EXCLUSIVEPlus-sized TikTok star ranks UK airlines from best to worst on comfort for larger passengers, with verdicts on British Airways, Tui, Ryanair and easyJet

A travel influencer has ranked some of the biggest airlines operating in the UK from best to worst for plus-sized passengers.

Becky Price posts airline reviews on her TikTok channel under the username @xBeckyPricex, and spoke to MailOnline about her experiences with Ryanair, EasyJet, British Airways and Tui.

The UK size 20 to 22 traveller rated each of the four airlines on comfort, seat size, accessibility (such as the availability of seatbelt extenders), the size of the lavatory, width of the aisle, amount of legroom and the service and helpfulness of the crew.

She explained: ‘I’m a plus-size girl and I make no secret of that. Lots of plus-size people are frightened of flying due to the space available and whether they would fit.

‘They can fly, and will also make wonderful memories abroad, but I wish airlines would improve on the space available. This affects everyone whether you’re tall, or wide.’ Read on to discover Becky’s favourite airline for larger passengers – and the one that she had an ‘awful’ experience with. 

British Airways

Becky took an international flight from the UK to Cancun, in Mexico, with BA.

She said: ‘It was a large plane for a long-haul flight, but the seats were small – I was in an economy seat.’

For this reason, the TikToker gave British Airways a rating of three out of five for seat size – its lowest score in any category.

Becky noted that ‘the seat space available is the biggest challenge, whether that’s width or depth, as well as whether the seat belt will fit or [if] the tray table [will] be usable.’

Becky said her British Airways plane was ‘large’, but ‘the seats were small’ 

The BA tray table (left) could be opened, but only with ‘a little bit of belly resting on top’, said Becky, who added that she was able to pull the seatbelt across her (right)

Outside of seat size, the vlogger gave British Airways a glowing 4.5 for overall comfort, size of the loo and size of the aisle.

While the seats were small, the seatbelt did fit – ‘the seatbelt did just go across me, it did have a little bit of room,’ she said – and she did not need to get a belt extender. These are available on all flights for plus-sized passengers and give added inches to seatbelts to ensure larger passengers are safely strapped in.

Getting a tray table to pull out and stay flat – to help with meals and drinks – is one of the TikTok star’s main checks when jetting off. 

Commenting on BA’s tray table, Becky, who explains that she carries most of her weight around her middle belly section, revealed that she ‘could open it, just about, with a little bit of belly resting on top’.

Becky gave BA a rating of four for legroom, 3.5 for service and helpfulness of crew and a five for accessibility.

‘You get little extras like a TV and blanket so I enjoyed flying with them,’ she noted, awarding them the highest overall score of all the airlines tested.

Overall verdict: 4.5/5

Tui

Becky flew with airline Tui to Ibiza and noted: ‘I enjoy a Tui flight, never had a problem with them.’ Above – the cabin on her recent Tui flight

She gave the holiday company a rating of four for comfort, seat size, size of the lavatory, size of the aisle, legroom and service. Noting the Tui tray table (right), she commented: ‘There wasn’t any room for movement and it was even worse when the passenger in front put their seat back’

Becky flew with airline Tui to Ibiza and noted: ‘I enjoy a Tui flight, never had a problem with them.’

The mum, who usually flies as a family, said: ‘We were allocated row 23, we are a family, and I took the aisle seat.’

However, Becky recalled that the tray table did present a small issue if the passenger in front chose to recline. The TikToker said: ‘My first test is always the tray table – does the tray table open and fully extend?

‘I am a UK size 20 to 22 and it did fully open, however, there wasn’t any room for movement and it was even worse when the passenger in front put their seat back. It drives me mad, how selfish, it’s only a two-hour flight. But, I could use the tray table.’

She gave the holiday company a rating of four for comfort, seat size, size of the lavatory, size of the aisle, legroom and service, which includes the helpfulness of the crew.

Her seatbelt test came up golden, with the traveller adding: ‘The seatbelt did do up and there was room to spare.’ Tui received its only five out of five rating for accessibility.

Overall verdict: 4/5

Ryanair

Ryanair received a rating of two out of five for seat size and size of the aisle. Above – a Ryanair cabin (file image)

Becky noted: ‘This time I did require a seatbelt extender (above right) for the very first time in my life. Girls, please don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to ask for a seatbelt extender, there’s absolutely no shame in it at all’

Becky said: ‘It would be great if there was an option when booking so you could automatically order your extension belt.’ Above – Becky’s Ryanair tray and seatbelt with extender

Budget airline Ryanair didn’t fare well with Becky, who declared that her flight was ‘awful’ – it was the worst rated of the four airlines she tried out.

The airline was given a rating of two for comfort – partially because she said the flight was ‘unbearably hot’ and partly because of the seatbelt.

And when flying with Ryanair, Becky noticed some discrepancies with seatbelt size. Having previously flown from the UK to Hungary she was able to fasten the seatbelt without an extender.

But, when flying to Tenerife, Spain, this was not the case. She said: ‘I recently flew with Ryanair to Budapest and had no problems – however this time I did require a seatbelt extender for the very first time in my life.’

The plus-sized passenger wishes that there was an easier, more discreet way to get extenders on all flights.

She told MailOnline: ‘It would be great if there was an option when booking so you could automatically order your extension belt – some passengers are embarrassed by this.

‘But, girls, please don’t be embarrassed or ashamed to ask for a seatbelt extender, there’s absolutely no shame in it at all.’

Ryanair received a rating of two out of five for seat size and size of the aisle, a 2.5 for legroom, a three out of five for size of the lavatory and four for accessibility and service.

Overall verdict: 2.5/5

EasyJet

Becky noted that easyJet had ‘comfortable planes’ and she had ‘never needed a seatbelt extension’ on one of their flights (file image)

On EasyJet, she said: ‘The tray table (right) would fully extend, but the seatbelt (left) was shorter than [some] other airlines I’ve used and I did use the full length of the seatbelt’

Budget carrier easyJet fared well. Becky noted that it had ‘comfortable planes’ and she had ‘never needed a seatbelt extension’ on one of its flights.

The vlogger flew with easyJet to Greek island Rhodes, commenting: ‘We were allocated row 31, which was at the back of the plane. The tray table would fully extend, but the seatbelt was shorter than [some] other airlines I’ve used and I did use the full length of the seatbelt.’

However, Becky said that ‘the flight was lovely’ because the ‘staff are always happy and helpful’ and the ‘seat is comfy’.

In her rankings, Becky awarded easyJet a three out of five for the size of the aisle, a 3.5 for comfort, a four for seat size, size of the lavatory, legroom, and service. Easyjet was also given a five for accessibility.

Overall verdict: 4/5

Becky travels as much as possible and this year has visited Budapest and Tenerife – she has tickets to Dublin, Ibiza and New York booked for the coming months. Becky always flies economy ‘whether that’s with a low-cost carrier or a scheduled airline’.

To see more of Becky visit her TikTok account – @xbeckypricex – and Instagram profile, which has has over 18,000 followers. She posts about her ‘relatable’ life, fashion, travel and vlogging.