425 Pound Vilma Soltesz Dies After Three Airlines Turn Her Away

A woman’s death is being blamed on the fact that she was denied boarding on three separate flights, by three different airlines.  Delta, KLM and Lufthansa airlines all said that they could not accommodate 425 pound Vilma Soltesz, 56, on a flight back home to the US.   She died of kidney failure in Hungary where she and her husband had just vacationed for three weeks in their native country.  Soltesz had been experiencing health problems and was trying to get back to the US to see her doctors.

Slotesz (pictured above) and her husband Janos had successfully flew from the US to Hungary on connecting Delta and KLM flights where she purchased two seats for herself.  She boarded the flights with the help of an sky lift, and used a seat belt extender when seated.  Her travel agent had informed the airlines of her condition and of her need to travel back to the US on October 15th for medical treatment. But the trip home was to be denied by KLM airlines in Budapest because she could not be secured in her seat due to an issue with a seat back.  After waiting in the airport for several hours, the couple was asked to drive five hours to Prague to catch a flight on Delta.  But once there the couple was told that Delta had no sky lift available to accommodate her and they only had a plastic wheelchair that could not handle Vilma's weight.

The couple then drove back to their vacation home in Hungary and seven days later their New York travel agent secured a flight on Lufthansa airlines in Frankfort.   But once Vilma boarded the flight, she was asked by the captain to deplane after personnel were unable to lift her out of her wheelchair and on to the three seats assigned to her.  The airline has stated that they did everything to try and accommodate Soltesz, even bringing in a local fire brigade.

Once again, Vilma and her Janos returned to their Hungary vacation home where her health steadily declined.  Two days later, a flight out of Vienna was secured but it was too late.  Janos found his wife dead in the bedroom as he went to tell her the news.

Janos Soltesz is planning to sue all three airlines for the death of his wife due to kidney failure.  He has stated that they did not trust the doctors in Hungary and wanted to get back to the US for proper treatment.   After nine days or more of doing all they could to get Vilma back home to her doctors in the US, time had run out for Vilma.  Janos is completely heartbroken after losing his wife of 33 years.  He feels alone and lost and wants to do whatever he can to make sure something like this does not happen to another family.

What do you think of the situation that the Soltesz family found themselves in?  Did the airline that allowed them to fly to Hungary have a contract and responsibility to help them get back to the US?  Share your thoughts below.

-Feature photo by Kuster & Wildhaber Photography