‘I’m plus dimension and flying is a nightmare – all airways ought to make seats wider’
Emily Jones, from the UK and Malta, has over 228,000 followers on Instagram @miss___Jones and calls herself the “CEO of being chubby” – and she’s got some tips for making flying more comfortable
A plus-sized influencer voiced her concerns about aircraft seating – arguing that broader seats would benefit all passengers.
Emily Jones, who splits her time between the UK and Malta, boasts more than 228,000 Instagram followers on her account @miss___Jones.
Dubbing herself the “CEO of being chubby”, she chronicles her global adventures while championing self-confidence and body acceptance. It comes after one creator was ‘body-shamed’ at Disneyland because of her curves.
Emily spoke to Daily Star back in 2023 where she explained her motivation for advocating change whilst offering practical advice for more comfortable air travel.
She commented: “This is certainly a hot topic of discussion at the moment, especially as we push into the busy summer travel period and as a number of plus-sized creators have been calling for airlines to be more accommodating recently.
“These creators always seem to garner a lot of hate from straight-sized counterparts so it’s definitely a controversial subject. I think the reality of it is that low-cost travel has meant that plane seats have become smaller and smaller to fit as many passengers on the plane as possible.
“Whilst I don’t believe passengers’ weight or waist size is the airline’s responsibility, I feel we could approach the situation with some compassion and understanding that people do come in all shapes and sizes. Wider seats would be more comfortable for everyone, plus-size or otherwise.”
A host of plus-sized social media influencers have been campaigning for airlines to better accommodate larger travellers. One woman insisted that carriers should enlarge plane seats after alleging they left her with bruises.
Meanwhile, another revealed she was “filled with shame” when cabin crew charged her for excess baggage despite purchasing two seats and carrying a CPAP medical device. A further advocate argued that bigger passengers should receive an extra seat at no cost.
To date, few airlines have committed to expanding the dimensions of aircraft seating. Some carriers do provide discounts or refunds to plus-sized travellers requiring two seats.
However, for the time being, you can utilise Emily’s shrewd suggestions to enhance your comfort regardless of your size. She observed: “As a plus-size woman who likes to travel myself, I have a few tips which might help people to feel a bit more comfortable on sardine-can flights.”
Request a seat belt extender at the aircraft door
Emily elaborated: “Firstly, if you do need a seatbelt extender, you can ask for one as you’re boarding the plane to avoid having to call a flight attendant over to your seat and drawing attention to yourself if you’re shy to ask.
“Flight attendants are pretty used to being asked for seatbelt extenders so you should try to bear that in mind to give you a little extra confidence when asking for one.”
Steer clear of emergency exit seats
“One word of advice would be not to sit in an emergency exit seat if you do need an extender, as whilst the seats are a bit more generously-sized, you’re not meant to use a seatbelt extension in those seats, so do keep that in mind when booking,” Emily advised.
Opt for the aisle seat
Emily suggested: “Another helpful tip is to book an aisle seat, as you can often lift the aisle arm rest up to give you a little more space using a latch that’s under the arm rest.
“This has helped me on many flights were the arm rest was digging into my sore hips (besides being plus-sized I suffer from fibromyalgia and inflammatory arthritis which can make tight seats extra uncomfortable).
“Ask a flight attendant for help if you need to.”
Avoid random seat allocation
Emily recommended: “Some other general tips would be to always choose to book a seat as part of your flight ticket package to avoid being randomly allocated one, even if it means a little extra cost. Get to the airport early and try your luck at the check-in desk – explain your situation and ask if there are any rows with two free seats next to each other which you can be allocated to.
“You’d be surprised what you can achieve when you lead with honesty and humility instead of entitlement sometimes (good advice regardless of the situation to hand I think! ). And finally, for goodness sake, no matter what… never book the dreaded middle seat!”
Dress in something fitted
“I also feel a good tip is to wear something streamlined to make your trip a bit more comfortable, avoiding bulky jumpers and jackets that might take up precious inches of your seat space,” Emily added.
