A recent incident on a cross-country flight has sparked a debate over passenger rights and etiquette after a plus-size woman was criticized for refusing to surrender her second airplane seat to a toddler.

While some sympathize with her insistence on keeping the additional seat she had paid for, others believe it was a matter of inconvenience.

The 34-year-old woman had initially booked two seats for her journey, citing previous discomfort when attempting to fit into a single seat due to her weight. Her plans took an unexpected turn when a young mother requested that she "squeeze into one seat" so her son could occupy the other.

On a Reddit post, the woman openly acknowledged her weight, saying: "I am obese. I'm actively working toward losing weight, and I've made progress - but I booked an extra seat because I'm fat."

She went on to describe how the situation escalated: "[The mother] made a big fuss over it, and she told the flight attendant I was stealing the seat from her son. Then I showed her my boarding passes, proving that I paid for the extra seat. The flight attendant asked me if I could try to squeeze in, but I said no, that I wanted the extra seat I paid for."

The woman argues that the toddler - at just 18 months old - was not required to have his own seat and could have sat on his mother's lap for the duration of the flight. "The mom was hoping for some respite from a squirmy toddler," she wrote.

The woman's post divided social media users. Credit: Stefan Tomic / Getty

Passengers on the flight witnessed the tension, with the woman apparently receiving "dirty looks" and enduring "passive-aggressive remarks" throughout the journey.

She then asked the people of Reddit: "I do feel a little bad because the boy looked hard to control - but am I in the wrong?"

Responses to the incident have been mixed. While some passengers slammed the mother and the flight attendant for their behavior, criticizing the lack of planning and entitlement, others faulted the obese passenger for causing discomfort to fellow travelers.

One critic argued, "If you are so fat that you have to have more than one seat on an airplane, then you are selfish," adding, "Flights overbook all the time, especially during the holidays - how can you justify having two seats to yourself?"

Credit: Karl Tapales / Getty

On the other hand, supporters of the woman's decision questioned the purpose of booking an extra seat if passengers are expected to relinquish it. They argued that passengers should not be forced to yield seats they have paid for.

"The mom is an a**hole for not buying a seat for her son and assuming someone else would give up a seat they paid for," one person commented. "Odds are she was hoping there'd be extra seats on the flight so she didn't have to pay and used the lap thing as a loophole."

A second supporter wrote: "People buy entire seats for high-end musical equipment. Not even people. Their lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on your part."

And one confused social media user commented: "What's even the point of the extra seat if the flight attendants are going to let entitled people bully others into giving it up?"

The incident raises questions about the balance between accommodating passengers with additional needs and ensuring a comfortable and fair experience for all travelers. But who do you think is in the wrong? Let us know in the comments.

Featured image credit: Stefan Tomic / Getty

A plus-sized passenger has been praised online after refusing to give up the extra seat she'd purchased for her plane journey to allow someone else's toddler to sit in it.

The 34-year-old woman, who describes herself as "obese", opened up about a recent experience she'd had on a plane that left her feeling uncomfortable.

She explained that she'd bought an extra seat next to her own in order to have some extra space after finding the standard seating too restrictive for her size.

However, she found herself in an awkward position when an entitled parent believed that she should give up the seat she'd paid extra for, in order for the stranger's child to sit in it instead of on its mother's lap.

She wrote on Reddit: "I 34F am obese. I’m actively working toward losing weight and I’ve made progress but I’m still obese as I’m typing this.

"I’m going over to see my brother and his husband for Christmas across the country and because I’m fat, I booked an extra seat so everyone can be more comfortable.

"I know it sucks having to pay for an extra seat but it is what it is. I know Southwest Airlines has this 'customer of size' policy but I’ve had some bad experiences with Southwest even before I was obese so I wasn’t doing that and it’s mostly my fault I even got fat."

The 'customer of size' policy she mentioned is unique to Southwest Airlines, as this airline will give passengers who do not fit in the standard seat size an extra one - or even two if needed - seats for free to ensure they can ride in comfort.

While Southwest advises people to book their free extra seat in advance, passengers of size can also have it added on at check-in, meaning sometimes the flight can then be overbooked.

However, the Redditor had clarified she wasn't flying with Southwest so had had to pay extra for the seat, which she'd chosen to do so that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable for the duration of the journey.

She continued: "Everything goes smoothly from checking in to security and boarding, at least at first. This woman comes to my row with a boy who appeared to be about a year old.

"She told me to squeeze in to one seat so her son could sit in the other. She told me, not asked. I told her no and that I paid for this seat for the extra space."

The woman revealed that the stranger made a "big fuss" about her refusing to accommodate her toddler, which then got the attention of a flight attendant.

