This is Jae'lynn Chaney. She's 25 years old, and she's a content creator on TikTok, where she's amassed more than 103,000 followers.
In her recent series, "Plus-Size Travel Struggles," Jae listed "things that plus-size travelers hate," and it went viral with more than 15 million views.
"I decided to start documenting and sharing the struggles that plus-size people face when traveling because a lot of plus-size people can relate to these struggles, yet they are rarely talked about, especially by someone my size," Jaelynn told BuzzFeed.
Here's what Jae says she hates when it comes to flying:
1."Having little to no room to move."
2."Narrow aisles and bulkhead seats."
3."When the tray table can't come down."
4."Worrying about asking for a seatbelt extender."
5."Tiny airplane bathrooms."
6."Worrying you're going to break the toilet when traveling somewhere."
7."Not being able to find accessible path and hiking trails."
8."Getting patted down because you're fat."
9."Tiny airport chairs with armrests."
10."Boat ladders, pool ladders, all ladders."
11."Always wondering if you're going to fit — public transportation, airplane seats, etc."
12."Very limited poolside seating/lounging options for plus-size people."
13."Restaurants that don’t have seating options for plus-size people."
14."Towels that don’t fit."
15."Not being able to find clothes your size anywhere."
16."Turnstiles and worrying you'll get stuck."
And finally:
17."Getting ridiculous comments about being a fat traveler."
When asked about what the travel industry can do to better support bodies of all sizes, Jae said, "The industry needs to realize that the average woman is no longer a size 14. They are now a size 18 and beyond. Yet as we’ve gotten bigger, things like airplane seats, clothing, and everything else has gotten smaller or stayed the exact same."
"To see a true change, the industry needs to stop ignoring the needs of plus-size individuals and start expanding to meet our needs and become truly inclusive," Jae continued. "People of all colors, sizes, and abilities exist, and we deserve to have access to things that others have had for years."
Jae added, "As an advocate for people of all sizes and abilities I wanted to share that while there are many obstacles when traveling as a plus-size person, it’s still totally worth it."
Thank you, Jae'lynn, for sharing your experience! You can follow her on TikTok here and Instagram here.
