This was published 7 years ago
What it’s like to fly as an overweight passenger
Aircraft manufacturers have struggled to deal with the issue of overweight passengers.Credit: iStock
Being cramped inside a pressurised cabin for hours on end is never a pleasant experience.
But for one woman, the idea of travelling by herself was "pretty terrifying" because of her weight.
Stacy Bias, a British artist and activist, decided to create an animated film to show the anxiety plus-sized passengers felt when flying.
The inspiration for the research came after she began a long-distance relationship, meaning she had to endure long-haul flights for love.
"The idea of frequent, solo international travel was pretty terrifying and, quite honestly, a factor in deciding whether or not I could actually commit to giving this relationship a try," Bias, who weighed 136kg, told Mashable.
"My concern was partly financial but, even more so, it was anxiety about not fitting and physical pain and facing hostile interactions with fellow passengers."
Bias said she created the video, which was shown at a Deaf and Disability Arts Festival on November 19, to create a conversation around plus-size travellers.
"I am always trying not to burden someone else with my body," one woman in the video says.
"[Other passengers] don't have to think about their space, and how much or little they are taking up," one woman says in the video.
"I am always trying not to burden someone else with my body."
Bias surveyed 795 people and conducted 28 in-depth interviews for her final-year studies at the University of London.
I was the biggest person and it felt dreadful: Lisa Riley says she covered the scales so that other people couldn't see what she weighed.
In October, a British actress said she was "mortified" when she was weighed before being allowed on to a flight.
Lisa Riley spoke about the "dreadful" moment when she appeared on UK chat show, Loose Women.
The former Emmerdale actress said she was forced to stand on the scales before she was allowed on a flight from Kathmandu over Mt Everest.
Overweight passengers has always been a contentious issue. Hawaiian Airlines's plan to weigh passengers at check-in and allocate seats was criticised by two American Samoan businessmen earlier this year.
The airline said the new policy was a response to an increase in passenger weight, and would help manage weight distribution throughout the cabin, Radio New Zealand reported.
The policy was labelled discriminatory by businessmen Avamua Dave Haleck and Daniel King, who filed separate complaints with the US Transportation Department.
Both men questioned why the policy only applied to those flying to or from American Samoa.
See also: New seat design could allow more room for obese passengers
See also: The 20 most annoying things about flying
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