"She told the flight attendant I was stealing the seat from her son, then I showed my boarding passes, proving that I , in fact paid for the extra seat.

"The flight attendant asked me if I could try to squeeze in, but I said no, that I wanted the extra seat I paid for. The boy, who the mom said is 18 months old was supposed to sit in her lap so he could do just that."

She revealed that the flight attendant eventually told the mother to put her son on her lap, but the woman still gave her "dirty looks and passive-aggressive remarks" for the whole journey.

The poster admitted she felt "a little bad" for not giving the child her extra seat as the boy "looked hard to control", and asked if she was the "a**hole" in this situation.

However, other users quickly jumped to the woman's defense to confirm she was well within her rights to not give up the seat she'd paid for just because the mom would prefer not to have a squirming child sat on her lap.

They wrote: "She’s TA [the a**hole] for not buying a seat for her son and assuming someone else would give up a seat they paid for. Odds are she was hoping there’d be extra seats on the flight so she didn’t have to pay and used the lap thing as a loophole. Classic case of you snooze you lose."

Another pointed out the double standard, adding: "Apparently fat people have to get another seat to fly, but they also have to give up that extra seat for someone else’s child if they want it. Smh."

Someone else commented: "Absolutely 100 percent NTA. You paid for your seat. This woman was trying to steal a free seat for her kid. If it’s too hard to have him on her lap, buy a seat for him. It’s s**te that they even asked you to share or give up your seat.

"Plus airlines literally demand larger customers purchase two seats and god knows, if you were in one seat and that entitled mom was next to you, the same dirty looks and comments would be the result.

"She had no right and the plane staff should have shut her down. It’s misery dealing with all the judgment when you fly in these crowded planes and everyone acts like you are taking up too much space either way you try to manage it. The crew should realize that that s**t is sensitive as hell and not join in the bullying, even if in terms of 'trying to compromise. That’s literally hundreds of dollars she was trying to snatch from you when she chose not to purchase a seat! Ooh I’m mad about this one. You are sooooo NTA."

One added: "NTA. Some people are so entitled you paid for the seats, you should not have to give one of them up. The Cabin crew should have stopped this straight away once they saw you had booked both seats, it should have been obvious why. They should not have asked you to squeeze in to 1 seat. The Mother was an AH and So was the member of cabin crew."

Featured image credit: Tatyana Tomsickova Photography/Getty Images

A plus-size influencer has launched a petition calling for the Federal Aviation Administration and airlines to protect larger passengers from discomfort and discrimination.

As reported by the New York Post, Washington-based influencer Jae’lynn Chaney has amassed more than 90,000 followers on Instagram after providing helpful travel advice to plus-size individuals.

However, during a recent two-hour flight from Pasco to Denver, Chaney says she was allegedly subjected to discrimination that resulted in her starting an online Change.org petition.

"No one should have to endure the discomfort, embarrassment, and discrimination that often comes with being a plus-sized passenger trying to navigate air travel," she says in an accompanying Instagram video. She adds that despite a large percentage of the population being plus-size, many airlines do not have concrete guidelines in place to assist bigger passengers.

She titled her petition: "Demand for the FAA to Protect Plus-Size Travelers", and explains in the description: "During a flight from Pasco to Denver, my fiancé was subjected to hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them, amounting to discrimination. Similarly, on another flight, I was forced to occupy only one seat with immovable armrests that caused me pain and bruises."

She continues: "Being forced to occupy only one seat can result in pain and vulnerability to poor treatment from fellow passengers, including hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them.

"This mistreatment of plus-size passengers is unacceptable, and it highlights the urgent need for better policies that protect the dignity and rights of all passengers, regardless of size."

Chaney now wants the FAA to ensure that all airlines introduce and enforce a "clear customer-of-size policy that prioritizes the comfort and well-being of all passengers".

Listing her expectations, she states that airlines should "provide accessible additional seats" for plus-size passengers - with larger flyers being "provided with an extra free seat, or even two or three seats depending on their size" in order to ensure they are comfortable throughout the flight.

Additionally, she says that a simple and accessible refund system should be in place should the passenger have to go through the process of purchasing more than one seat.

Chaney is also calling on airlines to "provide additional airport assistance to plus-size travelers if necessary", which would include "wheelchair assistance, priority boarding, larger bathrooms, seat belt extenders, and alternative seating arrangements."

All new airplanes should also include at least one wheelchair-accessible restroom, according to the petition.

Finally, she believes all airline employees should be trained in how to accommodate for plus-size travelers, which would cover the "handling sensitive situations and providing appropriate customer service."

As of this writing, Chaney's petition has received more than 4,000 signatures from supporters, with one person commenting: "We deserve a world that is built to our bodies not to corporate profits."

You can sign Chaney's petition here.

