Airline passengers are sparking a viral debate over the issue of plus-size seatmates

A passenger who sat next to a ‘man of size’ during a long flight asked users on social media what they would have done if they felt uncomfortable.

The user wrote: “I understand how uncomfortable he must have felt, but I also have relatively broad shoulders and was confined to half my seat with one armrest for the entire five-hour flight.”

“I would never want to embarrass him or make a scene, but is there anything that could have been done for future reference?” the user asked.

On the Reddit forum ‘unitedairlines’, users shared their own posts experiences and suggestions.

One user said: ‘This happened to me recently. The armrest could be lowered, but otherwise it would fall against my chair.”

Another chimed in: ‘It happened to me last year and I regretted the whole five hour flight. As soon as they landed, I immediately got out and talked to an FA (flight attendant) about moving.

“When I fly economy I always get a window seat because I can lean into it to sleep or get away from a big middle seat,” said one.

Another user said that the blame should not be placed on others, but… that the problem is due to the dimensions of the seats.

“Write an email to the airline… The problem is not with either of you, it is the airlines who charge us for absolutely everything and give us nothing,” they said.

Fox News Digital reached out to United Airlines for comment on the matter.

“First it has to be acknowledged, and usually the offending party will acknowledge it and apologize,” said one user. “Assuming you cannot change to another seat, you will have the option to disembark and transfer to a later flight.”

The same user added: “You could get the (flight attendant) involved and make the robber kick off (especially if the armrest doesn’t go down).”

One user said sitting next to a tall person is not a top priority when flying.

“I may be in the minority, but as long as (the person) has good hygiene, I don’t mind,” one person said.

One user added: “While there are certainly ‘better’ and polite ways to go about this, in almost all scenarios you’ll go to the FA.”

Alison Cheperdak, founder of Elevate Etiquette in Washington DC, told Fox News Digital via email that it’s important to be respectful to a nearby passenger, even if you don’t feel comfortable.

“It’s important to consider the other person’s space, and be thoughtful and realistic about the situation,” Cheperdak said. “If a flight is full you may be out of luck, but it doesn’t hurt to personally ask a flight crew member if it’s possible to change seats before you take off.”

Cheperdak said that “it’s best to ask in private by, for example, getting up from your seat, so you don’t unnecessarily embarrass the other person about his or her height.”

Rosalinda Randall, an etiquette expert and trainer from California, told Fox News Digital via email: “The obvious step is to change seats. If the flight is full, you are stuck.”

Randall suggested that passengers who feel uncomfortable discuss the space issue politely after making friendly small talk.

“Once you’ve built rapport, bring up the obvious sitting dilemma. Just wait and see how they react,” Randall said of the other passenger.

Randall added, “When a good relationship is built with someone, we are more likely to compromise and show more consideration.”