5 days ago
Plus size traveller explains why it's a waste of money to book an extra seat on a plane when she flies
A plus-sized woman has revealed the reasons why she doesn't book two seats when she catches a flight.
Kirsty Leanne, 32, from Shropshire regularly shares tips on how to make travelling while plus-sized as easy as possible to her TikTok account, @kirstyleannetravels.
She previously made headlines after revealing the trolling she receives online – with critics insisting she should lose weight rather than complain about the issues she faces travelling as a plus-sized person.
Despite this, she has travelled all over the world - recently visiting Cappadocia in Turkey, Paris, Croatia and South Korea.
But there's one thing Kirsty doesn't do when she jets off on her adventures - and that is booking a second seat when she catches a plane.
Taking to TikTok, Kirsty explained that when she'd booked a second seat in the past, it had proven expensive, was difficult to organise, and in some occasions, her extra seat was even taken away from her.
Kirsty, who was bumped up to business class because of her size on a recent flight, said: 'I'm plus size and here's why I don't book two seats every time I fly.
'One of the most common comments I receive on my videos is "I hope you booked two seats" and why 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."'
Firstly, Kirsty says that booking two seats can be 'incredibly expensive' and, for many people, would be out of their budget to do so every time they travel - as it's effectively paying double the cost.
She says it's also 'super tricky' to book an extra seat as each airline has a different process, and these aren't easy to find on their websites.
Kirsty said: '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 was trying to do.
'A lot of the time, both check in and gate agents do not know you can book an extra seat, which often leads to confusion when it comes to the process.'
She referenced one example when she did choose to buy an extra seat - and said staff didn't know what to do or how to process it.
This meant the experience was 'incredibly anxious' for her as she didn't know if her extra seat reservation would be honoured.
She's even experienced her extra seat being taken away from her completely.
'I've arrived at check-in desks to be told my second seat has been sold,' she said, adding: 'And had people share with me that their extra seats have been given to people on standby.'
People were left divided in the comments, with some supporting Kirsty's decision - but others were worried it would impact the space of other passengers
In addition, if there's an aircraft change at the last minute, the layout of the plane can change, meaning the two seats may not even be next to each other.
Kirsty concluded: 'While I know booking a second seat works great for some, it's not a blanket solution for every single plus size person.'
People were left divided in the comments, with some supporting Kirsty's decision - but others were worried it would impact the space of other passengers.
One person asked: 'Would you like to sit next to you or someone the same size?'
Kirsty responded: 'Yes i do regularly - my girlfriend is fat too.'
Supporting Kirsty, one person said: 'Call me a radical but I don't think anyone should have to pay for a second seat that's f***ing bonkers people expect you to do that. Being fat is not a crime.
'Airplane seats are small. It's not just about fat people, tall people, old people, people with babies... many people need more room it's insane the standard set.'
Another said: 'Girl i would have no issues siting next to you. I think airlines should start making their seats bigger anyway! They are ridiculously tiny.'
A third added: 'This wouldn't even be an issue if airlines made their seats a reasonable size instead of trying to pack people like sardines in a can.'
But others were more sceptical, saying it's 'selfish' to take up the extra room on a flight, without paying.
One person said: 'I was sat next to a woman who should have bought 2 seats earlier this year she took a third of my seat causing me to have to lean the entire flight - my back hurt for three days after. If you cannot fit inside your seat then buy another. It's selfish to not.'
Others said: 'Yes you deserve to travel, yes you have every right to be there and yes the airline should make sure you always have the second seat you've paid for BUT it's incredibly unfair and disrespectful to the person in the next seat if their neighbour is spilling into their seat';
'Last time I flew I had two extremely large people and I had a middle seat. When I got to my seat, they were already seated. There was legit not room to fit in between. I ended up having to get another flight.
'When I book with my dog, I have to get another seat. Everyone deserves to fly but if it impacts others regardless the reason, then you should have to get an extra seat. I think offering a second seat at a discount should be acceptable';
'Close quarters and touching knees is one thing, but if I paid for my plane ticket, I'm not sharing a third of my seat unless you're paying for a third of it.'
Kirsty previously revealed she gets fat shamed on flights and has had people refuse to sit next to her in the past.
While much of the criticism she receives is online, Kirsty shared some upsetting experiences she's had in real life.
One such encounter was on a flight to Spain, where the travel buff was in the window seat, and another woman was assigned the middle seat on her aisle.
When she saw me sat in the window, she instantly made it clear she didn't want to sit there and started huffing and puffing,' Kirsty, who shares her tips on her blog, Plus Size Travel Too, said.
'I apologised that there wasn't much room and she didn't reply, so I did my usual and squashed myself against the window.
'For the whole flight she was pushing the armrest as far down as she could – it was 98 percent down but that last 2 percent was super painful – and causing me to bruise.
'Eventually, she turned to her friend a few rows back [and said], "I can't sit next to her anymore".
'I pretended I didn't hear but I wanted the ground to swallow me up.'
Kirsty found the experience incredibly awkward and chose to stay silent at the time, but says she will no longer let it slide.
She said: 'I tend to ask flight attendants if I can move to a seat with more room and an extra seat next to it now, to help prevent this from happening and to ensure everyone is as comfortable as they can be.
'Often I do have to sit next to people while they find me a seat so I do my best to be kind and understanding, in the hopes they return with the same sentiments.'
The traveller also says she can often tell when someone isn't pleased to be seated near her.
She added: 'People usually make it known they're unhappy pretty instantly.
'Most people are super friendly and understanding, but some people use it as an excuse to be mean and to lash out.
'While I understand it's uncomfortable, acting in that way is unnecessary and likely to be the worst way to come to a solution.'
Luckily, Kirsty doesn't let the hate stop her from sharing her advice.
'Whenever I post content about flying while plus size, I always get the same comments – 'Why don't you just lose weight?' 'Isn't this a wake up call?', 'You should be so ashamed of yourself',' Kirsty, who shares tips on her blog, PlusSizeTravelToo, said.
'The truth is, however, that fat people exist and they will always exist.
'We have just as much of a right to travel as anyone else does and we deserve to be safe and comfortable while we travel. Seatbelt extenders, of course, help to keep us safe.
'I share a lot of content about seat belt extenders but I know that a lot of people don't know that you often can't use one in an emergency exit.
'I get a lot of questions about this so I wanted to share a video letting people know, as I know a lot of people have experienced this after boarding and have been moved as a result.
'Travelling as a plus size person can be incredibly daunting and overwhelming and so I wanted to show people that look like me that it's possible.
'My life changed when I started to travel and after telling myself for so long that I was too fat to travel, I realised I didn't want anyone else to put off travel like I did.
'If my tips and tricks help just one person, it will be a job well done.'
