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CNN Live At Daybreak

Overweight Flying Policy Leaves Family Stranded in Amarillo

Aired July 12, 2002 - 06:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to this story. Southwest Airlines raised a lot of flack recently by saying it would now enforce a 20-year-old policy regarding overweight passengers. Well, the policy left one family stranded in Amarillo, Texas.

Laura Bree (ph) of CNN affiliate KAMR and WTHR has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURA BREE (ph), CNN AFFILIATE KAMR AND WTHR REPORTER (voice- over): The long journey began here in Indianapolis. Andrea Kysar and her family were supposed to board a Southwest Airlines flight for Albuquerque, but 30 minutes before their flight, they were told because of their size, they'll have to buy two more tickets. That was money they didn't have.

ANDREA KYSAR, PASSENGER: But she wouldn't listen. She wouldn't listen to anything that we had to say. And so then, she started telling me I had no choice, we had to buy two more tickets, or we couldn't get on the plane. And there was like strangers staring at us. This one little lady said to me, "That's OK, honey, you can sit next to me." So obviously, they weren't embarrassed for us. It was totally humiliating.

MARTY MCLAUGHLIN, PASSENGER: The hardest part for me is just the respect to an individual that you bring to Indiana without a problem, but won't bring him back to New Mexico on the same ticket.

BREE (ph): Instead, they have been riding from state to state on this bus, stopping in Amarillo, a far cry from their plan, which was to have flown home to New Mexico.

EILEEN KYSAR, DAUGHTER: I think that at first, it was kind of scary, but now that I know I am going to be able to get home, I feel a lot better. My mom was saying we are three really fun people, and we'll get home in a fun way.

KYSAR: Because we couldn't afford to buy another ticket. I think that the worst thing in the world is to be overweight and not be able to laugh at yourself and still have a good self-esteem. So you know, we are making jokes about it, being random fat patrol, and we are the guinea pigs, and they decided to pick us to enforce their big policy or change or whatever it is. And you know, good for them, but I just think they made a big mistake. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: The family did finally get back to Albuquerque yesterday. Again, that report from Laura Bree (ph) of CNN affiliate KAMR and WTHR.

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