"Elderly individual (76 years old) stranded on an island due to persistent presence of a parrot"
In an unexpected turn of events, a 76-year-old woman from New York, Maria Fraterrigo, found herself stranded on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico on April 9, 2025. The cause of her predicament? A refusal by Frontier Airlines to allow her emotional support parrot, Plucky, on a return flight.
Maria had travelled to Puerto Rico with Plucky, a gray parrot that has been providing her with emotional support since the death of her husband. The pair had no issues boarding the flight to Puerto Rico, but on their return journey, airline employees at the gate in San Juan announced that Plucky should not have been taken on the outward flight, claiming it was a mistake.
The situation remained at an impasse as Maria wanted to go home with Plucky, but the airline strictly refused to take the parrot again. The airline employees' statement was reportedly direct: "No, no, that was their mistake, not ours. If you want to fly, you have to leave the bird here."
Maria had an important medication and a doctor's appointment in New York that she could not attend while stranded in Puerto Rico. Her son, Robert, was at a loss as he could not repatriate his mother due to the denial of Plucky on the flight.
The incident gained attention, and pressure from CBS and politicians eventually led to Maria's return home. However, the specific details of her return journey are not mentioned in this report.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in Maria's case with Frontier Airlines to enable her return from Puerto Rico with her emotional support bird, Plucky. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of emotional support animals to individuals and the need for airlines to accommodate them appropriately.
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