A recent picture of a plus-sized person trying to fit into a small airline seat has caused a lot of internet discussion. Christopher Elliott, an advocate for consumers, uploaded the picture, and the hip-hop trio Pretty Ricky later shared it again. It has gotten thousands of comments and replies.
A lot of people have said what they think about the issue. Some say that bigger customers should have to pay for two seats if they can’t fit into one. One person said, “If you’re using two seats, you should pay for two.” Some people have said that tall people pay more for legroom, so why should breadth be treated any differently?
Others, on the other hand, say that the problem isn’t with the people, but with the fact that airplane seats are getting smaller. “Airlines have been making seats smaller for years to fit more people on board,” one person said. “Not being comfortable isn’t just a problem for plus-sized people; it’s a problem for everyone.”
Jaelynn Chaney, a plus-size travel influencer, has also joined the argument. She is in favor of “fat liberation” and says that making people adjust their bodies to fit into airplane seats is not the answer. She stated in a TikTok video, “Why do I have to shrink myself to fit into spaces that were never meant for me?” “The problem isn’t with me; it’s with the system.”
Some people have said that airlines should either provide bigger passengers free extra seats or adjust the way they assign seats in general. Some people have suggested weighing passengers before they get on the plane, but this notion has been universally called “inhumane.”
As the conversation goes on, a lot of people are advocating for federal laws to make sure that air travel is fair and open to people of all body kinds. The question is still whether airlines should change their seating rules or if people should change. What do you think?
