Just waiting to board ...

[RM2016]

I’m not sure how this could happen, I suspect it was another reason as Esta status comes into play long before boarding.

[flipflop75]

Originally Posted by ChrisS

Yes, use the Visa in your expired pp. Our B2 visa's are in our expired pp's, we carry 4pp's, hand all over to US immigration upon arrival, they check Visa in expired pp, stamp B2/180 in valid pp and hand write the Visa number.

There's a good device available for keeping all pp's together, called an elastic band apparently, the things man invents eh

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Phew, thanks for that thought i would have to go through the pain of the Embassy again!

[ChrisS]

Whilst airline desk check-in view an approval marker, final approval can come into play once check-in closes and API is forwarded to the US for puter checks. Airline advised of any ESTA rescinds, the pax is located and denied US travel, perhaps in this instance by the time the US returned an ESTA rescind flag, boarding had commenced.

US carriers tend to forward pax completed API 72 hours pre-flight, hence why some travellers receive a rescind email a day or two afore travelling to the airport. Apparently VA send API once check-in has closed.

[sky13]

I listen to the radio in the mornings and recently one of the local radio DJs was saying she couldn't board her flight to the USA because she didn't have an ESTA. Apparently she was so used to not needing a visa for most countries that she didn't realise she needed to also apply for an ESTA when visiting the USA (under the visa waiver scheme)!

To be fair, I almost did fall victim to the lack of ESTA - as I hadn't realised that my ESTA had expired! It took the reminder from the radio DJ and from someone else I was talking to to realise that I should probably check that I still had a valid ESTA...

[Mary A]

Originally Posted by Puddle5

My son was going to LV for work and all tickets were booked for him. About a week before going I said to him "You've done your Esta haven't you?" He turned around and didn't know what I was talking about. He had travelled to America many times with us as a child but not since he became an adult.

Luckily he did his straight away and it went straight through. I was amazed work hadn't told him to do one and it made me think of how many people just don't know you need one.

I am religious about reading everything sent to me but I wonder how many don't read the you 'must have a current Visa or Esta to enter USA'

With now not getting instant approval, I wonder how many miss their flights!

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If he was going for work purposes wouldn't he have needed a visa? I've always thought estas were for holidays.

[sky13]

Originally Posted by Mary A

If he was going for work purposes wouldn't he have needed a visa? I've always thought estas were for holidays.

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Not sure about the limitations of ESTA for work, but you can definitely attend conferences in the USA on an ESTA (I've done this and remember checking up the rules for it)!

[g1970]

Originally Posted by Redsnapper

Esta status is checked at the desk not at the gate - I would imagine they were refused for some other reason.

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That's what I was thinking. We have been 10 years running and the only thing checked at the gate is that your passport matches your ticket. The ESTA has always been always checked by a guy in the queue when waiting to check in, I'm guessing as it would allow time to apply for one if it had been forgotten.

[Puddle5]

Originally Posted by sky13

Not sure about the limitations of ESTA for work, but you can definitely attend conferences in the USA on an ESTA (I've done this and remember checking up the rules for it)!

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Yes he was going to a conference so no visa needed.

[shirley]

Whe DD worked at Glasgow Airport, if people didn't have esta , at check-in, they would do their best to get computer access there and then so they could apply. Most times it was a happy outcome xx

[PPM]

Originally Posted by g1970

That's what I was thinking. We have been 10 years running and the only thing checked at the gate is that your passport matches your ticket. The ESTA has always been always checked by a guy in the queue when waiting to check in, I'm guessing as it would allow time to apply for one if it had been forgotten.

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I’ve been Travelling to the US every year since ESTAs started being used and never had anyone check for ESTA in queue before checkin.