The US is on sale this summer. Even the most guarded aviation executive concedes that bookings for transatlantic flights are “soft”. At a time when airlines would hope to charge upwards of £1,000 for a round-trip from the UK to the US, prices are being slashed to fill seats.
From London Heathrow to New York JFK on 1 August for a fortnight, Virgin Atlantic wants only £549 return. For a much longer trip on British Airways from Heathrow to Denver, I paid just £620. These are absurd fares for peak summer flights.
The catch is: when you touch down, things may be rather different from your last visit.
As soon as Donald Trump returned to the White House, he signed an executive order demanding that foreigners should be “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible” on arrival.
Since then, some high-profile deportations of travellers deemed not suitable for admission have taken place. LGBTQ+ travellers, as well as those who are politically active, may have particular concerns.
These are the key questions and answers.
Will I be able to get an Esta without too much trouble?
Probably – and even if you have no immediate plans to visit the US you should consider enrolling as soon as possible for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta), to swerve an impending price rise.
After a 50 per cent price hike in 2022, the current $21 (£16) fee is set almost to double to $40 (£30), though no date has yet been set.
The Esta scheme came into effect in 2009. These essential online permits are usually granted within a few hours.
An Esta gives permission to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Note that it does not guarantee entry; as the Australian government advises its citizens: “You can be refused entry if you provide false information or can’t satisfy the officials you’re visiting for a valid reason.”
The authorities may ask to see your return ticket or one onward to a country that is not Canada, Mexico or a Caribbean nation, and demand proof you have enough money to support yourself during your stay.
What if I have been to Cuba?
It depends when you were on the island. At the end of his first term, on 12 January 2021, President Trump designated Cuba a “state sponsor of terrorism”. Anyone who is found to have visited Cuba on or after…
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