A plus-size travel influencer has slammed airport staff at one of the country’s busiest airports after she became stuck in a revolving door.
Washington-based influencer Jae’lynn Chaney, 27, recounted her experience to her 136,000 TikTok followers in which she vows to ‘help plus-size people explore the world confidently.’
Despite not requiring a wheelchair for mobility issues on a day-to-day basis, Chaney decided to use one as she passed through Chicago O’Hare airport.
‘Recently, I had a distressing experience at Chicago O’Hare airport. As a plus size ambulatory wheelchair user, I faced a significant challenge when trying to get to the baggage claim,’ Chaney began.
‘The only option is to go through a revolving door. Press the button to slow it down for people with disabilities, but as we entered, we got stuck,’ she explained, noting how she is also a claustrophobic.
‘I began to panic, frantically motioning to the staff to help, but they just stared at me, offering no assistance.’
Chaney, who is a size 6XL, did not post any photo or video evidence of her ordeal and accused O’Hare airport staff of being unresponsive.
‘This is my second terrible experience at O’Hare during just one trip,’ she vented.
‘The lack of assistance was not only frustrating, but dehumanizing, highlighting the necessity for airport staff to treat travelers of all sizes and abilities with the respect and care they deserve.’
But far from generating sympathy, those commenting on Chaney’s post were unhappy at her behavior.
‘You are not handicapped – why would you request the wheelchair service?!’, asked one user.
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‘Getting stuck in doors designed for humans should be a gigantic wake up call,’ another wrote.
‘If you can stand up and pose like that, why can’t you walk???’ another commenter shared.
‘Stop thinking you’re so entitled there’s nothing wrong with walking. I was a big man and I lost the weight now is time for change,’ someone else said.
In the past, Chaney has frequently advocated for free or larger seats on planes.
But demanding extra seats be provided to fat flyers for free have only served to cause further uproar.
In an October video she wrote: ‘Hot take: every airline should have a customer of size policy like Southwest Airlines.’
‘If more airlines adopted policies like Southwest Airlines’ customer-of-size policy, offering free or reimbursed additional seats for plus size passengers who need more space, air travel would be far more accessible and accommodating to people of size,’ the caption read.
Chaney also called upon the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this year with a petition asking airlines to scrap their ‘discriminatory’ policies and give obese passengers free seats.
On social media, many have pointed out that free space is not available to customers who are very tall and need extra legroom, those traveling with medical equipment or are wheelchair users.
These groups have to pay often hundreds of dollars for additional space.
Until recently, Jae’lynn traveled with extra oxygen and required the use of a wheelchair instead of walking longer distances after doctors suspected she suffered a stroke in 2019.
Earlier in the month, Jae’lynn claimed she was discriminated against by an airport employee who refused to push her in a wheelchair because of her weight.
She recounted her experience with a wheelchair assistant on a jet bridge after a recent landing, this time at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.
In another TikTok video, she claimed that when she tried to deplane the aircraft, the employee assigned to help assist her started to walk away when she realized she was supposed to help the plus-size woman and not one of the smaller passengers.
The travel influencer said that as the employee walked away with the wheelchair she was making comments about her size.
Jae’lynn – who has previously demanded free extra seats for fat fliers subsidized by slimmer passengers – says the ordeal left her gasping for air.