Does anyone check ESTA?

[john storey]

We've just returned from 16 day trip to Orlando, on this trip & on last years trip no one asked/checked or even refered to the ESTA application, ie have we got one, can we see copy of one etc.

 

[2Tiggies]

They don't ask to see it because it is all in the system. It is a paperless process and they even tell you that you are not required to print the page for you. If you don't do it before leaving it won't be on the system when you enter immigration and that is where I wouldn't want to test them out to find out what happens.

 

[scottishgirl87]

We didn't get asked last month either, I just assumed when they swipe your passport your ESTA would come up from there seeing as it's linked to your passport number

 

[2Tiggies]

We didn't get asked last month either, I just assumed when they swipe your passport your ESTA would come up from there seeing as it's linked to your passport number

From what I have read on the official websites this is the impression I get too.

 

[disneydaft]

It's checked "behind the scenes". If you never had ESTA approval you would not get checked in, let alone on the aircraft.

 

[Helen B]

I think it all comes up on the immigration computers, as when we were going through the immigration process, after he swiped our passports he asked where we were staying. He didn't even look at our green cards, because (I'm assuming) all the info from the ESTA was there.

 

[MyBubbles]

When I flew with Virgin last year to Vegas and checked in using Twilight Check In and the woman pre-checking passports were refusing to let anyone in the line without having a copy of their ESTA in paper form (which I thought was strange because it did say on the website you didn't need to print it off). I hope they changed this "rule" because they upset alot of people trying to check in causing undue stress when it's not needed. I always print everything off anyway, but not everyone is overly prepared like us DISers ;-)

 

[cantwait!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Oh no now Im worried,we didnt print out our estas as we had ran out of paper and it clearly said you didnt need to ! We did write down the reference numbers. Hope we will be ok, we're flying with BA.

 

[Pegasus928]

Oh no now Im worried,we didnt print out our estas as we had ran out of paper and it clearly said you didnt need to ! We did write down the reference numbers. Hope we will be ok, we're flying with BA.

I wouldn't be the slightest bit worried. As far as I am aware no airline would have any legal grounds to refuse you travel based on the fact that you ddn't have hard copies of your ESTA approval.
I had a look aorund the Virgin Atlantic site and it states that it is the passengers responsibility and that they will not be allowed to travel without it, but it doesnt say anything about having to present it at check-in.
It's worth bearing in mind at this point that ESTA is only an authorisation to travel and does not allow you access to the US. This is determined by the immigration officer on arrival.

 

[wilma-bride]

Don't be worried - we travelled with Virgin last october and were not asked to show our ESTA. They have no right to refuse boarding unless of course you haven't applied for (or been approved for) ESTA - and, even then, I'm npt sure whether they can refuse boarding or whether it is just that the States can refuse entry Seriously, dont worry about it

 

[MyBubbles]

I wouldn't worry about it either. As long as you have the numbers with you you can always go to one of the internet stations at the airport and use the printers there. I would like to say though that when I flew to the USA with BA they never asked to see anything - it could just be a airline specific.

 

[Disneymad]

If you never had ESTA approval you would not get checked in, let alone on the aircraft.

I know someone who went to New York for a long weekend just before Christmas and she got turned back only once she reached Immigration.

Now that could just be down to which airline she flew with, but I very much doubt any airline would have access to the US government immigration database which is what they'd need to check if there was an active ESTA.

If you haven't printed out your ESTA then really, don't worry about it - you'll be fine

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

Do we still have to do green cards - anyone been in last few weeks? Last year we had to ESTA and green card, but they are supposed to be phasing out green card so where are they up to with this?

 

[2Tiggies]

I know someone who went to New York for a long weekend just before Christmas and she got turned back only once she reached Immigration.

I am assuming that was because she didn't apply for one, not because she didn't print her ESTA?

 

[disneydaft]

I know someone who went to New York for a long weekend just before Christmas and she got turned back only once she reached Immigration.

Now that could just be down to which airline she flew with, but I very much doubt any airline would have access to the US government immigration database which is what they'd need to check if there was an active ESTA.

If you haven't printed out your ESTA then really, don't worry about it - you'll be fine

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8469111.stm

But British Airways and American Airlines Major are advising travellers to apply at least 72 hours in advance.

Both airlines have said people without valid Esta forms will not be allowed to board flights to the US.

They definitely do share information regarding ESTAs the same as they do with API information. Its been a few years since I flew to America so don't know if they still have the staff with laptops scanning your pasports. They guys worked for US Imigration.

Your friend must have slipped through the system.


From another forum

Got a delay at T5 as BA said I did not have an ESTA. It seemed to be apparent that the passport number was being sent to DHS and they get a Yes/No back from them. Fortunately I had printed out the DHS confirmation screen from ESTA registration and was able to show this, although it tells you this is not required at the airport. After some discussion it was traced to the BA passport number scanner having read one of the digits of my passport number as a letter "O" whereas I has entered it correctly on the ESTA as digit 0, so it returned a mismatch. I got the impression from overhearing the phone discussions, once the relevant expert was contacted, that this was by no means the first time this had happened; clearly the systems still need some fine tuning. As far as I can recall UK passport numbers should not have alpha characters in them at all.

 

[Disneymad]

I am assuming that was because she didn't apply for one, not because she didn't print her ESTA?

Yarr. She thought she could just do the green one still so didn't bother with the ESTA at all. They just turned her straight around on arrival. Not sure who she was flying with though.

 

[Disneymad]

Ah, my bad. Thanks for clarifying that Disneydaft

Your friend must have slipped through the system.

She probably just flew with someone else, also as I mentioned she did it before xmas but that article was written in January, so might have been due to that too.

 

[2Tiggies]

Yarr. She thought she could just do the green one still so didn't bother with the ESTA at all. They just turned her straight around on arrival. Not sure who she was flying with though.

I have seen a few gripes from travellers to the USA, not just on the DIS mind you, that travel agents are not always too efficient at making a point of explaining the importance of ESTAs. A mum from my DD's school was planning a July trip to Orlando and mentioned she had been to Thomas Cook for some info about late bookings. She uses them a lot for European travel and they know she likes her last minute deals - and I mean serious last minute, as in the day before type of thing. She was told if she is flexible and wants to chance it she can do this. I mentioned ESTAs to her and it was the first she had heard of it.

Ultimately it is the consumer's responsibility to read terms and conditions thoroughly, but let's face it - way too many folk don't read them at all. I do think it needs to pop up on the screen when booking online and prominent reference should be made when booking through an agent.

 

[Helen B]

Just to add to this - YES you still have to fill out a green card, but I think they are going soon, mind you I thought they would have already been phased out

 

[2Tiggies]

Just to add to this - YES you still have to fill out a green card, but I think they are going soon, mind you I thought they would have already been phased out

Some folk have reported not having to fill them in over the last few months - but this is inconsistent and seems to depend on the airline. It looks hopeful though that they are on their way out. The only thing that irritates me about these is that half the passengers don't seem to have a pen