If
you’re overweight,
you’re not alone. The American Heart Association says that 1 in 6 adults are
obese. Yet the travel industry has not kept pace with expanding waistlines.
From airline
policies designed for the comfort of thin travelers to narrow seats that leave
the overweight person inconvenienced, travel is not always comfortable for
those at the larger end of the spectrum. Advanced planning can go a long way
toward ensuring a relaxed trip no matter what your size.
Traveling
while overweight comes with its own set of challenges. No thin person has ever
stopped before booking a flight off to some exotic destination to google “am I
too fat to fly?” or “will I fit in an airplane seat?” And even if you’re not
concerned about the unreasonable thinness of today’s airplane seats, being an
overweight traveler is a unique experience.
Being
overweight and poor health are not necessarily things that are synonymous. Being
overweight is a neutral descriptor. It does impact my experiences when traveling.
Flying while overweight can be truly traumatizing. It’s not something that many
folks talk about because it is embarrassing and further isolates the overweight
traveler. If you talk to a thin person, you typically only hear them gripe
about leg room, being “too close” to strangers, or the insensitive complaint
about being stuck next to an overweight person.
There
are few things in the world that I dread more than seeing the look of
discomfort on a stranger’s face as I approach the row to which I
am assigned. Just the “threat” of a fat body near them sends a look of
disgust across their faces. It may be a micro expression (a nearly
imperceptible look that crosses their face) before they catch themselves
and replace it with a polite smile. It sends self-worth plummeting. Overweight
travelers can become a headache before a destination is even reached. Here are
five tips for flying if overweight (per Laurel Rickman):
Be familiar with airlines’ “customer of
size” policies-Southwest Airlines has especially accommodating customer of size (COS)
policies because of what happen after they forced big-bodied people off of
their planes for “encroaching” on the space of others. This does not
extend to all airlines though. Southwest recommends buying multiple seats and
then seeking a refund for the second seat if it is not necessary. But if
you look at their website, it says that you can wait until you can discuss it
with a person at the gate to have them offer another seat free of charge.
That’s right — you do not have to pay for that extra seat. I
figured I would ask about using the COS policy on a recent flight. They
were polite, unfazed, and t upbeat about helping me out. They shifted a
few things and popped me into row 13, which gave me an entire row to myself on
a midday Tuesday flight. Sometimes airlines will even provide you with a
little sign that says, “Reserved.” You don’t need to explain it to
anyone who may try to challenge you. Merely tell them that it is reserved.
Call the airline — as late as the night
before — to tell them that you need priority boarding-An airline
representative can mark you for priority seating, which allows you to
be seated first along with those with disabilities. This is particularly
effective when you are using the COS policy, as some folks will try to sit
beside you in your empty spot, or some spaces may not be assigned together if
it is a free-seating policy like Southwest. Better safe than sorry, especially
since it allows you to advocate for your needs with fewer spectators.
Get
there early-If
you are asking for COS accommodations, you should get to the airport two hours
before your boarding time. This gives you the maximum amount of time and room
to negotiate your needs with the staff. If someone does not give you what you
want, politely request it from someone higher up the management chain.
Know the seat sizes-Measure
yourself to get an idea of how wide an economy-size seat needs to be to
accommodate your rear end. You know first class is going to be the most
comfortable, but if you are like the majority of us it’s not affordable for the
majority of us.
The
seat belt extender is your friend-Don’t fear people seeing you ask for a seat belt extender?
You may have already endured the judgment of folks as you have approached their
row. The last thing you should allow yourself to worry over is your actual
safety. As soon as you walk onto the plane, turn to an attendant, smile and
tell them that you need an extender and where you are seated. They will not bat
an eyelash and they’ll discreetly bring one to you as soon as you get
to your seat. Why risk discomfort and dysfunction of a safety device because
you are too embarrassed to ask? This is the easy part. Give yourself some grace.
“The only reason
I'm fat is because a tiny body couldn't store all this personality.” (SirNottaguy)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“23 things nobody tells you about traveling while fat” by Lia Garcia
·
“5 Tips to Make Plus-Size Travel
Less Awful” by Laurel Dickman
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