A plus-size influencer is doubling down on her demand that airlines scrap their ‘discriminatory’ policies and give overweight passengers extra seats for free, as one expert suggested it was her human right to get what she wants.
Jaelynn Chaney made headlines when she called for the FAA to offer ‘an extra free seat, or even two or three seats depending on their size’ to obese flyers. Chaney, of Vancouver in Washington, conceded other passengers may have to foot the bill through increased fares.
In a new interview with CNN Travel, Chaney – who is a size 6XL – maintained that airline policies are ‘discriminatory’ and that it’s unfair they have to pay more than thinner people.
‘People with smaller bodies get to pay one fare to get to their destination,’ Chaney said. ‘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.’
Air Passenger Rights founder Gabor Lukacs told CNN he agrees and that it is a matter of human rights for these passengers of a certain weight.
‘So through that lens of human rights, I don’t see any justification for charging these people a double fare,’ Lukacs said.
He suggested that Chaney should get free seats to spread herself out, because airlines do not apply discounts to slim passengers or children who take up less space and help the plane consume less fuel and thus save money.
Jaelynn Chaney, a travel and lifestyle creator, is demanding the FAA to ‘protect’ plus-sized travelers and make it more ‘comfortable and accessible for everyone’
‘People with smaller bodies get to pay one fare to get to their destination,’ Chaney (pictured) said in an interview with CNN. ‘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’
Lukacs asserted that he believes the issue has bigger implications since ‘being a large-size person is not a choice, as many people mistakenly believe,’ he said.
The passenger rights advocate stated that he believes there is a ‘lot of negative attention and prejudice against plus-sized people,’ that impacts the issue.
‘But it’s not as if someone is getting up in the morning and making a decision that they’re going to be a large person,’ Lukacs told CNN.
Air Passenger Rights founder Gabor Lukacs (pictured) told CNN Travel he agrees and that it is a matter of human rights for these passengers of a certain weight
He added that using ‘immutable characteristics’ being used to assess additional fees for passengers is a ‘slippery slope’ for airlines.
Chaney agreed and said that she believes other overweight flyers are not asking for anything more than the same treatment a person with a smaller body gets.
Her Change.org petition suggests otherwise as it asks the airlines to accommodate the larger customers who may ‘encroach onto another passenger’s space.’
The influencer said that at the ‘bare minimum,’ the FAA should issue guidance that helps plus-size passengers navigate their travel plans.
‘We need the policies to be a little bit more standardized,’ Chaney said.
She also wants airlines to be forced to refund overweight passengers for any extra seats they’re forced to purchase when booking to accommodate their size.
She said her fiancé was ‘subjected to hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them, amounting to discrimination’ on one of his flights, while she was forced to squeeze into a seat without removable armrests that caused bruising
Chaney’s Change.org petition demanding changes benefiting obese and overweight flyers has received 17,000 signatures as of June 13
Chaney said that as a plus-size influencer, the situation is hugely personal to her and is her motivation for working toward the changes.
‘As plus-size travelers, my partner and I have unfortunately experienced discrimination and discomfort while flying,’ she wrote in her petition.
In the interview with CNN, she said that she has always dealt with the issue of being overweight on a plane and acknowledged that planes are not made for larger guests
‘I kind of knew that planes were not built for people like me by the time I was 12,’ she said of her time flying as a child.
‘There’s so many different things, obstacles, that are in the way,’ she said, discussing the physical and emotional issues – including biases against overweight flyers.
‘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,’ she said at the time.
‘Similarly, on another flight, I was forced to occupy only one seat with immovable armrests that caused me pain and bruises,’ she wrote.
Chaney has widely documented her struggles flying, from showing her and her boyfriend being tightly packed into seats to showing what some passengers have said to her, including asking her if she bought two seats.
In the interview with CNN, she said that she has always dealt with the issue of being overweight on a plane and acknowledged that planes are not made for larger guests
In April, Chaney admitted that if she were to get her way, ticket prices for all customers would have to rise to cover her demands.
She also said the ‘government may have a role to play in funding or incentivizing these policies, as part of its responsibility to promote accessible and equitable transportation for all citizens.’
‘In the end, the question of who will pay for these policies should not be a barrier to taking action,’ she told Fox earlier this year.
‘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,’ she said.
