A woman has gone viral on TikTok after she hit out at National Express for the size of its "cramped" coach seats that left her with "bruises" - even after she booked a seat that came with more legroom.
Kirsty Leanne, 29, shared a video of her experience with the coach service which she described as "very uncomfortable", as she was left sitting with a metal object pressing into her leg and wearing a seatbelt that was too tight.
The woman, from Shropshire, previously made headlines after sharing her experience flying on Ryan Air, where she complained about the seat sizes, but has said that the National Express coach seats were even smaller than those on the budget airline.
In her video, she said: “Seats are even smaller than airline seats. My arm felt very cramped against the window.”
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Kirsty was travelling on April 21 from Birmingham International Airport to Stansted Airport, where she was catching a flight to Hamburg.
And even though she paid an extra £2.50 to book a seat that she knew would have more space, she was able to film evidence of a metal lever at the side of her seat that kept "digging into" her leg.
She added: “This kept digging into my leg and left a bruise.
“The seatbelt was crossbody and so tight and uncomfortable. I couldn’t find any info about extenders on their website.”
However, paying more for extra space worked well as she agreed there was “lots of legroom” during the journey, even with the piece of metal that left her with a bruise.
The blogger, who shares travel tips on her blog Plus Size Travel Too, later said she was informed after her trip that National Express coaches do have seatbelt extenders, and urged people to ask for one when they board if they think they'll need one.
She told NeedToKnow: “I paid to reserve a seat I knew had space – at the front where there's no seat in front – this meant that I had a little more legroom than if I had been a couple of rows back.
"However, I was still cramped when it came to the window, as there's a ledge where the window sticks out and digs into your shoulder.
“As I had no one over me I could move over into the next seat a little but if someone had sat next to me, this would have been painful after a long period of time.
“The seatbelt was another issue as it was a crossbody with not a lot of room. I was uncomfortable wearing it and could only sit slightly laid back in my seat when it was on.
“I have since learnt that all National Express coaches have seatbelt extenders, so it's definitely worth asking when you board if you think you'll need one.
“The seats were also small. I'd go as far as to say they're smaller than airline seats but I couldn't actually find any information on their width online – but have reached out to ask as I believe this information should be readily available to those that need it when planning their journey.
“There's also a small lever at the side of the seats that because of the lack of space, dug into my side and left me with a small bruise on my leg. Because of this, I'd suggest sitting in an aisle seat if possible."
Despite being unhappy with her experience, Kirsty acknowledged that National Express coaches are a "great way" to travel on a tighter budget than travelling by train, and said that if you're prepared with what to expect before you get on the coach, you can plan ahead more effectively.
She added: “National Express is a great way to get from A to B and I think if you're prepared with this information beforehand, you can definitely do things to make yourself feel a little more comfortable.
“One of the main things that puts plus size people off travelling is not knowing what to expect when they travel, so I like to prepare them for this by showing them what certain experiences are like.”
A spokesperson for National Express said: "Customer comfort is important to us with all of our coaches fitted with reclining seats, offering a seat size and legroom (pitch) comparable to other modes of public transport:
- Seat size of 450mm width vs. 430-457mm on short haul flights
- Legroom (pitch) of 760-780mm vs. 710-860mm on short haul flights
"In this case, the passenger used the option to pre-book a standard seat. Extra legroom is not an option on this service.
"Our assisted travel team can be contacted for any additional needs if a passenger has concerns. We also offer seat belt extensions which can be requested from the driver."
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