US to charge USD14 for ESTAs as from 9 September

[Flashback]

Still won't load for me in Salzburg.

 

[kpc]

You have to pay now....just tried to do an ESTA for a family member to beat the charge but alas too late...

 

[gilby08]

What are the payment options? AMEX/Diners/MC/VISA?

 

[DC3]

From the Electronic System for Travel Authorization Web Site: "This application will only accept the following credit cards: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover". Discover Card being mainly a US credit Card.

 

[Flashback]

Typical, eh. Site is down .. then magically back up once the deadline has passed.

 

[jb747]

So, shouldn't we be charging Americans to enter our wonderful country?

Tit for tat charges and procedures are quite common. For instance we charge Argentinians for an Australian visa, so they return the favour. On a similar note, the US fingerprints people, so some countries fingerprint arriving US citizens (only).

The justification for this charge is interesting though. Supposedly $4 to pay for running the system, with the rest going to help their tourist industry. Seems they are one of the few countries in the world suffering a long term reduction in tourist numbers. Perhaps an attitude adjustment for their front line would help. Last time I paxed into the US (from Europe to NYC), the queue at immigration took hours, the bloke at the head of the line was abrupt and rude. Quite honestly, by the time I left the airport I would have quite happily gotten back on an aircraft to the other side of the Atlantic.

 

[notzac]

Discover Card being mainly a US credit Card.

It seems a little odd that they'd have Discover cards listed, given that (I'm guessing here, but) it's probably really difficult to get a Discover card outside the US

 

[drron]

Tit for tat charges and procedures are quite common. For instance we charge Argentinians for an Australian visa, so they return the favour. On a similar note, the US fingerprints people, so some countries fingerprint arriving US citizens (only).

The justification for this charge is interesting though. Supposedly $4 to pay for running the system, with the rest going to help their tourist industry. Seems they are one of the few countries in the world suffering a long term reduction in tourist numbers. Perhaps an attitude adjustment for their front line would help. Last time I paxed into the US (from Europe to NYC), the queue at immigration took hours, the bloke at the head of the line was abrupt and rude. Quite honestly, by the time I left the airport I would have quite happily gotten back on an aircraft to the other side of the Atlantic.

Though arriving in ORD on 3rd September we were through Immigration and customs in about 10 minutes.

 

[NM]

Though arriving in ORD on 3rd September we were through Immigration and customs in about 10 minutes.

And the inconsistency is part of the problem. You can't plan on it always being good. Sometimes you can be through in 10 mins and other times its takes 2 hours.

 

[drewbles]

The USA have it all wrong. They just need to pay $3m to say, Bert Newton* to fly his (ex TV show) viewers to the USA and they can drop the $10 tourism fee

*Bert Newton used as an example only, I'm sure we could send someone else just as unknown