When boarding a plane to travel, we can only hope that the flight is safe, smooth, comfortable and without drama. But time and again, there are stories making headlines about sagas in the sky. One of the issues that crops up is how airlines, and fellow flyers, are or aren’t accommodating plus-size passengers.

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One person shared how they requested to swap seats with an “extremely obese” neighbor passenger, to prevent being squashed against the window. What should have been a courteous exchange of words, and possibly seats, turned into a full-blown dramatic embarrassment for both flyers and ended with one of them being asked to leave the plane. The passenger turned to the internet after their formal complaint to the airline fell on deaf ears.

Flight attendants are tasked with ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers on board a plane

Image credits: Ismail Mohamed – SoviLe/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

But when one traveler thought the cabin crew would assist them, the exact opposite happened…

Image credits: Scott Graham/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Image credits: aathrowaway1624

American Airlines requires passengers to book two seats if they need extra space to “travel comfortably and safely”

Image credits: Forsaken Films/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

American Airlines (AA) states on its website that the airline will “do [their] best to find the most comfortable and usable seats for your needs.” But passengers requiring “extra space” during travel need to inform the airline when booking their flight.

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“If you need more than one seat to travel comfortably and safely, you must book an additional seat by calling Reservations,” reads the AA site. It further explains that the airline “will make sure you get 2 adjacent seats at the same fare” and adds that a passenger might be offered a seat in a higher class of service with more space. In that case, they’ll have to pay the difference in fare.

In the event a passenger didn’t book an extra seat in advance, AA advises that they ask an airport agent to check if 2 adjacent seats are available. “If we can’t accommodate your needs on your original flight, you can buy seats on a different flight at the same price as your original seats,” states the website.

AA is not the only airline with this policy. United Airlines (UA) gives a bit more detail on their site, stating that they “require that all passengers fit comfortably in their seat on the plane.” UA notes that passengers might have to make additional arrangements “if you can’t buckle your seatbelt, even when using a seatbelt extender, the seat armrests don’t stay down when you’re in your seat, [or] you’re in the space of the seat next to you when seated.”

United advises passengers to either book an extra seat in economy class at the same price or to upgrade to a premium cabin where the seats are wider. The airline adds that if an extra seat isn’t available, passengers will need to change their flight to one that has extra seats. But they offer compensation in the event you’re inconvenienced. “If you’re not in your home city, state, or country, and your new flight requires you to stay overnight we can give you meal and hotel vouchers as well,” reads the policy.

Some believe airlines are discriminating against plus-size passengers

Image credits: Kenny Eliason/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Not all airlines have the same policy when it comes to passengers “fitting comfortably and safely” in their seats. Some charge extra, some don’t. And there are those who have no policy on the plus-size matter at all. In 2023, close to 40,000 people signed a petition asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to “protect plus-size passengers” and implement a standard policy that “prioritizes the comfort and well-being of all passengers.” 

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Plus-size travel influencer Jae’lynn Chaney was behind the campaign. Chaney has been using a seatbelt extender since she was a child. “I kind of knew that planes were not built for people like me by the time I was 12,” she told CNN, adding that she’d sometimes try to “tuck her seatbelt underneath her stomach” so that flight attendants didn’t know it wasn’t buckled.

Chaney called on airlines to “provide accessible additional seats to customers-of-size” or those who may “encroach onto another passenger’s space.” The influencer says some airline policies are “discriminatory” because passengers like her are “paying twice for the same experience.”

She believes plus-size passengers should not be charged extra. “These passengers should be provided with an extra free seat, or even multiple seats, to accommodate their needs and ensure their comfort and safety, as well as those around them, during the flight,” reads her petition.

The same year, CNN reported that “while the average width of an airplane seat has been shrinking for decades, bodies are getting larger around the world, with experts predicting that over half of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035.”

“That’s not normal”: netizens weighed in on the issue

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