Even at the best of times, flying can be painful. Your neck aches from lolling sideways while you doze, your knees hurt after being bent at 90 degrees for too long and a dull ache is spreading across your lower back.

Now imagine enduring all that as a plus-size traveller. The discomfort and indignity prompted a plus-size woman from the United States to petition airlines to provide larger travellers with an extra seat free of charge. Unsurprisingly, her campaign sparked headlines and heated debates.