Featured image credit: Kuttig - Travel / Alamy

If you've been anywhere near the internet lately you'll have likely seen some fierce debate over whether plus-size travelers should have to pay for two seats on airplanes or other modes of transport.

Like every debate, there are two main sides: On one hand, many people are claiming that plus-sized travelers needing two seats might be an indication that their weight has reached unhealthy levels, while on the other hand, others argue that a person's size shouldn't dictate whether they're able to live their lives as normal.

Regardless of your opinion, it's evident that the topic is certainly a touchy one.

One person who has a lot to say on the matter is Kirsty Leanne, a UK-based content creator with more than 115K followers on TikTok, who often shares tips and tricks for plus-size friendly travel.

Having had difficulty in the past traveling as a bigger woman, Leanne launched her own travel service for plus-size women, called Plus Size Travel Too. In a recent TikTok video - which has already received 2.6 million views - she explains to her followers how she gets an empty seat next to her on "almost every flight" she takes.

"One of the most daunting things about flying as a plus-size person is how much space you're going to have," she began in a voice-over while showing clips of herself heading to different destinations. "And with the airlines making it so difficult to book a second seat, this tip has definitely saved me so many hours of uncomfortable flights."

Leanne then shared the one question they should always ask the flight attendant when boarding a plane, including footage of her asking: "Do you know if there's any seats where there's two seats next to each other free?"

In response, the flight attendant says: "Maybe after boarding I can look."

Leanne admitted that while her hack may not always work, it is "always worth asking." She said: "I know how hard it can be to advocate for yourself, but remember that you deserve to be comfortable too."

In a later TikTok, Leanne revealed that it's often "difficult" to book a second seat on a plane because the "airlines don't make it easy" to find an empty seat, as well as that fact that buying a second ticket can be pretty pricey. "The best thing to do is Google the airline and extra seat and see if there's a policy that comes up," she said.

In the caption of her TikTok video, Leanne advised her followers to board ASAP, saying "the sooner [they] board" the plane and ask for an extra seat, the better. "It's always better to ask so that [flight attendants] are aware you want more space. They also may tell you to wait until after takeoff to move and will save the space for you," Leanne wrote.

"I also ask at check-in as often, they can change your ticket to be in an empty row. A lot of the time, however, I'm told it's a full flight even if it's not. If you get this answer, don't be disheartened - people don't show up or miss their flight, leaving extra seats."

Featured image credit: Exotica.im/Universal Images Group/Getty

A plus-sized influencer has demanded that airlines change their "discriminatory" policies associated with making bigger flyers pay "double" for two seats.

Speaking to CNN, Jae-lynn Chaney opened up about being discriminated against while flying due to her size.

"People with smaller bodies get to pay one fare to get to their destination," Chaney, who said she has to buy an extra seat while flying, told the outlet.

"We have to pay two fares, even though we’re getting the same experience. If anything, our experiences are a little bit more challenging."

In April the influencer started a petition titled 'Demand for the FAA to Protect Plus-Sized Customers,' in the hopes that airplanes would put an end to their discriminatory rules.

"As plus-size travelers, my partner and I have unfortunately experienced discrimination and discomfort while flying," Chaney wrote in the description. "During a flight from Pasco to Denver, my fiancé was subjected to hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them, amounting to discrimination.

"Similarly, on another flight, I was forced to occupy only one seat with immovable armrests that caused me pain and bruises," she continued.

Further down, she called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to "mandate that all airlines have a comprehensive customer-of-size policy that prioritizes the comfort and well-being of ALL passengers," urging that this policy must have "clear and inclusive guidelines on accommodating customers of size, including plus size individuals, individuals with disabilities, tall individuals, and anyone who needs more space to be comfortable while flying."

Chaney then outlined some policies to ensure customers of size are accommodated and treated with respect while flying, which included providing additional accessible seats, reimbursement, clear communication, accommodations, and employee training.

After the petition garnered a lot of attention online, Chaney spoke to Fox News telling the outlet that "It is difficult to provide a one-size-fits-all answer to the question."

"However, what is clear is that the mistreatment and discrimination of plus-size travelers is unacceptable and must be addressed," she continued before adding: "Implementing policies to accommodate plus-size passengers may come with associated costs, but these costs must be weighed against the benefits of creating a more welcoming and inclusive travel experience."

The influencer, who has dubbed herself the "advocate for people of all sizes & abilities", has started to raise awareness about the issue via both Instagram and TikTok, answering questions and also offering other plus-sized people some tips and advice on what to do when traveling.

While the US seems to be a few steps behind when it comes to understanding the issue, across the globe other countries - such as Australia and Canada - have already implemented laws which prohibit passengers from being charged different prices depending on their body sizes for domestic flights as per the New York Post.

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