couldn't fit the tray on my lap with the seat in front of me so far reclined. I felt so humiliated as I had to explain this and hand the food back although I was hungry.
When I got up for a quick bathroom break, I found that the one near me was an extra-small airline bathroom. I usually can get in and out without a problem, but its doorway was half the size of a regular one. I wasn't sure whether I could fit into it, and if I could, it would probably need to squeeze sideways. I considered whether to go all the way down a long aisle to a different bathroom where I might bump people on the way even if I try to shrink into myself as much as possible as I walk. I decide to try to fit, going in sideways, and I just did have enough room to get in. Whew! Even so, I felt humiliated as I closed the door.
When I returned to my seat, I awkwardly had to squeeze back in because the man in front of me still had his seat fully reclined. For most passengers, a reclined seat is annoying. For me, it was the difference between uncomfortable and completely trapped. My already-limited space compressed further. I sat in that shrinking pocket of air for hours, loving flying and hating everything about that particular flight at the same time. When I thought about how things might be different, tears fell.
I still made it to Europe. I still had a wonderful trip. As a survivor of some severe trauma, I'm very thankful to still be a part of this world, and I want to see as much of it as possible. I get absolutely giddy every time I get to visit a new place I've never been. No poorly designed airplane seat or unkind fellow passenger can take that from me. However, I get a bit anxious and scared every time I fly.
So when United Airlines announced the Relax Row this week, I paid close attention. It sounded like it might be the right solution for many problems that I often face when I fly.
Here's what the United Airlines Relax Row actually is: a dedicated row of three economy seats where leg rests fold up at a 90-degree angle, turning the whole row into a flat, couch-like surface.
This Relax Row could be great for me as a plus-size traveler, I think, because it takes away a lot of the issues I often encounter when flying in economy class. For one thing, I love the idea of not having someone sit next to me. Space is the greatest luxury when flying, and this seems to offer plenty of it.
Although exact pricing hasn't been revealed, the Relax Row is believed to be quite a bit cheaper than a business class ticket. That's great news to me, since it sounds similar to what's offered in United Polaris, the brand's business class. I was lucky enough to fly in the United Polaris section on one work trip, and it was a flight I won't forget. it was so comfortable, and it was free of nearly all the challenges I face when flying with a bigger body in the economy seats.
When passengers fly on the Relax Row, United throws in a fitted mattress pad, extra pillows, and a plush blanket. Families with kids also get a Child's Travel Kit and each child gets a plush animal. I think that's such a great idea! Honestly, even as an adult, I wouldn't mind getting a stuffed animal for every flight I take, but I would have been over the moon as a kid to be given one on a trip.
I just love the idea of all that extra space. Even if I didn't want to recline, it would be such a fun flying experience to not feel crowded at all. This is such a wonderful reimagining of what's possible with economy travel.
Relax Row won't solve every flying issue. Pricing hasn't even been announced yet, and depending on what United charges, it could easily be out of reach for most travelers. And then there's the fact that it doesn't launch until 2027, with a full fleet rollout happening in 2030. So, although I got my hopes up for possible flights this summer, that won't be happening.
Here's why it's especially important right now. Economy comfort has been going backwards for decades. Ask anybody who flies in coach frequently, and they will tell you about shrinking seats, excess baggage fees, and disappearing meals and snacks. The Relax Row is the first time in a long time that a major U.S. airline seems to be reversing course when it comes to showing economy passengers that they matter to the company, too.
Meanwhile, I'll keep flying anyway, because I feel like the luckiest person in the world every time I get the chance to take a trip. And for the first time in a while, I'm genuinely looking forward to what economy class might feel like in the future.
Would I pay extra for my own comfy row and a flight free of concerns about being elbowed and squished? When I can afford it, absolutely. Would you?
