Passenger with dialysis machine initially barred from KLM flight, later allowed to travel
Ben "Spudman" Newman, who relies on a portable dialysis machine, says KLM's check-in staff refused his equipment for exceeding a weight limit, forcing him to miss a flight to Croatia before the airline later agreed to carry the device
Ben Newman, a 40-year-old street food vendor known as "Spudman," said he was refused boarding on a KLM flight to Croatia after check-in staff declined to accept his dialysis machine because it exceeded a handling weight limit, forcing him to miss the scheduled departure.
Newman, a father of nine who has lived with kidney failure since 2010 and relies on a portable dialysis device, told viewers in a video posted to his Instagram account that the machine weighs about 45 to 50 kilograms and that airline staff told him they would not handle items over 32 kilograms. He said the equipment is life-sustaining and that he would not travel without it because he can survive only two to three days without dialysis.
In the clip, Newman said he had arranged the travel through "the right channels" and had approvals for his special medical needs, but was turned away at the check-in desk. He said KLM staff told him the machine would need to travel as cargo or possibly be carried on a subsequent flight. Newman said he was told the carrier's medical team had indicated the device could travel but that desk staff had not authorized it.
He later posted an update from the departure lounge showing the dialysis machine positioned between his legs and said that airline staff had become "very helpful," allowing him to carry the device onto the aircraft himself. Newman said he faced a five-hour layover in Amsterdam before continuing to Croatia.
The episode highlights the challenges some passengers who depend on medical devices can face at airports, where standard baggage weight limits and handling policies can conflict with the needs of travelers requiring special equipment. Newman said he had sought to follow airline procedures for medical assistance and that he was initially told by check-in staff that the machine was too heavy to handle.
Daily Mail, which first reported the account, said it had contacted KLM for comment. The airline did not issue a statement in the social-media posts Newman shared; he described later interactions as cooperative once ground staff agreed to let him carry the machine onto the plane.
Newman's account drew attention on social media, where he has several hundred thousand followers, as well as to broader questions about the processes that airlines use to handle medically necessary equipment. Newman urged other dialysis patients to be cautious when flying with that carrier, saying in his video, "If you are a dialysis patient, don't fly with KLM." The report did not include an immediate response from KLM to that warning.
Travelers who require medical devices are generally advised to confirm arrangements with carriers well in advance and to carry documentation, but specific airline policies vary. Newman said he had arranged approvals before travel and described the initial refusal as inconsistent with the permissions he believed had been granted. He ultimately boarded the flight after the airline permitted him to carry the machine himself.