Plus-Size Influencer Says Airlines Should Pay for Extra Free Seats for Overweight Passengers

Flying is uncomfortable, no matter what. However, for larger passengers, squeezing into a small seat can be challenging. In recent years, the body inclusivity movement has opened up the conversation about how to handle travelers who aren't able to comfortably fit in a single seat. While the airlines generally would like them to purchase a bigger seat or two seats, many of those impacted declare that would be downright discrimination. This April, plus-size travel influencer Jae'lynn Chaney started a petition hoping to get the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to mandate all airlines for a comprehensive customer-of-size policy that "prioritizes the comfort and well-being of all passengers."

"We need the policies to be a little bit more standardized," Chaney tells CNN Travel. "At the bare minimum, we need every airline to have a policy that tells people of size how to navigate their airline."

Chaney's petition, which had received over 17,000 signatures, demands that all airlines "provide accessible additional seats to customers-of-size" who may require more space or "encroach onto another passenger's space."

On her blog, Chaney discusses seat belt extenders, which she has used since she was a kid. "I kind of knew that planes were not built for people like me by the time I was 12," she said. 

She also maintains that traveling has always been stressful due to her size. "There was a really tight fit on the seats. And being such a young child at the time, traveling without my parents was really stressful for me. Because I didn't know how to advocate for myself."

She maintains that forcing larger passengers to buy an extra seat is "discriminatory," as passengers like her are "paying twice for the same experience," she points out. "People with smaller bodies get to pay one fare to get to their destination. And we have to pay two fares, even though we're getting the same experience. If anything, our experiences are a little bit more challenging."

She maintains that plus-size passengers aren't asking for special treatment but "asking for the same dignity and respect from an airline that someone in a smaller body gets." Aside from being a "financial burden," paying for two seats is an added complication. "There's so many different things, obstacles, that are in the way," she explains about plus-size traveling in general.

"The stereotypes that surround plus-size travelers, and the hostility towards us when we're traveling by plane is honestly horrendous," she adds. "It can just be such an uncomfortable experience. People treat us very much differently."