I'd probably choose the window seat myself, because while it is cramped, it is predictably so. When I sit in an aisle seat, it's not as cramped but I regularly get shoulder checked by passing people or beverage carts.

What really makes me nervous if I'm in an economy seat is the seat in front of me. Depending on how the seat is designed, if the person suddenly reclines (or hell, just flexes the seat a bunch while moving around), it can come pretty close to pinching the laptop screen. That would be bad news.

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ryandrake 3 hours ago | parent [-]

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the image. That's a very expensive computer that you risk destroying when the 300lb guy in front of you decides to lean back.

The ergonomics of using a laptop on an economy-class tray table are not worth it. You're sitting there like a T-rex trying to make your arms as small as possible to tap on the keys. And the vertical viewing angle to your screen sometimes prevents you from even seeing anything. I wouldn't even bring my laptop out during a flight.

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sweetjuly 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>The ergonomics of using a laptop on an economy-class tray table are not worth it. You're sitting there like a T-rex

The trick I've found is to pack a bluetooth keyboard. If you put your laptop on the tray table, you can put the bluetooth keyboard on your legs _under_ the tray table and have your arms fully and comfortably extended. This works especially well if you're a vim/emacs/other keyboard driven editor user as you very rarely need to reach up to poke the trackpad .

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walthamstow 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In the image it's on his lap, not the tray table. I agree, using the tray is not worth it. The ideal is a tray that folds in half so I can use that to hold a drink and keep the machine on my lap.

The tradeoff of poor comfort is insane productivity, for me anyway. Being restricted in place, no wifi, inconvenient toilet breaks, not in control of meal times, all means I get a lot of work done

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Der_Einzige 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Obese people (250lb+) shouldn't even be allowed in Economy.

	▲	hansvm 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Maybe. On the other hand, in economy on some planes I just literally don't fit in a forward direction because of femur length and cycling muscles, I don't fit in a sideways direction either because of broad shoulders and arm muscles, and I don't comfortably fit vertically on some planes with fixed-position headrests which push into the middle of my shoulder blades and have me hunched the whole flight. I'm also not _that_ big. I'm 6'2" and have lived my life moderately actively. That's it. I'm biased, but I believe economy should be designed so that I can fit too. If you agree with that premise, that'd leave plenty of space for most 250lb people too, and there'd be no reason to exclude them.
	▲	0x1ch 44 minutes ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Man, I hate being rude because I myself weighed 230lbs once upon a time, I get it. I just dealt with a 200lb+ man who spread his legs past the arm rests. Pissed me off the whole flight because I had to contort my body in my own seat so he wasn't spilling into me.
	▲	zrail 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Sweet, free upgrades! Edit to be slightly less obtuse: surely you're not implying that a common carrier be allowed to discriminate based on facts about a passenger's body without making reasonable accommodations. Surely you're not implying that obese people not be allowed to fly at all. Surely you're not suggesting that fat people should just remove themselves from society so you don't have to deal with them. Therefore, obese people should get free upgrades to economy plus or better. Thanks for the idea!