Flyer with lung ailment forced to deplane in Kahului

She did not have COVID-19 . . . nor a note from doctor

A Kihei woman said she was "embarrassed and humiliated" after an American Airlines flight attendant escorted her off the plane at Kahului Airport over fears she had the new coronavirus.

Lynn Taylor suffers from Alpha-1 ZZ -- a genetic and noncontagious lung disorder that can cause shortness of breath and coughing. She was cleared by her doctor to travel for a funeral and was mistakenly viewed as a COVID-19 carrier after boarding the aircraft earlier this month.

"With this (pandemic), everyone was looking at me like I am contagious, I don't know what they're thinking," Taylor said Wednesday in a phone interview. "When push comes to shove, I was totally discriminated against, profiled, or whatever you want to call it. No one has ever given me a medical evaluation like they did.

"I am not contagious."

Taylor's doctor recommended that she sterilize her airplane seat, wear a mask if possible and wash her hands frequently. But there were no masks to be found last week at Lowe's, The Home Depot and Target, she said.

While awaiting takeoff on March 7 from Kahului Airport on flights to Los Angeles and then to Florida for the funeral, Taylor was asked by a flight attendant if she had a doctor's note, which she did not have.

Taylor said she called ahead for special wheelchair assistance due to her condition and then double-checked with the gate clerk about having assistance at Los Angeles International Airport but was never notified to bring a medical note to travel.

"All I was thinking was that I was going to miss the funeral, and I can't be with my family . . . I didn't show signs of anything," Taylor said. "I had earphones in and was watching the movie 'Bombshell,' the entire plane was boarded, it was totally loaded. The flight attendant said I needed a doctor's note to continue flying."

After she filed a complaint, American Airlines contacted her Tuesday and again on Thursday to investigate the situation, but no refund offer for her flight or the rental car she booked has been confirmed, Taylor said.

"We apologize to Ms. Taylor for any misunderstandings that led to complications in her travel, and our customer relations team is reaching out to her directly," American Airlines said Thursday in an email. "Our team members are working hard to keep our customers healthy and safe in light of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation."

On the American Airlines website, the company recommends that travelers bring hand sanitizer onboard and "not to travel when sick with an acute respiratory illness."

While people with serious chronic medical conditions are at a higher risk of developing COVID-19, Taylor said she understood the risk and that "it was my choice."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, travelers at higher risk for COVID-19 complications are recommended to avoid "all cruise travel and nonessential air travel" and to "consult with your health care provider about additional steps you may be able to take to protect yourself."

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said Wednesday that the company follows all CDC reporting guidelines and "should a customer experience flu-like symptoms, the local EMTs will be contacted to support the customer."

For Hawaiian Airlines, a doctor's note is not required to show medical clearance to travel.

"Our airport guest service agents and flight crew are trained to identify and assist travelers who exhibit symptoms of being ill, such as fever, nausea and respiratory issues, while minimizing the risk of exposure to themselves and others," said airline spokesperson Alex Da Silva on Thursday night. "In the event a guest is unwell prior to departure or during a flight, we can contact a medical provider to evaluate whether additional care is needed."

Silva said that the airline encourages travelers to wash their hands, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when sick.

"I think what needs to be said is that, if you're going on a plane and you have a pulmonary illness of some kind, you should have a doctor's note ahead of time because although the airlines did not state it; why do they request it?" Taylor said. "I missed the funeral because no one from American Airlines told me until I was on a plane, and in front of an entire plane.

"It totally made me feel less than human."

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.