New $10 fee

[howlongtillsummer?]

My travel agent rang me today to make sure I had done them - telling me about the fee coming in. I hadn't the heart to tell her that I read about out on here days ago!!!!!

 

[luke]

Just done mine for August, thanks for the heads up

 

[maznorm]

Does anyone know when this coming in?

Personally, I think it's a bit of a cheek asking us to pay $10 so they can use the money to spend on advertising to encourage us to go there!!

I am ok with all of the extra security (in fact I positively encourage it) but.....

So many people I know have stopped going to the US just because the whole process combined with rude, abrasive passport control people, has just made the whole experience so uncomfortable and nerve wracking that they just don't want to do it anymore. This will just put another load of people off going and no brand spanking million dollar advert for America is going to change that!!

 

[jackieleanne]

May have to do ours even though we aren't planning on going until next year.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[diddldonna]

What are ESTA's?

I really don't understand all this? will i have to pay for my holiday in September? I have a package through virgin.

 

[luke]

What are ESTA's?

I really don't understand all this? will i have to pay for my holiday in September? I have a package through virgin.

They're like the 'new' Visa Waiver programs. You can do your September ones now to beat the charge.

Tho each time I've been to America since ESTA's were brought in, I've had to fill in the green waiver form on the plane anyway

 

[2Tiggies]

I know - and grabbing half a dozen spares for when (not if) I write something on the wrong line!!

Where do you grab the spares? I always forget about them and remember when I get handed one one the plane!!!!!

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

I asked for them at check in! She gave me a good few. Also they have lots in the immigration hall at Sanford but that is too late for my liking!! The cabin crew should be able to give spares too but never asked them.

 

[2Tiggies]

The cabin crew should be able to give spares too but never asked them.

Thanks! No I wouldn't ask the cabin crew. They are usually too busy running around after people who don't have pens .... I always take a few so that I can pass a couple on to some of the poor souls. I never go anywhere without a pen or ten.

ETA: Just having a chuckle as remember flying back from Cape Town in South Africa a few years ago and they made us all hand over our pens at security (???!!!) Then when forms were handed out on the plane nobody had any!

 

[syko]

This new fee was passed in to law today.

Homeland security has said that it will take them 5 to 12 months to have the equipment it place to collect the fee.

 

[Julia Ann]

If the 10 dollars is to replace filling in the green form as you get on the flight i'm for it! How stressed i used to get filling them in you are already stressing about "have i got everything? have i switched the gas off?" I remember our first trip in 1995 and being given the forms to fill in on the plane 7 hours into the flight - OMG what a nitemare that was!!!! anyway - hate parting with my cash but i guess there's no choice on this but for a less stressful trip will be a benefit i suppose.

 

[stephensmum]

This new fee was passed in to law today.

Homeland security has said that it will take them 5 to 12 months to have the equipment it place to collect the fee.

Thank you, I was just going to ask this.

 

[SimonV]

The ESTA and new $10 fee will eventually replace the green visa waiver form but, as syko points out, it is going to take them some time to get all the right mechanisms in place to collect and store the info and fees.

I'm seriously hoping most people don't see this as a new 'tax' on US visitors (although it could certainly be construed as such) as it will go a long way to making the whole US tourist process more visitor friendly, with new training programmes for immigration officials and better (and quicker) arrival procedures. This has been a HUGE issue for the US travel industry and has taken a lot of work to turn into law, and the fact is that the tourist business will have to match every $ that is taken in fees, thus ensuring their international marketing and, more importantly, their ability to lobby on behalf of tourist issues, is a lot better than it has been.

And just as a point of comparison, Susan and I are just back from a trip to Chile (pre-earthquake) and, as an American visitor, she had to pay a whopping $136 'reciprocity fee', in cash, on arrival As a UK visitor, I escaped the 'fee', but it does give you an idea of what other countries already charge for things like this, and it does make you wonder!