ESTA system down. Esta holders unable to check-in/board flights.

[bighal]

It seems the ESTA system is down and anyone currently due to travel on an ESTA isn't being able to check in or board a flight. This is for all airlines by the way, BA,VS,TUI,AA,DL etc
Currently only those with US or Canadian passports, US residents and those with US visas can be checked and allowed to board flights to the US.

Also no-one can apply for one either.

[jim jehosofat]

Chaos at Heathrow

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...rify-esta.html

[Shani]

Looks like paper copies not sufficient either?

[LOU LOU DISNEY]

Originally Posted by Shani

Looks like paper copies not sufficient either?

See more...

Oh wow! I thought you’d of been safe to go if esta was down & you had printed it off?

[Gryff]

The whole of Heathrow is bedlam
I’m sat in the bA lounge arrived back this morning via Charlotte the Tampa flight was late on wed to run form C gates to aBgates
Folk with kids bags etc that had been cancelled Saturday and is old retired folks they did hold the flight but when we git to Heathrow Edinburgh Glasgow connecting flights cancelled
40 mins in a the connections line and would she put me on the Edinburgh flight we live between both it and Glasgow nope Nada
Had to go air an other 3 hours for a Glasgow one even though he no said that’s going to cost you Edinburgh one I’d have been home before this one leaves
BA of course

[Welshjim22]

Because nobody can fake a printed piece of normal paper.

[Welshjim22]

It is crazy there is no resilience process in place. You could instruct the airlines they won't be penalised for anyone found on arrival not to have an Esta, you could offload any new or recent bookings (people knowingly trying to take advantage) etc.

Russian hack on election results day?

The risk I expect is quite

[Softy]

Originally Posted by LOU LOU DISNEY

Oh wow! I thought you’d of been safe to go if esta was down & you had printed it off?

See more...

The paper is always pretty irrelevant. If they can’t verify it through the system, which is normally done behind the scenes, then it’s a huge issue. Waving a bit of paper at them would mean nothing in this scenario.

[glenandem]

esta is a bit of a joke anyway, I know people who have criminal records and have said no on the online forms and got in ok, not that I would take that risk lol
never understood why people say to print esta off though when they won't accept paper copies anyway.
funnily enough I was checking my esta last night and took me a few times to get into it.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Must be back working. The BA2037 to MCO is taxiing at Gatwick.