Off The Record

Plus-Size Flyer Says Booking Two Seats Is Unnecessary—Here’s Why

Published on July 26, 2025

When she takes a flight, a plus-sized woman has disclosed why she doesn’t reserve two seats.

Thirty-two-year-old Kirsty Leanne from Shropshire frequently posts advice on how to travel as comfortably as possible being plus-sized on her TikTok account, @kirstyleannetravels.

She previously made waves when she disclosed the harassment she receives online, with detractors arguing that instead of complaining about the difficulties she has travelling as a plus-sized person, she should lose weight.

She has, however, travelled extensively, most recently to South Korea, Paris, Croatia, and Cappadocia in Turkey.

One thing, though, Kirsty never does when she sets out on her adventures: she never reserves a second seat when she boards an aircraft.

Kirsty took to TikTok to explain that the last time she had reserved a second seat, it had been costly, difficult to plan, and on a few occasions, her extra seat had even been taken away.

Kirsty, who was bumped up to business class because of her size on a recent flight, said, “I’m plus size and here’s why I don’t book two seats every time I fly.”

One of the most common comments I receive on my videos is “I hope you booked two seats” and why I understand that seems like the right solution when it comes to small seats on planes, it’s not a “one size fits all’ issue.”

First of all, according to Kirsty, purchasing two seats can be “incredibly expensive” and, for many individuals, would be beyond their means to do so each time they travel—that is, spending twice as much.

According to her, booking an additional seat is also “extremely difficult” because every airline has a unique procedure and these are difficult to locate on their websites.

Kirsty said, “On numerous occasions, I have spoken to members of the team using support chats or their customer service line and they haven’t understood what I was trying to do.”

“A lot of the time, both check in and gate agents do not know you can book an extra seat, which often leads to confusion when it comes to the process.”

She cited an instance in which she decided to purchase an additional seat and claimed that the staff was unsure on how to handle the situation.

She was therefore “extremely anxious” about the trip because she was unsure if her reservation for an additional seat would be honoured.

She has even had the experience of having her additional seat taken away entirely.

“I’ve arrived at check-in desks to be told my second seat has been sold,” she said, adding: “And had people share with me that their extra seats have been given to people on standby.”

Furthermore, the plane’s arrangement may alter if there is a last-minute modification in the aircraft, which might mean that the two seats aren’t even adjacent.

Kirsty concluded, “While I know booking a second seat works great for some, it’s not a blanket solution for every single plus size person.”

There was disagreement in the comments, with some people applauding Kirsty’s choice and others fearing it would affect other passengers’ space.

One person asked, “Would you like to sit next to you or someone the same size?”

Kirsty responded: “Yes i do regularly – my girlfriend is fat too.”

Supporting Kirsty, one person said, “Call me a radical but I don’t think anyone should have to pay for a second seat that’s f***ing bonkers people expect you to do that. Being fat is not a crime.”

“Airplane seats are small. It’s not just about fat people, tall people, old people, people with babies… many people need more room it’s insane the standard set.”

Another said, “Girl, I would have no issues siting next to you. I think airlines should start making their seats bigger anyway! They are ridiculously tiny.”

A third added, “This wouldn’t even be an issue if airlines made their seats a reasonable size instead of trying to pack people like sardines in a can.”

Others, however, were more doubtful, claiming that using the extra space on a flight without paying for it is “selfish.”

One person said, “I was sat next to a woman who should have bought 2 seats earlier this year she took a third of my seat causing me to have to lean the entire flight – my back hurt for three days after. If you cannot fit inside your seat then buy another. It’s selfish to not.”

Others said, “Yes, you deserve to travel, yes you have every right to be there and yes the airline should make sure you always have the second seat you’ve paid for BUT it’s incredibly unfair and disrespectful to the person in the next seat if their neighbour is spilling into their seat.”

“Last time I flew I had two extremely large people and I had a middle seat. When I got to my seat, they were already seated. There was legit not room to fit in between. I ended up having to get another flight.”

“When I book with my dog, I have to get another seat. Everyone deserves to fly but if it impacts others regardless the reason, then you should have to get an extra seat. I think offering a second seat at a discount should be acceptable.”

“Close quarters and touching knees is one thing, but if I paid for my plane ticket, I’m not sharing a third of my seat unless you’re paying for a third of it.”

Kirsty previously disclosed that she has experienced fat shame on aeroplanes and that she has had people turn away from her.

Even though she gets a lot of criticism online, Kirsty talked about some distressing real-life events.

In one instance, a woman was given the middle seat on her aisle while the travel enthusiast occupied the window seat on a flight to Spain.

She began huffing and puffing as soon as she noticed me sitting in the window, making it obvious she didn’t want to sit there. “I share my advice on my blog, Plus Size Travel Too,” Kirsty remarked.

“I apologised that there wasn’t much room and she didn’t reply, so I did my usual and squashed myself against the window.”

“For the whole flight she was pushing the armrest as far down as she could – it was 98 percent down but that last 2 percent was super painful – and causing me to bruise.”

“I can’t sit next to her anymore,” she finally stated, turning to face her friend a few rows back.

Eventually, she turned to her friend a few rows back [and said], “I can’t sit next to her anymore”.

Kirsty decided to remain silent at the time because she thought the situation was so embarrassing, but she says she will not tolerate it any more.

She said, “I tend to ask flight attendants if I can move to a seat with more room and an extra seat next to it now, to help prevent this from happening and to ensure everyone is as comfortable as they can be.”

“Often I do have to sit next to people while they find me a seat so I do my best to be kind and understanding, in the hopes they return with the same sentiments.”

Additionally, the traveler claims that she can frequently detect when someone is uncomfortable sitting next to her.

She added, “People usually make it known they’re unhappy pretty instantly.”

“Most people are super friendly and understanding, but some people use it as an excuse to be mean and to lash out.”

“While I understand it’s uncomfortable, acting in that way is unnecessary and likely to be the worst way to come to a solution.”

Fortunately, Kirsty continues to share her advise despite the hostility.

Whenever I post content about flying while plus size, I always get the same comments – “Why don’t you just lose weight?” “Isn’t this a wake up call?”, “You should be so ashamed of yourself”, “Kirsty, who shares tips on her blog,” PlusSizeTravelToo, said.

However, the reality is that there are and always will be overweight individuals.

“We have just as much of a right to travel as anyone else does and we deserve to be safe and comfortable while we travel. Seatbelt extenders, of course, help to keep us safe.”

“I share a lot of content about seat belt extenders but I know that a lot of people don’t know that you often can’t use one in an emergency exit.”

“I get a lot of questions about this so I wanted to share a video letting people know, as I know a lot of people have experienced this after boarding and have been moved as a result.”

“Travelling as a plus size person can be incredibly daunting and overwhelming and so I wanted to show people that look like me that it’s possible.”

“My life changed when I started to travel and after telling myself for so long that I was too fat to travel, I realised I didn’t want anyone else to put off travel like I did.”

“If my tips and tricks help just one person, it will be a job well done.”