19 Aug 10 Traveling to the US from the UK?
Since January 2009, British Citizens who have travelled to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program have been required to apply for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). Until now, there has been no charge for this service by the US Authorities. However, effective 08 September 2010, they will be introducing a charge of $14 (£9) for all ESTA applications.
Even if you have no current plans to travel to or via the US, it is recommended that you request a new ESTA prior to 08 September to avoid paying the new service charge. Each ESTA is valid for 2 years or until the date of expiry on your passport, whichever is the earlier. Even if you already have an existing ESTA, you can apply for a new one at any time which will give you a longer period of validity. It is strongly recommended that you keep a copy of your ESTA approval for future reference.
You can apply for your ESTA online at the official website: – please be aware of unofficial sites which are making additional charges for the service.
ESTA is a required “travel permit;” it is not an actual US visa. ESTA Applicants must also have a valid machine-readable passport. UK travellers without an approved ESTA Travel Authorization or a valid US Visitor Visa will be denied boarding on all USA-bound flights. The US government recommends that you apply for ESTA at least 72 hours prior to travelling to the US. For further information about the Visa Waiver Program, please go to The London US Embassy Site
This information provided by Dial-A-Flight.com. Call them on +44 (0)1732-593086
Tags: authorities, british citizens, electronic system, expiry, flights, london, machine readable passport, travel authorization, uk travellers, us embassy, us visitor visa, validity, visa waiver program
10 Apr 08 US Airport Delays
I’m not scared of flying.
I do always have that feeling of apprehension in my mind that something might go wrong though, and I don’t mean with the airplane itself.
I don’t like the hustle and bustle of airports; being herded around from one line to another; the delays, chaos, and endless waiting. As I’m around 6ft tall, I never find flights very comfortable either -certainly not long haul.
Ok, so it’s not always that bad.
I’ve taken many flights where I’ve turned up, and boarded, left on time, got to the other end early and got through immigration/baggage reclaim/customs etc, without any real issues.
Now, as a libertarian, I’m all for Government butting out of people’s lives, and out of business, and getting rid of as much red tape as possible, and just letting everyone get on with their lives.
However, I am heartened to see that the F.A.A is itse’f being taken to task for cosying up to the airline industry over safety checks and that audits are now taking place that are leading to huge swathes of flights being grounded.
No one wants to be delayed, but I know I would rather be delayed a while, than not get there at all.
There hasn’t been a major large jet disaster in the United States since that American Airlines jet crashed in Queens in the fall of 2001.
Airlines must make safety checks as mandated, and the F.A.A must be, and must be seen to be, the policemen in this role, and there must be no excuses or leeway given to airlines not to perform these checks.
After all, what’s the point of having big Government agencies in the first place, if they don’t perform the tasks they were set up to do?
Tags: airline industry, airplane, airports, american airlines, american airlines jet, apprehension, audits, bustle, chaos, customs, disaster, federal aviation authority, flights, government agencies, immigration, leeway, long haul, policemen, red tape, safety checks, united states
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