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This Woman Shared “Things Plus-Size Travelers Hate," And The Examples Are Specific And Eye-Opening

BuzzFeed
2 min read

This is Jae'lynn Chaney. She's 25 years old, and she's a content creator on TikTok, where she's amassed more than 103,000 followers.

Jae smiling
Jaelynn Chaney

In her recent series, "Plus-Size Travel Struggles," Jae listed "things that plus-size travelers hate," and it went viral with more than 15 million views.

Jae sitting on the plane seat
Jaelynn Chaney

"I decided to start documenting and sharing the struggles that plus-size people face when traveling because a lot of plus-size people can relate to these struggles, yet they are rarely talked about, especially by someone my size," Jaelynn told BuzzFeed.

close up of Jae wearing a mask on the flight
Jaelynn Chaney

Here's what Jae says she hates when it comes to flying:

1."Having little to no room to move."

Jae sitting on the plane
Jaelynn Chaney

2."Narrow aisles and bulkhead seats."

an empty plane
Fstop Images - Halfdark / Getty Images

3."When the tray table can't come down."

tray table stuck between the person and the seat
Jaelynn Chaney

4."Worrying about asking for a seatbelt extender."

close up of the seat belt extender being used
Jaelynn Chaney

5."Tiny airplane bathrooms."

the bathroom
Image Source / Getty Images/Image Source

6."Worrying you're going to break the toilet when traveling somewhere."

bathroom stall
By Ale_flamy / Getty Images

7."Not being able to find accessible path and hiking trails."

Jae outside on a trail
Jaelynn Chaney

8."Getting patted down because you're fat."

TSA agent waving someone through
Jupiterimages / Getty Images

9."Tiny airport chairs with armrests."

airport chairs empty while a plane takes off in the background
Suppakorn Singhabutr / Getty Images/EyeEm

10."Boat ladders, pool ladders, all ladders."

ladder in an empty pool
Bernd Vogel / Getty Images

11."Always wondering if you're going to fit — public transportation, airplane seats, etc."

crowded train station
Robert Essel / Getty Images

12."Very limited poolside seating/lounging options for plus-size people."

someone lounging at a resort
Jaelynn Chaney

13."Restaurants that don’t have seating options for plus-size people."

empty restaurant
Jaelynn Chaney

14."Towels that don’t fit."

Jae trying to wrap a towel around her
Jaelynn Chaney

15."Not being able to find clothes your size anywhere."

close up of a clothes rack
Reggie Casagrande / Getty Images

16."Turnstiles and worrying you'll get stuck."

subway entrance at night
Alan Schein / Getty Images

And finally:

17."Getting ridiculous comments about being a fat traveler."

Jae posing on the beach
Jaelynn Chaney

When asked about what the travel industry can do to better support bodies of all sizes, Jae said, "The industry needs to realize that the average woman is no longer a size 14. They are now a size 18 and beyond. Yet as we’ve gotten bigger, things like airplane seats, clothing, and everything else has gotten smaller or stayed the exact same."

Jae posing by the pool
Jaelynn Chaney

"To see a true change, the industry needs to stop ignoring the needs of plus-size individuals and start expanding to meet our needs and become truly inclusive," Jae continued. "People of all colors, sizes, and abilities exist, and we deserve to have access to things that others have had for years."

Jae at a resort
Jaelynn Chaney

Jae added, "As an advocate for people of all sizes and abilities I wanted to share that while there are many obstacles when traveling as a plus-size person, it’s still totally worth it."

Jae in the pool with a frozen drink
Jaelynn Chaney

Thank you, Jae'lynn, for sharing your experience! You can follow her on TikTok here and Instagram here.

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