Over 6,000 people have signed a petition for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airline accommodations for “plus-size travelers,” such as extra free seats and priority boarding.
The petition demands that the FAA require all airlines to implement a clear “customer-of-size policy,” grant extra free seats, provide priority boarding, and offer seatbelt extenders for “plus-size” passengers. The petition further demands “sensitivity training” for TSA employees and “accessible screening equipment” to treat “plus-size travelers” with “respect and dignity.” The Department of Transportation issued the “Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights” in 2022, listing the first as “The Right to Be Treated with Dignity and Respect.”
“Being forced to occupy only one seat can result in pain and vulnerability to poor treatment from fellow passengers, including hateful comments, disapproving looks, and even refusal to sit next to them,” the petition states.
Jae’lynn Chaney, a self-described “fat woman of color” and travel blogger with over 275,000 followers across social-media platforms, started the Change.org petition two weeks ago. Chaney, 26, began blogging about “plus-size travel” in 2021 with the TikTok video “Flying while fat.” In a video series, Chaney describes “plus-size travel struggles,” which include “not knowing if the locals are rude to fat people” and “struggling to find plus size friendly rental cars.”
“Plus-size travelers are not asking for special treatment, we are simply asking for equal treatment. We deserve to travel without fear of discrimination, humiliation, or being forced to pay for an extra seat,” Chaney tweeted. Chaney has been featured in USA Today, Insider, and BuzzFeed.
The petition also demands that the FAA mandate all airplanes have at least one wheelchair-accessible bathroom. The Air Carrier Access Act, enforced by the Department of Transportation, prohibits discrimination during air travel on the basis of disability and requires that airlines provide some accommodations, such as boarding and deplaning assistance.
U.S law requires that twin-aisle aircraft (also called “wide-body” aircraft) have a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. In 2022, the Department of Transportation proposed amending regulations to require that new single-aisle airplanes with more than 125 passenger seats have a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. The proposed rule would apply only to new aircraft ordered 18 years or delivered 20 years after the effective date of the final rule. The agency reasons that, if the rule is adopted, all qualifying aircraft will have the accessibility feature in 45 years.