Plus-size travelers say ‘discriminatory’ airline seat policies are a human rights issue

A curvier influencer is addressing her demand that airlines scrap their “discriminatory” policies and give overweight passengers extra seats for free, as an expert says it’s a human rights issue.

Jaelynn Chaney made headlines when she called on the FAA to offer “an extra free seat, or even two or three seats, depending on their size” to obese fliers.

In a new interview with CNN TravelChaney – who is a size 6XL – claimed that airline policies are “discriminatory” and that it is unfair that they should be charged more than thinner people.

“People with smaller bodies pay one ride to get to their destination,” Chaney said. “And we have to pay two rates even though we get the same experience. At least our experiences are a bit more challenging.”

Air Passenger Rights founder Gabor Lukacs told CNN he agrees and that it is a human rights issue 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 rate,” Lukacs said.

“People with a smaller body pay one ride to get to their destination,” Chaney (pictured) said in an interview with CNN. “And we have to pay two rates even though we get the same experience. At least our experiences are a bit more challenging’

Lukacs claimed he believes the issue has wider implications as “being a great 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 size people” which is affecting the issue.

“But it’s not like someone gets up in the morning and decides he’s going to be a big person,” Lukacs told CNN.

Air Passenger Rights founder Gabor Lukacs (pictured) told CNN Travel he agrees and that it’s a human rights issue for these weight-weight passengers

He added that the use of “immutable characteristics” used to assess extra charges for passengers is a “slippery slope” for airlines.

Chaney agreed, saying she believes other overweight fliers demand no more than the same treatment that a smaller-bodied person receives.

Her petition on Change.org suggests otherwise, as it asks airlines to accommodate the larger customers who may “intrude into another passenger’s space.”

The influencer said the FAA should at least issue guidelines that help plus-size passengers navigate their travel plans.

“We need the policy 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 have to buy at the time of booking to accommodate their size.

She said that on one of his flights, her fiancé was “subjected to hateful comments, disapproving looks and even refusal to sit next to them, which amounted to discrimination,” as she was forced to squeeze into a seat without removable armrests that left bruises. caused.

Chaney’s Change.org petition demanding changes in favor of obese and overweight flyers has received 17,000 signatures as of June 13

Chaney said the situation for her as a plus-size influencer is extremely personal and her motivation is to work for the changes.

“As great travelers, my partner and I have unfortunately experienced discrimination and inconvenience while flying,” she wrote in her petition.

In the interview with CNN, she said she has always addressed the problem of being overweight on an airplane and acknowledged that airplanes are not made for bigger guests

“I sort of knew that by the time I was 12, planes weren’t built for people like me,” she said of her time as a child.

“There are so many different things, obstacles, that get in the way,” she said, discussing the physical and emotional issues — including prejudice against overweight flyers.

“On a flight from Pasco to Denver, my fiancée was subjected to hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them, which amounts to discrimination,” she said at the time.

“Similarly, on another flight I was forced to occupy only one seat with immobile armrests that left me with pain and bruises,” she wrote.

Chaney has extensively documented her struggles with flying, from her and her boyfriend crammed into seats to what some passengers have said to her, including asking if she bought two seats.

In the interview with CNN, she said she has always addressed the problem of being overweight on an airplane and acknowledged that airplanes are not made for bigger guests

In April, Chaney admitted that if she had her way, ticket prices would have to rise for all customers to meet her demands.

She also said the “government can play a role in funding or incentivizing these policies as part of its responsibility to promote accessible and equitable transport for all citizens.”

“Ultimately, who’s going to pay for these policies shouldn’t be a barrier to taking action,” she told Fox earlier this year.

“Implementing policies to accommodate plus-sized 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.