Thorne Travel and Glen Travel, both in Scotland, have each had clients have their Estas revoked shortly before they were due to travel. Thorne has issued a warning to clients, and urged other agencies to be vigilant and strengthen their checks following a succession of pre-departure incidents.
"We’re seeing a rise in cases where previously approved Estas are being revoked without notice," said Thorne Travel in a recent warning to clients travelling to the US. "Some travellers have been denied boarding, and airlines report this is happening daily. No reason is given."
TTG understands US Customs and Border Protection continues to check for new information or a change in status of travellers after their Esta is approved.
Thorne Travel owner Shona Thorne told TTG how one member of a group of four found their Esta had been revoked just as they set off from Scotland to the US via Dublin.
"We were just gobsmacked," she said. "We quickly reapplied for them and it came through while they were in the air [to Dublin]. If it hadn’t, they would have had to have waited until the next day to travel. It was stressful for everyone involved.”
Efforts to resolve the situation proved frustrating, she said. “A call tells you to go to the Embassy, or try doing another Esta," Thorne continued. "That’s another cost. They can’t tell you the reason why it’s been revoked.”
'At least one a day'
This incident was followed by another, in which a family of four Thorne Travel clients had their Estas revoked a day before they were due to travel. "I spoke to a check-in supervisor who told me there’s at least one a day," said Thorne. "There’s at least nine we know of that have had to reapply."
Thorne warned approval of new applications could take “up to 72 hours”. The $21 Esta fee is payable if clients need to make a new application in the event their original is revoked. That $21 fee will rise to $40 at the end of the month.
Thorne is advising clients to check their Esta status via the official Esta website (esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta) 96 hours in advance of travel and again 24 hours before flying.
Thorne Travel owner Shona Thorne (Credit: Thorne Travel)
"If it’s revoked or missing, reapply immediately - processing isn’t instant," she said, urging other agents to plan ahead – or encourage their clients to. "If an issue arises, only a fresh Esta approval will resolve it, and this can take time.”
She added: “We’d love to provide a reason, but none is given by the authorities, and we aren’t able to see or influence these decisions.”
Glen Travel has also had issues. "We had a similar situation," said operations manager Debbie Black. "The clients’ Estas were revoked with absolutely no notification, and it was only discovered when they checked in for their flight. Fortunately, they immediately reapplied and made their flights with just 10 minutes to spare.”
'Hugely stressful'
It is unclear how widespread the issue is. The Scottish Passenger Agents' Association said: “We’ve seen a small but noticeable rise in cases where Esta approvals are suddenly revoked very close to travel.
"Although re-applications have so far been successful, the uncertainty can be hugely stressful for travellers. In today’s world, online activity is under more scrutiny than ever, and this may be a factor, though no official reason is given.”
Abta, Hays Travel and Visit USA all told TTG they were unaware of any specific issues.
Kate Kenward, chief executive of Visit USA, said: “Visit USA recommends travel agents and tour operators regularly check on Esta policy through the relevant website pages for the US Embassy for the most up to date information.”
She added the UK was the third largest international market to the US and was “currently showing growth in arrivals”.
US Customs and Border Protection told TTG: “A traveller who may have a question on a change in status may contact the Traveler Communications Center at 1-202-325-8000 or submit an inquiry through the CBP Info Center.”
