A plus size traveller has been slammed on TikTok after sharing a hack for squeezing into aeroplane seats as people say it should be a “wake up call”, telling her to “book two seats”.
Kirsty Leanne, 29, from Shropshire is well-known on TikTok for sharing her struggles of travelling as a larger woman, with nearly 60,000 followers.
In the past, she has created videos addressing the issues she faces with everything from aeroplane toilets to train carriages.
In her most recent video, Kirsty shares some tips on how to travel more comfortably when on a plane but the clip has not gone down well with TikTokers.
“I saw the flight attendant lift the armrest! I was amazed and they said that some planes have a button on the aisle seat so it’s always worth checking!,” Kirsty told NeedToKnow.online.
In the viral post, the influencer explains that on some aeroplanes, if you are sat on an aisle seat, you can lift up the arm rest to allow for more room.
The influencer does this by simply locating a button under the armrest and lifting it up, having discovered the hack when travelling with a friend two years ago.
She added: “Of course, it’s important to make sure it’s down during take-off landing and any turbulence.
“If it’s a really narrow aisle I also move back over or put it back down when people are passing or the food service is passing by!”
Social media users have slammed the blogger online.
“That should be a wake up call,” wrote one user, with someone else similarly adding “Isn’t that a wake up call”.
“If this doesn’t motivate you idk what will,” commented another person. [sic]
“Nah this is a safety hazard, you are blocking the flight!,” wrote another user.
“Did you know that treadmills burn calories,” added a fourth user, with several stunned emojis.
Trolls also came out of the woodwork to comment on Kirsty’s weight.
“Another hack could be vegetables?,” wrote one user.
“Book 2 seats, you owe it to the person next to you!,” commented someone else.
“They want to do everything but excercise,” wrote someone else. [sic]
But Kirsty pays the trolls no mind; in fact, she expected the backlash.
“At this point, I kind of expected it,” she told NeedToKnow.online.
“Whenever I post anything about flying while fat online, people feel the need to express their opinions.
“The tip isn’t harming anyone but of course, I’m met with 1000s of comments saying ‘well, you could just lose weight instead?’
“Not only is it difficult for some people to lose weight, but if someone is on a weight loss journey, what are they supposed to do in the mean time?
“Just not go anywhere and stay at home? Travel should be accessible to all.
“There are also people who don’t want to lose weight. Travel should be accessible for them too.
“I’m glad that others are finding the tip helpful. I share lots of tips and tricks like this on my account so it means a lot to me that it’s helping people like me feel a little better about flying while plus size.”
Some people also came out in support of the blogger.
“Don’t let these people bring you down, people have to be very sad and lonely to criticise and be mean online,” wrote one user.
“Loads of people are horrible in these comments and should just keep their own opinions to themselves,” commented someone else, adding a heart emoji.
