"I felt like there wasn't a big enough rock for me to crawl under," says Lozano. On July 8th, she was supposed to fly to Baltimore - a gift from her brother she hasn't seen in four years. However, when she got to the gate, she was told she'd have to purchase an extra ticket because she wouldn't fit into a seat. "It was judgmental," adds Lozano, who weights 298 pounds. "It was based on their judgment. People were hearing everything that was going on, parading me around. I wouldn't call that discreet. Southwest Airlines wouldn’t comment specifically on Mary’s case, but say that all their passenger size-related guidelines are found online. Representatives with the airline say passengers must fit into a 17-inch seat with the armrests down, or buy another ticket for extra space. If the plane isn’t full, you can get that extra money back. However, when News 4 WOAI asked how staff members determine who can fit to fly, they said it’s based on visual assessments – what their employees see. Southwest refunded Mary’s ticket, and her brother is now flying to San Antonio instead. “Even though I’m very big, I feel very little,” Lozano adds. “I feel damaged or something. I don’t want to take a bus or a plane, I wont’ take a train, I don’t feel like I can travel in any vehicle except my car.” Here’s a list of passenger size guidelines for airlines at San Antonio International Airport: Aeromexico CLICK HERE
Airtran: CLICK HERE American: CLICK HERE Continental: CLICK HERE Delta: CLICK HERE Frontier: CLICK HERE Skywest: CLICK HERE Southwest: CLICK HERE United: CLICK HERE US Airways: CLICK HERE |