Wheelchair help was something Jaelynn Chaney had always expected when she landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in May 2024, having requested it beforehand. What transpired next, however, was anything but ordinary, the plus-size travel influencer said.
Chaney, 28, claims that the staff member who was supposed to assist her at SeaTac responded to her size right immediately before turning and leaving without saying anything.
In a TikTok video that she sent to her 140,000+ followers, Chaney reported, “She saw me, made a face, and walked away.” Everyone else on the ship was helped. I got left behind.
Chaney, who wears a size 6XL, typically asks wheelchair service to navigate long terminals, even though she can walk small distances. She claims she almost fainted from the exhaustion of walking the entire length of one of the airport’s largest jet bridges without it that day.
“My mouth turned white. I became less oxygenated. I was dizzy. She remarked, “I nearly passed out.” For the first time, I was flying without oxygen. That worker assumed something that was dangerously close to my physical capabilities.
Chaney used her position to protest what she called institutional prejudice by bringing a placard that read, “Wheelchair Access for All,” back to SeaTac.
“SeaTac should put their discrimination in writing if they refuse to help fat people,” she captioned the photo. Rather than providing services, they lie and leave obese, crippled travelers stranded. This cannot be tolerated, and I will not remain silent.
Chaney has always supported inclusive travel and plus-size guests’ dignity. She started a petition in 2023 asking the FAA to implement a “customer of size” policy that would standardize accommodations like complimentary additional seating, enhanced accessibility, and greater employee training. There have been hundreds of testimony and over 39,600 signatures on the petition.
“I no longer fly after being fat-shamed by a passenger sitting next to me,” one supporter wrote, echoing her worries. “I’m tall, and I still get bruises when I get off flights,” another person commented. Airlines continue to reduce their space, yet we are expected to cope with it.
For Chaney, they are not only incidents; rather, they constitute a component of a larger trend.
“People who are plus-sized experience discomfort, embarrassment, and occasionally outright denial of service,” she stated. That’s more than just awkward. It is discriminating. We’re worthy of better.
