In the frequent traveler community, most people have a "booking trick" by which they swear.
Some insist on the "middle seat trick" of two travelers booking the aisle and window seats in the hopes that no one takes the middle, while a more complex travel hack of booking aisle seats in front of each other on a three-by-three plane configuration has recently gone viral.
DON'T MISS: 3 Ways to 'Hack' the Southwest Airlines Boarding Process
Another "booking hack" that has started circulated online was shared by British travel influencer Kirsty Leanne. On her TikTok page @KirtsyLeanneTravels, Leanne posted a video of herself asking a flight attendant if "there are any seats where there's two seats next to each other free?" after she has already boarded and is going through the aisle.
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This Trick Could Help You Get A Second Seat Without Paying
The video that gathered nearly 10,000 likes then pans out to Leanne sitting on a plane with an empty seat in front of her. As she explains further, many travelers either don't think to or are too shy to ask while most flight attendants will be happy to check to see if they can find something after the flight has boarded.
"I know how hard it is to advocate for yourself but remember that you deserve to be comfortable too," Leanne says at the end of the video. On her social media platforms, she describes herself as a blogger who helps
"plus size babes travel the world with confidence."
This all comes at a time when the topic of plus-size travel has been under heavy spotlight. Earlier this June, plus-size travel influencer Jae'Lynn Chaney launched a petition calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airlines to create "clear and inclusive guidelines on accommodating customers of size" and offer those who cannot fit in a standard seat a second one free of charge.
This Is The Controversy (And Opportunity) Around Plus-Size Travel
At the moment, the policy for doing so varies significantly from airline to airline -- Southwest (LUV) always refunds a second seat to customers who need them while most airlines will only do so if the flight is empty or not do it at all.
As with anything related to plus-size, Chaney's petition caused significant controversy among people who feel that it is unfair for someone to get a second seat for free for a preventable reason.
But with more than 30% of Americans currently overweight or obese (and more than half of the global population expected to be so by 2035), the issue of making travel more comfortable for plus-size customers is one that airlines will need to address to remain competitive.
Leanne, meanwhile, offered additional tips for those looking to get a second seat with the minimal amount of expense and controversy from fellow travelers. While most airlines call those of higher traveler classes to board first, boarding as early as one can with one's ticket level can help prevent someone claiming the empty seats first.
Leanne also recommends not just asking "the first FA you see" but waiting until you reach one's section.
"If you're at the back of the plane, it's unlikely someone at the front will be able to help you," she wrote in the description to her video.
