Overview

• Mery Caldass says she asked ChatGPT if a visa was needed for Puerto Rico and, after being told no, was denied boarding for lacking an approved ESTA.
• Airline staff blocked the couple at the gate, and Caldass’s tearful TikTok drew mixed reactions, with many faulting reliance on a chatbot for critical travel details.
• Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory where most Europeans do not need a visa for short visits but must obtain ESTA authorization under the Visa Waiver Program.
• The pair later secured the required authorization and reached Puerto Rico, posting from a Bad Bunny concert soon after.
• Coverage notes that question wording and language can lead AI tools to omit preclearance requirements and urges checks with government or airline websites, with no OpenAI comment reported.