US to charge £9 for Esta compulsory travel entry form

[TightSlot]

Originally Posted by paulc

Airline crews are still slightly confused

Possibly, in some cases, but one of the problems with distributing necessary paperwork is that many people do not understand (unsurprisingly) what the ESTA is - Here's a fairly typical exchange on board...

CC: Do you and your family have a U.S. Visa Sir?
Pax: Yes
CC: Really?
Pax: Yes!
CC: May I see your passport for a moment please ?
Pax: Sure, take a look
CC: There doesn't appear to be a U.S. Visa in this passport sir? - Did you visit the Embassy and spend a huge amount of money for the privilege of waiting around all day for two very short interviews?
Pax: No - We got it online

If I'd taken him at his word on the second line, he would have received a white I-94. This may not have been what happened in your instance paulc, but it does in many - you have to probe a little, and use experience and thought to get the truth.

My other favorite...

CC: Do you and your family have a U.S. Visa Sir?
Pax: No - I have a Green Card
CC: That's Great, just join the U.S. Citizens queue at Immigration and welcome home!
Pax: Welcome Home? I'm on vacation?
CC: But you have a Green Card?
Pax: Yes - My friend got some extra on his last flight and I've filled them out in advance
CC: Aaaah! Thank you Grasshopper - Now I understand! - and so on...

We are one of the trial airlines for paperless U.S. immigration i.e. the ESTA information is used in lieu of the green I-94W. A surprising number of people refuse to believe us when we tell them, and so we give them a green placebo to complete - which is then discarded at CBP when the present.