Travel influencer Jaelynn Chaney is calling out Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) for alleged discrimination after she says she was denied wheelchair assistance due to her size.
Chaney, 28, who has over 140,000 TikTok followers and identifies as a 6XL, staged a protest at the airport with a sign reading “Wheelchair Access for All,” sharing a video of the incident.
She claims a staff member assigned to help her walked away after seeing her, leaving her to navigate a long jet bridge alone. Chaney, who can walk but relies on wheelchair support for long distances, says the ordeal left her physically distressed and nearly fainting.
“This was my first time flying without oxygen,” she said. “That employee made assumptions and chose not to help. That’s not just bad service, that’s dangerous.”
In her video caption, Chaney accused SeaTac of a pattern of exclusion, saying, “If SeaTac refuses to assist fat people, they should put their discrimination in writing.”
An advocate for plus-size travelers, Chaney previously launched a petition urging the FAA to adopt a “customer of size” policy. It has over 39,600 signatures, with supporters sharing stories of discomfort and discrimination while flying.