‘The space was not built for me’: Plus-size flyers say airlines have room to improve

Few people say their favorite place to be is in the economy cabin of an airplane. As airlines have made their seat configurations tighter over the years, leg- and even shoulder-room has gotten more cramped.

For larger passengers, the densification of airplane cabins can be even more frustrating.

« It feels like there’s a lack of accessibility and comfort for plus-size people, » Jeff Jenkins, founder of Chubby Diaries told USA TODAY.

« There’s not a standardized experience that we get. The experience, in general, is feeling too big for the space or feeling that the space was not built for me, » Annette Richmond, founder of the Fat Girls Traveling Facebook group agreed. « It’s not a you or me thing, it’s a system thing. »

While regulators are taking steps to potentially address issues related to airplane seat sizes, advocates say changes aren’t coming quickly enough.

« Not only do fat travelers have to be physically uncomfortable, we’re mentally and emotionally uncomfortable too, » Richmond said. She described experiences where flight attendants have dismissed requests for seatbelt extenders, and added that it’s not always clear when the devices will be required.

« Not that all of the seatbelts are the same length, » she said. « Getting a standardized seatbelt length is something that’s really feasible and possible, and one of the minor expense compared to reconfiguring a jet. »

For Jenkins, extra space while traveling has become a must. « I only fly premium or first class now, » he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is soliciting comments from the public with an eye toward possibly setting minimum seat dimensions in the coming years.

Some airlines go out of their way to help accommodate plus-size travelers with extra space, but there’s no uniform regulation on the books. In the meantime, a patchwork of individual policies from each carrier governs how plus-size travelers are treated. Many airlines