Woman told she's too big to fly

WOAI ^ | 07/21/2010 | Reported by: Janet Kwak

[Responsibility2nd]

 

Woman told she's too big to fly

 

 

 

SAN ANTONIO -- Mary Louise Lozano says she was humiliated after Southwest Airlines told her she was too big to fly.

"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

[Wilderness Conservative]

Too bad the sow can fly to Oz because they have a rock big enough for her to crawl under.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Next time she should take the train.

Cattle car???

[Raebie]

I didn’t understand the full magnitude of this issue until I had a flight from LA to Chicago afew years back. I was in the window seat and there was a gentleman who had to be pushing 400 pounds in the middle seat next to me, while his stick thin wife occupied the aisle seat. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe and couldn’t get off the damn plane fast enough 5 hours later. It was pure hell.

[pgyanke]

Are you suggesting she may not be overweight... but rather undertall?

[P.O.E.]

Just put a 17-inch wide doorway at the gate.

[org.whodat]

Did she try UPS, I hear they do pallet loads.

[RexBeach]

I was thinking Crisco. Same thing.

[RachelFaith]

I have ZERO sympathy for obese people. The answer is simple. STOP EATING! 40 days. FAST. A few fruits and vegetables, and mineral water. Anyone can lose weight if they CHOOSE to. No medical conditions exist that are greater than willpower.

Like Nancy said all those years ago: Just say NO!

[gov_bean_ counter]

Make them pay for two seats. Put down the arm rest and allow one seat for each cheek.

[crusty old prospector]

Nothing worse than getting on the plane and having a window seat and when you arrive, there is Tubby sitting in the middle seat. It is going to be a long flight.

[org.whodat]

http://www.taylorheavyhauling.com/

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

“I don’t want to take a bus or a plane”

Well, then, don’t.

Problem solved.

[reagan_fanatic]

It’s an airplane, lady, not a cruise ship.

At your size, you should have thought about the possibility of getting charged for two seats before you even went down there.

[DuncanWaring]

The answer may be to make bigger seats, which would make everyone happy.

Except that bigger seats mean fewer seats per airplane, which means that every passenger pays a higher proportion of the cost of operating the flight, which makes everyone unhappy except for the lardos.

[John D]

The answer is simple. STOP EATING! 40 days. FAST. A few fruits and vegetables, and mineral water. Anyone can lose weight if they CHOOSE to. No medical conditions exist that are greater than willpower.

Yes, but is so much easier to just complain, and expect the gov't to jump in and fix everything for you.

[Ditter]

Yea Southwest Airlines, it’s about time! I want to have part of my money refunded for the seats I have had to share with an obese person, and there have been several!

[EQAndyBuzz]

You need to edit the picture so the guy from Katrina is riding it.

[mickie]

Note to Mary Louise: Try Weight Watchers....it does wonders.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I have no sympathy for this woman. I have an uncle who is grossly overweight. It appears that his knees could be about to give out on him...for good.

[Reeses]

If she takes up two seats, by golly she should pay for two seats.

If they told her she gets two lunches they might have made the sale.