Plus-Size Woman Reveals Why She Refuses To Book Two Seats On A Plane
Booking two seats on a flight isn't as easy as you think.
Dragon Images | Shutterstock If there's one thing that we can all say has been consistent when it comes to airline travel over the last decade, it's that seats and legroom continue to shrink. It's even worse for plus-size travelers, who are sometimes forced to spend their own money on buying two seats to still barely be comfortable.
In a TikTok video, plus-size travel content creator Kristy Leanne revealed that she sometimes refuses to pay for two seats when booking a flight. Leanne claimed that it's a "frustrating" experience having to travel and board flights as a plus-size person, but it's made even worse by the unreasonably small seats. Still, in her expert opinion, buying an extra seat isn't always the solution.
A plus-size travel influencer revealed why she refuses to book two seats on a plane.
"One of the most common comments I receive on my videos is 'I hope you booked two seats,' and while I understand that seems like the right solution when it comes to small seats on planes, it's not a 'one size fits all' issue," Leanne began in her video.
She explained that booking two seats is often really expensive and, for a lot of people, well out of their budget, especially when there's no guarantee that getting two seats will even help. Travelers can find themselves paying upwards of $500 just to be comfortable on a flight when that should, honestly, be a given, considering they're paying customers like everyone else.
"Booking an extra seat can also be super tricky. Every airline has a different process, and most of the time, this isn't available to find on their website," she continued. "On numerous occasions, I have spoken to members of the team using support chats or their customer service line, and they haven't understood what I'm trying to do."
She pointed out that a lot of airline employees don't even know plus size travelers can purchase two seats.
Leanne insisted that she's even gone up to the gate, both at check-in and before boarding, only to be met with confusion when asking about booking two seats so she could be comfortable. There was one time when, after buying an extra seat, she was stopped at every checkpoint because the employees didn't know what to do with that information.
Leanne pointed out that you also never know if that extra seat will be taken from you. She recalled arriving at the check-in desks at the airport only to find out that her second seat had been sold. She even heard stories from other passengers that their second seats were given to people on standby.
"It can also be taken away due to aircraft changes, which can completely change the seating layout of the plane and is not something that can be planned for in advance," she added. "While I know booking a second seat works great for some, it's not a blanket solution for every single plus-size person."
Many plus-size travelers have been vocal about airline seat policies.
Airlines, like United, require that their "customers who require extra seating" buy that seat in advance. But for other airlines, there isn't always a universal policy like that.
In April 2023, a plus-size influencer named Jae’lynn Chaney, according to CNN, launched an online petition insisting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandate a comprehensive customer-of-size policy that "prioritizes the comfort and well-being of all passengers." Out of all of her demands, Chaney demanded that all airlines "provide accessible additional seats to customers-of-size" who may require more space or "encroach onto another passenger’s space."
Being a plus-size person isn't a choice, despite what many people may think. With everything else that they deal with in their everyday lives, including negative attention and prejudice, it's even worse when airlines demand they pay extra just to feel comfortable when it should be a given.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
