Information Regarding ESTA Visa programme for the USA
For anyone who is thinking of travelling to the USA, you need to be aware that a little over two years ago the system for visa waiver was changed, and the new ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) came into being.
The ESTA form can only be filled out now online and has replaced the old paper visa waver forms that travellers to the USA used to be asked to fill out while on their flight. Now, before you travel, you will need to make sure you’ve filled this online form in and received official notification that you are eligible to travel within the USA without a visa.
It is mandatory for all visitors from the UK to fill this in regardless of their age, so from newborn to elderly you will still need one of these. Most people’s applications are processed very quickly and notification is received almost instantly, but official advice is that it is best to complete this form at least 72 hours before you travel just in case there are any delays in the process.
The new ESTA process can only be completed online, and there is no alternative paper version. We advise that it’s probably best to complete this at the same time as booking your holiday so that you know that your application has been successful.
The application costs $14 per person, and it states this clearly on the official website. Do be careful that you are using the official website as there are a number of scam sites around which will try to overcharge you.
Once you’ve filled in the application, you’ll receive a notification on the site with an authorisation number. It is important that you write down this number or print out the page as this is not e-mailed to you.
The ESTA is valid for either two years or until your passport expires (whichever is sooner). When it expires, you re-visit the website and re-apply, and are then issued with a new number.
It is important to make sure you have completed this before you attempt to travel as without it, you are unlikely to be allowed to even board a flight, and if you do manage to reach the USA without one, then you will be turned back by US Border Protection.
Useful Links
http://backpackingholidays.org.uk/esta-information-for-entry-to-the-usa
http://blog.netflights.com/2011/02/16/before-you-travel-the-united-states-esta-scheme/
https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
Join the longest beach scene ever with Netflights.com!
Be part of something big! Help Netflights.com create the longest beach scene ever in the Netflights.com 2011 ‘Longest Beach Scene Challenge’…
Remember the beach scene in the James Bond film ‘Dr No’ – Ursula Andress in that famous bikini? Or maybe the classic scene with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr rolling in the waves in ‘From Here to Eternity’? Well forget them, here comes a beach scene to blow all others out of the water …
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Take a break from normal holidays with Exodus
As spring slowly creeps forward many people are thinking about where they will head on holiday this year. While there are the usual choices which include the beach, historical attractions, or resorts, why not break away from the norm and have a holiday experience that you will never forget. With Exodus adventure holidays you can be sure that every moment will be new and fresh making it an appealing prospect for those who are bored of the same old fortnight in the sun.
After all, why relax on the beach when you can relax in the desert on a camel as he leads you through a tour of the area. If you are lucky you may even get to see a tiger or two as they patrol the area. As part of your tour, you may even get to do a little fast paced exploring and discovery aboard a 4 x4 jeep as you fly through the dunes in what is popularly referred to as sand dune racing.
If hot temperatures are not your thing, ‘reset your compass’ as Exodus suggests and book an adventure tour for Antarctica or the North Pole where you can see the tundra world of penguins, whales, and walruses up close. If you need more excitement than the animals then you can try the high speed jet skis that will propel you across the frozen ice in no time or take a day to go dog sled racing with the professionals and their own personal ‘Baltos.’
With so much to offer and available tours for almost every continent on earth, why not have a true experience this year with the company that after 35 years of experience can guarantee you a trip that you will never forget. Voted Top Travel Company of the Year by dozens of reviewers and critics, let Exodus show you how holidays should really be done.
Watch this video.
Airlines reluctant to refund Air Passenger Duty on cancelled air tickets according to ATAB
The Air Travel Advisory Bureau (www.atab.org.uk) is taking up the cause of UK air passengers who have not received refunds, running into millions of pounds, on Air Passenger Duty (APD), on cancelled air tickets.
The APD tax is only paid to the government by the airline if the passenger actually flies but if the passenger doesn’t fly, that money should be refunded in full. Some airlines make the process of getting a refund either difficult or so expensive in “administration charges” that they hope it will put people off applying.
The Consumer Association’s magazine Which estimated that Ryanair, as far back as 2003 pocketed in excess of five million pounds, in that year alone, in un-refunded taxes. A spokesman for HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) told ATAB today that they had no way of knowing how much APD was being held back because airlines are not obliged to report how much income was gained from not refunding APD tax. Airlines simply report the withheld taxes as part of their general income. HMRC only requires airlines to report the numbers of departing passengers on flights, and therefore how much APD is due per flight. The HMRC spokesman said, “Air Passenger Duty is only payable to HMRC if the passenger boards their flight. Any passenger who has paid APD for a flight that they do not subsequently take should contact the airline.”
As well as dealing with the APD scandal, ATAB will be fighting for much more transparency in the way airfares are advertised as they believe the airfares quoted by so-called ‘budget’ airlines are often pure fabrication. A £20 fare can turn into £150 once taxes, luggage, printing a boarding pass, check-in and all the other unavoidable essentials of flying are added in. No other industry is allowed to get away with such blatant exploitation of its customers.
The Air Travel Advisory Bureau (ATAB) was first established in 1982 by Tony White. It was one of the first flight comparison organisations, long before anyone even had access to the Internet. With more than forty years of experience in the travel business, he decided to re-launch ATAB with the aim of informing travellers of their rights, lobbying for a fairer deal for air travellers and demanding transparency in the cost of airline tickets.
“I am amazed that the airline industry has been allowed to sink to its present condition. In the last ten years air travel is the only major form of transportation that has gone backwards.” said Tony White, Chairman of ATAB.
Former MP and government Consumer Minister Nigel Griffiths has joined the ATAB team.
“It is frankly shocking that some airlines are pocketing millions of pounds by keeping to themselves taxes they are simply not entitled to. I have written to the chief executives of all the major airlines asking them to voluntarily refund taxes to passengers who are unable to fly. Otherwise we will campaign to strengthen consumer law to make refunding mandatory.”
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