Three weeks ago 88-year-old World War II Veteran Bob Simon got on a Southwest flight with his son, Jay, and off to their "home away from home” Buffalo, N.Y.
But Tuesday, when they went to get on their return flight, a Southwest employee told them Bob couldn't get on because he didn't have the right kind of doctor's note addressing his medically-necessary oxygen tank.
On Wednesday, after a few contacts of theirs made calls to Southwest hinting of media coverage, and after Jay had the doctor fax a second note with all the requisite information, Bob and Jay finally landed at Orlando International Airport just before 7 p.m.
As the World War II Veteran, Korean War Veteran, and Vietnam Vet was rolled off his Southwest flight in his wheelchair Wednesday, Bob was attached to the oxygen tank he has been forced to live with for five years. In that time, he and his son have done a lot of flying on Southwest between Buffalo and Orlando.
They’ve never had a problem during that time, until Tuesday.
"I don’t know what happened,” Jay said. “This one lady came up to us, she was extremely rude, and said he couldn't get on the plane."
"The gal said, 'You can't get on this aircraft." Bob added.
A Southwest spokeswoman said via phone that company policy requires a doctor's note which includes a date of issue within the past year; a maximum flow amount of the tank that will work with the plane's air pressure; and an acknowledgement the passenger knows how to operate the oxygen tank.
"Something that his life depends upon,” Jay said. “And he doesn't know how to operate it after five years? I think that's a little lame."
The original letter from the doctor Bob had with him Tuesday had a fax date of July 7th, of this year. It did not have a statement saying Bob knows how to operate the tank, and it did not have air flow amounts.
But, yet, it was the very same letter that got Bob on the Southwest flight to Buffalo to begin with.
"They just walked away after they told me, you know, 'You can't get on this aircraft,” Bob said. “It's a policy you have to prove you can operate this equipment....Oh God, I wanted to cold cock them."
Bob laughs and pointed out he flew more than 30 B-52 missions and not one person ever asked him to prove he could fly those planes, yet he has to prove he can operate the single-button oxygen tank he has used and relied on now for five years.
Bob and Jay said after being delayed an entire day, Southwest did give them first-class service on their late flight home.
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