Diabetic Man Denied Boarding with Service Dog by Aeromexico

Matias Rodriguez, a Chilean construction worker living with diabetes, expressed outrage after Aeromexico staff denied him and his Great Dane service dog, Logan, boarding on a flight from Vancouver, Canada, to Chile on October 24. The airline cited the dog's size as the reason for refusal.

Vynka Contreras, a friend of Rodriguez who served as his translator, stated that Rodriguez had notified the airline in advance of his travel plans and completed all necessary paperwork. "When I went to drop my friend off at the airport, he was told that there was no seat for him to accommodate Logan and also that the dog was too big," Contreras told the Daily Mail.

Contreras noted that Logan had previously flown from Chile to Vancouver without issue, providing photographic evidence of the dog on board the aircraft during that journey. "He flew back here with no problem, so why does it make any issue flying back home? I don’t understand why," Contreras added.

Rodriguez explained that Logan is trained to detect changes in his owner's blood sugar levels and alert him to potential diabetic emergencies. According to Aeromexico's website, travel guidelines for service animals state, "There is no specific weight established to fly with a service pet."

Aeromexico's policy further clarifies that for medium or large service animals, passengers may be relocated to a seat opposite a bulkhead to prevent the animal from encroaching on other passengers' space or the aisle. Such an accommodation can be assigned at no additional charge.

Despite these guidelines, Rodriguez was denied boarding on his scheduled flight. The airline rebooked him for the following day, but he faced the same issue. Rodriguez reportedly offered to purchase three seats in a row to accommodate Logan's size, an arrangement he had successfully utilized on previous Aeromexico and other airline flights. However, airline staff allegedly informed him that he would need to purchase a first-class ticket, costing over $3,300, and even then, Logan's boarding was not guaranteed.

Due to his medical condition, Rodriguez stated that leaving Logan behind was not an option. His temporary work status in Canada had expired, and he intended to travel to Chile to reapply for his status before returning to Vancouver. "He is desperate to leave the country as his immigration status is up, trying to do the best we can," Contreras said.

In a subsequent attempt to travel, Rodriguez purchased a first-class ticket for October 31, hoping to board an Aeromexico flight with Logan. The Daily Mail has reached out to Rodriguez and Aeromexico for comment.