Virgin Atlantic rescues passenger deemed too big to fly
A passenger told by British Airways that he was too heavy to fly back to Europe from the US has been given a ticket to London by Virgin Atlantic.
Kevin Chenais, who is 35-stone, has been trying to find a way back home to France since October when British Airways refused to give him a seat on a transatlantic flight.
Mr Chenais, who has a hormone imbalance, had been in Chicago since 2012 receiving obesity treatment at the Mayo Clinic.
He has mobility problems and needs oxygen constantly and medical oversight. When BA refused to let him board its flight he initially planned to sail from New York on the Queen Mary 2, but the cruise company also had concerns about ‘health issues’, his faher Rene told a news organisation..
However, Virgin Atlantic stepped in to fly Mr Chenais to London. Rene Chenais said he was unsure how they would travel after arriving in the UK.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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