Plus-size passenger seating rules on planes - Simon Calder explains all you need to know

Simon Calder

11 February 2025 at 7:15 am

As plus-sized travel campaigners call for airlines to allow bigger passengers an extra seat, free of charge, The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder explains all you need to know on airline rules and regulations.

The proportion of plus-size people in the UK continues to rise, prompting a debate over whether or not overweight passengers should be given extra space as a result of their body shape.

Each airline has a different policy when it comes to overweight passengers.The Independent’s Travel Correspondent explains all you need to know.

The Independent
Plus-size passengers: What do airlines offer to make flying easier and how much does it cost?
People are getting larger, and planes are flying fuller
Wales Online
NHS nurse selling home to move to Spain as pension not enough for UK
Linda has been a nurse practitioner for 20 years but says her pension wouldn't be enough to live on in the UK
The Telegraph
I’m a 54-year-old with £1m in assets – I took my two adult children skiing and picked up the tab
I am 54 years old, divorced with two adult children, 24 and 25. I have a business degree and worked in TV before going overseas where I met my now ex-husband and we had our children. I was married for 22 years and did an MBA during this time.
LoveEXPLORING
Ranked: the most underrated small town in every historic English county
We've picked out and ranked the most underrated small town in every English county that you really should visit.
The Telegraph
Forgotten airports from the golden age of British air travel
Was Rachel Reeves hoping that frequent fliers would rejoice at the news that Heathrow’s third runway is back on the agenda? In reality, of course, the announcement has been met with more of an apathetic shrug at best and active cynicism at worst.
The Argus
easyJet passenger slams airling over 'jobsworth' baggage charge
A 'jobsworth' EasyJet worker was caught repeatedly saying 'it's none of your business' to a good Samaritan traveller trying to help passengers embroiled in a luggage spat.
Yahoo News UK
What we know about new EES Europe travel rules that scrap manual passport checks
There are concerns that the incoming entry-exit system (EES) will mean delays for UK passengers.
The Telegraph
Britain’s forgotten seaside jewel – with Roman relics, rolling hills and glorious beaches
I only lived in Laugharne for three years, but it left an indelible imprint on my imagination. The strange, special township felt like a hideaway, or a hermitage. It lies at the bottom of a steep hill on a road that doesn’t really go anywhere else, beside a flood-prone branch of an estuary that looks like a jester’s hat. The dramatic tides, the castle ruins, the shimmering mudflats, the bosky summit of Sir John’s Hill: these were enough escape from my cockler’s cottage.
The Telegraph
I was on board European Sleeper’s first train to Venice. It didn’t even reach Italy
“Unforgettable!” That was the promise of the European Sleeper rail company ahead of its landmark new night train journey between Brussels and Venice which launched to great fanfare late last week.
The Telegraph
Fake lord swindled customers out of £400k in cruise holidays scam
A fraudster who called himself a lord conned more than 180 victims out of at least £400,000 by selling fake cruise holidays.
The Telegraph
The late Queen was a regular visitor to our hotel – here’s how luxury should be done
I am never happier than when sitting in the lounge of a hotel. It’s a secret delight that dates back to my school days when I would sneak across to The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, which stood close to where my school was located. There I would use a sizeable chunk of my pocket money to order a toasted tea cake and a pot of English Breakfast tea and watch the world go by. I have never looked back.
Oxford Mail
Thatched roof Oxfordshire country pub added to Michelin Guide for 2025
A country pub in Oxfordshire with a thatched roof has been added to the Michelin Guide for 2025.
INSIDER
I stayed in a 3-bedroom suite at Trump's Ireland hotel that costs over $1,300 a night. It felt straight out of a fairytale.
I got upgraded to a three-bedroom suite that costs $1,360 a night at the Trump International Hotel in Doonbeg, Ireland. It was worth it.
The Telegraph
I travelled on Eurostar’s relaunched Amsterdam to London service – and there were a few hiccups
“Welcome!” said the Eurostar worker, wearing a fluorescent pink bib, as I approached the entrance to the brand new UK Terminal in Amsterdam Central station.
Evening Standard
6 scenic road trips to take from London
Strap on the roof box, load up the boot! These are the best road trip routes to take from London for an epic foodie, culture or beach break — minus the airmiles
Sky News
Eurostar resumes direct Amsterdam-London services after eight-month pause
Eurostar has resumed direct services from Amsterdam to London after an eight-month hold-up while a new terminal was built in the Netherlands capital. Services from Amsterdam's Centraal station to London St Pancras began again on Monday, after being paused for construction work in June. Since then, passengers travelling from the Dutch capital to London were forced to take a train to Brussels where they would pass through border checks before changing on to a Eurostar service.
CNN
Why there’s a huge collection of vintage cars stored in the middle of the desert
A vast and eccentric collection of everything from vintage Rolls-Royces to an entire house relocated from Syria, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is worth a trip into the deserts of Qatar.
The Telegraph
The 10 best holiday destinations for March sun
March is a tricky month for heat-seekers.
Evening Standard
The best countries to move to: will you choose Dubai, Canada or Portugal to start your expat life?
As Spain threatens UK buyers with a new 100 per cent property tax, we consider where else potential London expats should look for visa opportunities, year-round sunshine, cheap property and job opportunities
The Telegraph
The least visited places in Spain – where tourists are always welcome
Spain’s overtourism woes have been making headlines for some time now. The water shortage that saw tourists’ needs prioritised over those of locals; a housing crisis exacerbated by the proliferation of Airbnb holiday rentals; protests that have seen beaches occupied and Barcelona diners squirted with water pistols – all of these give rise to the impression that Spain is bursting at the seams, a pressure cooker of irate residents ready to explode.

Don't miss out on Boots slashing sale prices by up to 90%

Plus-size passenger seating rules on planes - Simon Calder explains all you need to know

Latest stories

Plus-size passengers: What do airlines offer to make flying easier and how much does it cost?

NHS nurse selling home to move to Spain as pension not enough for UK

I’m a 54-year-old with £1m in assets – I took my two adult children skiing and picked up the tab

Ranked: the most underrated small town in every historic English county

Forgotten airports from the golden age of British air travel

easyJet passenger slams airling over 'jobsworth' baggage charge

What we know about new EES Europe travel rules that scrap manual passport checks

Britain’s forgotten seaside jewel – with Roman relics, rolling hills and glorious beaches

I was on board European Sleeper’s first train to Venice. It didn’t even reach Italy

Fake lord swindled customers out of £400k in cruise holidays scam

The late Queen was a regular visitor to our hotel – here’s how luxury should be done

Thatched roof Oxfordshire country pub added to Michelin Guide for 2025

I stayed in a 3-bedroom suite at Trump's Ireland hotel that costs over $1,300 a night. It felt straight out of a fairytale.

I travelled on Eurostar’s relaunched Amsterdam to London service – and there were a few hiccups

6 scenic road trips to take from London

Eurostar resumes direct Amsterdam-London services after eight-month pause

Why there’s a huge collection of vintage cars stored in the middle of the desert

The 10 best holiday destinations for March sun

The best countries to move to: will you choose Dubai, Canada or Portugal to start your expat life?

The least visited places in Spain – where tourists are always welcome