A plus-sized blogger who travels the globe has revealed what it's really like to "travel when you're fat" especially when flying.
Jae’lynn Chaney, 25, from Vancouver, Canada, regularly jets off to exotic locations across the globe and shares her experiences on TikTok, including the struggles of being a size 6XL (UK size 24).
She has seen her weight fluctuate throughout the years, after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and pulmonary hypertension, high blood pressure in the blood vessels connected to the lungs.
In a series of clips, which have since gone viral with millions of views, the influencer shows how airlines don't cater to larger sizes – with seats too small for her frame and her partner Jacob Ard barely able to squeeze into tiny toilet cubicles.
"Someone my size is almost forced to purchase two seats in order to fly comfortably, which makes travel inaccessible to people who can’t afford the additional costs," Jae'lynn told NeedToKnow.online.
"I find that many situations surrounding plus size travel are the least accommodating of my weight.
"From public transportation with seatbelts that don’t fit me, or seats that are too small, to plane bathrooms that I can’t even fit in – travelling as a plus size person comes with many challenges.
"Throughout high school I was a size 2XL and gained hundreds of pounds after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome.
"After graduating college in 2018, I became very sick and it took over a year for them to figure out what was going on with me.
"During that time I was in and out of the hospital and determined medically housebound until 2019 when I got the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension.
"During that year, I gained over 100 more pounds.
'Not only am I plus size, but I also now live with chronic pain and disabilities."
In her most popular clip, which has three million views, she shows her partner trying to move around in a tiny toilet cubicle as his body touches almost every surface.
In the post, she wrote: "I get asked how the airplane bathrooms are for someone my size all the time so I thought I’d show you what it’s like from my fiancés point of view."
Social media users have flocked to the comments section to share their views.
“I'm a medium and even I gotta be twisting and turning in aeroplane bathrooms like it's a game of Tetris, can't imagine how difficult that must be," one person wrote.
Another person added: “It's the aeroplanes job to cater to customers, not customers catering to aeroplanes.”
"Everyone deserves to have access to a washroom no matter their personal situation." added someone else.
In another clip, shared with the hashtag “#flyingwhilefat”, Jae’lynn shows the harsh limitations of aircraft design by struggling to pull down a tray table.
She also flashes a seatbelt extender she had been given because a typical seatbelt didn't strap around her properly.
Unfortunately, Jae’lynn also suffers negative comments from trolls online.
She said: "[One person said] that I’m going to cause a plane crash because of my size.
"Many of the comments say that I should buy two seats or that I shouldn’t be allowed to fly."
However, she has been defended by other social media users.
"I am so sorry about the negative comments on here, you absolutely deserve to travel and I appreciate you sharing your travels with us," wrote one user.
"Airlines only care about making money and y’all in the comments need to go outside," added someone else.
Despite her struggles, Jae’lynn is determined to prove to her followers that they can love their body, no matter their size – and enjoy travelling too.
She said: "When I talk about exercise, I focus on movement that brings us joy and makes our bodies feel good.
"Weight loss is not something I’m focused on as I’m much more focused on doing what makes my body feel good and what makes me happy.
"My mission is to show that bodies of all sizes and abilities are just as worthy as those who fall into the societal norm of beauty.
"Bodies change and fluctuate over time and I believe we should love and embrace our body at every stage of life.
"I’m creating representation and empowering people to live their life to the fullest.
"I’m sharing my travel experiences to show everyone that they can travel the world if it’s what they dream of.”
