Kirsty Leanne, a plus-size travel blogger, is standing her ground against Airline passengers and online trolls demanding she pay for two airline seats—or be banned from flying altogether.
The 32-year-old from Shropshire, who shares travel tips for larger-bodied individuals with her 134,000 TikTok followers, says she receives daily criticism about her size, particularly in relation to air travel. Despite this, Kirsty refuses to back down or let body-shaming dictate her travel experiences.
In her latest TikTok video addressing the issue has gone viral, Kirty explained why the suggestion that plus-size passengers simply book two seats isn’t a practical or fair solution for everyone.
“This is something I get every single day,” she says. “While I sometimes do book a second seat, there are so many reasons why that’s not a suitable solution for everyone.”
She adds, “People think booking two seats is straightforward, but it’s not. Every airline has a different process, and often that information isn’t clearly available. I’ve had multiple experiences where airline staff didn’t even know how to process the request.”
Kirsty recalls one particular flight where, despite booking two seats in advance, airline staff at multiple points during the journey didn’t know how to handle the arrangement.
“It was incredibly stressful,” she says. “I didn’t know if my extra seat would be honored. I’ve been told at check-in that my second seat was resold, and I’ve heard similar stories from others.”
Aircraft swaps, which can change seating layouts last minute, also pose risks to passengers trying to secure extra space. Kirsty notes, “You can lose that second seat without warning—and no compensation.”
Despite her thorough explanation, the video drew harsh comments from critics. One wrote: “This is unfair on those around you. You should be banned.” Another added, “Plane seats aren’t small—just lose weight.” Yet Kirsty remains unshaken.
“If you can’t afford to pay for the space you take up, you can’t afford to travel,” one commenter declared. Another chimed in: “Keep your arsecheek, thighs and arms out of MY seat area that I paid for.”
Kirsty, however, believes the conversation around plus-size travel needs more empathy.
“I want people to see that it’s not as simple as they think,” she says. “Most people aren’t booking an extra seat because it’s costly, confusing, and often unreliable. A little compassion would go a long way, but people jump straight to anger and hate.”
To create change and build community, Kirsty launched Plus Size Travel Too, a platform supporting larger-bodied travelers. This summer, she’s organizing an inclusive yacht trip to Croatia for 32 plus-size adventurers—designed to be comfortable, welcoming, and stigma-free.
Her message is simple: “Everyone deserves to travel. No one should feel like they don’t belong on a plane.”
