The Cost of Flying as a Person of Size

The Cost of Flying as a Person of Size

Airplane passenger shaming racks up millions of views and it’s not uncommon to see a person in a larger body being the subject of mass online ridicule. There are few people who work harder than me to avoid being the star of one of those videos. I spend extra money – a luxury many don’t have – and hours of time planning my trips. 

Regardless of what social media may have you think, I want to be comfortable and it does matter to me that others are also comfortable. On a recent American Airlines flight, I paid for an upgraded seat with money I would have preferred to use for experiences or necessities. I even picked a bulkhead seat in the very first row that had a flat wall in front of it so my neighbor could easily move around me.

Many people of size want to be the most responsible traveler on the plane, including myself. I took on the ridiculous challenge of trying to not give society another video that is used to mock or shame people with obesity.

My Body Is Not a Safety Hazard

Seat-belt extenders have been a simple and widely available tool that has allowed me to travel just as safely as any other passenger. I’ve occupied many bulkhead seats before and always knew exactly how to prepare, but this time, I was met with a new feature I was never warned about. This newer plane had air bags built into the seat-belts with a clunky design that refused to connect with the extender.

People with obesity often spend their own money and time to be a responsible passenger, but the plane was engineered in a way that literally kept me from being safe.

At no point during the booking process did American Airlines tell me about these size limits. Thankfully, I had recently lost weight through obesity treatment and was able to buckle the regular belt.

Good Policies Benefit Every Passenger

If I wasn’t able to get buckled in, I would have been forced to leave the plane or move seats. It was terrifying thinking I was about to be the next viral video simply because the airline refuses to acknowledge that obesity is just as much of a medical condition as any other chronic disease.

This is not just one airline’s problem. Many airlines subject paying travelers of size to hostile designs that prevent us from travelling safely, or travelling at all. Changes to these policies and designs benefit everyone. Airlines actually run better when every passenger has the facts to plan ahead. When airlines hide seat sizes or seatbelt limitations, they create the seat-swap drama and boarding delays the internet loves to film.

We aren’t asking for special treatment. We aren’t asking for hand-outs. People of size are asking for transparency. 

Clear rules, fair prices and the respect of explicitly telling people what they are buying before they get to the gate are the most basic needs for any traveler of any size. There’s no excuse for airlines not advising passengers during the booking process that the seat they’ve chosen has limitations — whatever those limitations may be. By signing the Obesity Action Coalition’s petition, we can push for airlines to return to fairly accommodating their passengers.

Patty Nece,
Alexandria, VA