Kirsty Leanne, a plus-sized travel influencer, has explained why she does not book two seats whenever she flies.
According to Leanne, one of the reasons for her TikTok explainer is recurring criticism, based on the idea that reserving two spots on a flight is a fix-all solution.
She also claimed that airline staffers cannot understand one person booking two seats and often give the second one away.
Highlights
- Plus-sized travel influencer Kirsty Leanne says booking two seats isn’t always practical or honored.
- Critics say it’s about respecting other passengers’ space, not just comfort.
- A Reddit thread predated the debate, with flyers recounting uncomfortable seating situations.
Kirsty Leanne says it is not a “one-size-fits-all issue”
Image credits: kirstyleannetravels
“I’m plus-sized and here is why I don't book two seats every time I fly,” the text overlay on the first image of a slide show reads.
“One of the most common comments I receive on my videos is ‘I hope you booked two seats’ and while 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.”
“Booking two seats can be incredibly expensive and for a lot of people it's out of their budget to spend that much on something they’re not sure will work 100%.”
Image credits: kirstyleannetravels
Social media wants to know what happens if you try to avert the eventuality at the boarding gate?
Leanne–as can be seen by the deluge of comments (almost 3,000 at the time of writing) responding to the video–broached a hot topic among travelers.
Testifying to the recurrence of the quandary, one jetsetter took to Reddit for answers.
Image credits: kirstyleannetravels
“On a recent flight I was seated next to a really big guy. For added detail, he needed a seatbelt extender and when the arm rest was down, you couldn’t even see it… he took up half the seat I was in,” they explained.
“There was fortunately another open seat and a flight attendant told me no problem, I could move.”
“But what if I had asked while we were still at the gate?” the netizen asked.
Image credits: kirstyleannetravels
“What’s the protocol on that? I know what it ‘should be.’ But what is it in practice?”
Another plus-sized traveler feels “obese folks should be aware of the space they take up”
One of the first people to weigh in was another plus-sized flier, and they were sympathetic to the enquirer’s cause.
“As someone who is obese, I am hyper aware of not taking up any of my neighbor's space. When I got really big, I started flying first class to skip any anxiety of being too big for my coach seat or disturbing my neighbor,” they wrote.
They were aware of Leanne’s reservations about the financial aspects of booking an extra seat and stated as much when they wrote:
“I understand I am fortunate in life that I can fly first class,” but doubled down on the fellow traveler’s perspective, saying, “obese folks should be aware of the space they take up on a plane, and purchase two coach tickets if they are flowing over into their neighbor's seat/space.”
Booking two seats is for the benefit of a fellow passenger, wrote one critic
Image credits: kirstyleannetravels
A faction of Leanne’s followers took issue with her explanation, and one user in the comment thread shot back: “With respect, I think you are missing the point.”
“The reason you book two seats is not for you. It’s for people with whom you may be sharing their seat.”
Another netizen underscored the perspective when they wrote: “I was [seated] next to a woman who should have bought two seats this year. She took a third of my seat, causing me to lean forward the entire flight,” they recalled.
“My back hurt for three days after. If you cannot fit inside your seat, buy another. It’s selfish not to.
It appears that sitting next to men can be as challenging
Another commenter felt that the discourse around the topic was disproportionate because of the recurring issue of men sitting with their knees apart.
Image credits: kirstyleannetravels
“I have been in the middle seat between two men before,” they complained, “and it was the most uncomfortable flight of my entire life.”
People see Leanne as selfish
