A plus-size travel blogger has spoken candidly about the difficulties she faces as an airline “fat” person – openly documenting her struggles fitting into airplane seats and bathrooms, revealing she’s often forced to take two seats to buy to travel ‘comfortably’.
Jae’lynn Chaney, 25, from Vancouver, Canada, regularly flies to exotic locations around the world and shares her experiences on TikTok, including the struggles of being a size 6XL.
The influencer has watched her weight fluctuate over the years, particularly after she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and pulmonary hypertension, high blood pressure in the blood vessels connecting the lungs, in 2019 – which caused her to gain 100 pounds .
In a series of clips that have since been viewed millions of times, the influencer shows how airlines don’t cater to larger sizes – with seats too small for her body and her partner Jacob Ard struggling to fit into tiny toilet stalls.
A plus-size travel blogger has taken to TikTok to share what it’s like to travel as a “fat” person wearing a size 6XL, revealing many have said she’s going to “cause a plane crash”.
Jae’lynn Chaney, 25, shared a video of her fiancé in the airplane lavatory that has since gone viral, noting that there is “standing room only”.
The Canadian blogger has seen her weight fluctuate since she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome in 2019. During that time, she’s “gained over 100 pounds.”
When traveling, Jae’lynn has to make certain adjustments, explaining, “Someone my height is almost forced to buy two seats to fly comfortably, making travel inaccessible to people who cannot afford the extra expense.”
“I find that many situations related to traveling in large sizes are the least accommodating for my weight.
“From public transport with seatbelts that don’t fit me or seats that are too small to airplane lavatories that I can’t even fit in, traveling as a plus-size person comes with many challenges.
In high school, Jae’lynn was a size 2XL, but after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, “she gained hundreds of pounds.”
Jae’lynn noted that she has been “living with chronic pain and disability” since her illness.
The blogger’s focus isn’t on losing weight, but more on doing what’s “good for her body” and what makes her “happy.”
In her most popular video, Jae’lynn shared her fiancé Jacob Ard, Barley, who fits in the airplane lavatory
The plus size blogger hopes to inspire others to love and embrace their bodies through her social media
After Jae’lynn graduated from college in 2018, she became very ill and it took doctors “over a year” to figure out what was going on.
Over the next year, 2019, she was hospitalized on and off and was listed as “medically housebound” when she first received her diagnosis.
Jae’lynn “gained more than 100 pounds” that year.
Now, Jae’lynn says, “Not only am I plus size, but I’m now living with chronic pain and disability.”
In her most popular clip, which has three million views, she shows her partner trying to move around in a tiny toilet stall while his body touches almost every surface.
In the post, she wrote, “I get asked all the time what the airplane lavatories are like for someone my height, so I thought I’d show you how it’s from my fiancé’s point of view.”
Social media users have flocked to the comments section to share their views.
Many social media users have supported Jae’lynn, but some have been negative, including one who told her she was “causing a plane crash”.
In another clip shared with the hashtag “#flyingwhilefat,” Jae’lynn shows the hard limits of airplane design by struggling to pull down a tray table.
She also shows a seat belt extender, which she was given because a typical seat belt was not properly buckled around her.
Unfortunately, Jae’lynn also suffers from negative comments from trolls online.
What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?
- A hormonal disorder that commonly occurs in women of childbearing age
- Signs of PCOS include irregular menstrual cycles, high androgen hormone levels, and high insulin levels
- PCOS occurs when the ovaries develop small accumulations of fluid and fail to release eggs
- PCOS can also develop in response to significant weight gain
Jae’lynn said that one person said in her comments that she “will cause a plane crash because of my height”.
“A lot of the comments say I should buy two seats or that I’m not allowed to fly.”
Despite her struggles, Jae’lynn is determined to prove to her followers that they can love their bodies, no matter their size — and love to travel, too.
She said: “When I talk about movement, I focus on movements that bring us joy and make our bodies feel good.
Jae’lynn isn’t focused on weight loss right now, she’s much more focused on “doing what makes my body feel good and what makes me happy.”
Through her positivity and social media, she hopes to show “that bodies of all sizes and abilities are just as valuable as those that fit society’s norm of beauty.”
Jae’lynn notes that “bodies change and fluctuate over time,” and she believes it’s important to “love and embrace our bodies at every stage of life.”
By documenting her experiences, Jae’lynn “creates representation and empowers people to live their lives to the fullest” and shows everyone “that if they dream, they can travel the world”.