Braced for deep vein thrombosis

 Like most tallish men I have developed tactics for flying long haul. I say "tallish" because 6ft 2in doesn't seem that tall any more, about four inches above the national average. But it is tall enough to ensure my journeys combine the maximum of discomfort with the minimum of dignity. Knees pressed up against the seat in front. Feet raised slightly off the floor. General lack of circulation. And when seated between two other passengers I get to combine all this with claustrophobia. Lucky me. I should mention I also have mild aerophobia, that is, fear of flying. Actually it is more fear of turbulence, which is always worst in the tail of a plane where I am usually sitting, because I fly economy. I could pay for a business seat, I suppose, but have you seen the price of them? The Telegraph newspaper accounts department certainly has, and it is for the Telegraph that I do most of my flying, mostly to America.

So it comes down to tactics. American Airlines offers the best seat pitch (the distance from one seat to the next) at 34in, but I usually fly Virgin Atlantic (31in) because it offers the most air miles and every couple of trips I can upgrade to premium economy, subject to availability and the discretion of the check-in clerk. When I don't have enough miles, I stand on tiptoe at the check-in desk. This is because they only give out bulkhead seats and exit seats to worthy causes. Even if you pass the height test for these seats, you have to pay a supplement of £50.

 Anyway, things might be about to improve for tallish men. On Thursday, members of the House of Lords Science Committee put forward plans to force airlines to give passengers at least two inches more leg room to protect them from the risk of developing deadly blood clots in cramped seats. About 9,000 people in Britain suffer from deep vein thrombosis, a number that could well increase as we as a nation continue to get taller and fatter. There are safety considerations, too. The current minimum seat pitch is 26in and most budget airlines go for that minimum. But this does not provide enough room for the bigger passenger to adopt the brace position in an emergency. As always there are counter-arguments. More leg space means fewer seats and fewer passengers, which means more planes and more global warming. But so be it. Men should not be punished for being tall.