"Humiliated": Mom kicked off plane due to infant son's oxygen tank

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Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Mom, baby kicked off flight
A mother and her baby were kicked off a flight due to a portable oxygen tank

LAS VEGAS, NV -- A Las Vegas woman was kicked off a flight at McCarran International Airport for bringing portable oxygen on board meant for her infant son.

Mom Yamile Quintero says her son has a chronic lung disease and a heart murmur, which makes it difficult for her son to breathe and need an oxygen tank.

But that tank is the reason the new mom and her son were kicked off a Frontier flight Friday night.

Yamile said, "They took my first Mother's Day away from me."

Yamile says this is her first time flying with her son Roman, so she took extra steps while booking a flight to visit her family in Florida, calling a representative to confirm she can bring her portable oxygen on the flight with her.

Yamile, recalling her call with the representative, said, "She's like, 'Yeah that's fine, as long as it's portable you're fine'."

But on the day of the flight, Yamile said she sat down and was told she couldn't carry the tank onboard and was asked to leave the plane.

Frontier Airlines told local station KVVU Yamile needed an FAA-approved oxygen concentrator instead.

Richard Oliver, a Frontier Airlines representative, said, "Our agent responded and said yes portable oxygen is allowed on the plane and continues to say that if you want to make sure your device is allowed on the plane, you can check out website."

Yamile said, "I did all the proper protocols. I called, I double checked at the door, I double checked at the gate, I double checked everywhere. I called and I did everything. I followed all the procedures and I'm getting kicked off the plane like I'm some type of criminal. Multiple times I stated it was a portable oxygen tank. And they said it was fine, and it wasn't. And they kicked me off the plane for it and humiliated me."

Oliver said, "We do certainly apologize for the confusion that occurred at the airport."

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