MSE News: US border agency blunder ruins holidays and costs British tourists £100s

silvercar

PompeyPete wrote: »

Can't say that I'm really looking forward to transiting Houston at the end of this month, on the way to a month of volcano spotting in Nicaragua.

I've done Houston. Long queues but quick processing.

Murphy_The_Cat

duchy wrote: »

Ha Ha
Where are the Murphs off to this year ?

to add the glaze, to the cherry, to the icing on top of the cake -- after she'd had her stern talking to and been pointed out the error of her ways (fines, jail time, future visits to US etc). Official B, by the exit, says that she needs to check her bag for contraband items. Official A, by Mrs Cat says that there is no need as the food has been confistcated and Mrs Cat has confirmed she has no more food with her.
Whilst waiting for the car hire shuttle bus, we're talking about what has just happened as we're rearranging our hand luggage/carry ons/small cases when she opens small bag B, which contained peaches, nectarines and pears. Honestly, flogging is to good for some folk.

This year we're off to Vancouver, Seattle and San Diego.
Happy, happy times and really looking forwards to it.:beer::j

PompeyPete

silvercar wrote: »

I've done Houston. Long queues but quick processing.

Thanks. Were you entering the USA or doing International transit?

Our United Airlines flight from LHR to Houston arrives at Terminal E, and our connecting United Airlines flight to Nicaragua [Managua] also departs from Terminal E.

As we're in international transit I understand that our hold luggage is checked through from LHR to Managua, and that on arrival at Houston we join the 'One Stop' queue to negotiate the ESTA/Immig formalities quickly.

We've got 3 hours between flights, so it all should go smoothly. My concern is that I can't get consistent information. The United Airlines website FAQs are are a waste of time.

DUKE

For me it was just Miami, I'd never go there again, or pass through as they seemed much worse then.

littlereddevil

Been through and entered Houston loads of times and never had a problem. Dreading Miami now on Tuesday after reading on here!

littlemissbossy

I always feel a bit scared of the US immigration, I apply the rule of to only speak if I'm spoken to!

John259

It helps enormously to have filled in all the forms 100% correctly, watching out for US date format trick (MM/DD/YY, not DD/MM/YY) etc. If they can enter your data into their computer without any hassles it tends to make them happier - or at least, give them slightly less excuse to be hostile.

Of course, not long after immigration you have the car rental agent trying to upsell, then the joy of navigating out of the city.

But then... ah! The open road. Less traffic. Less on and off ramps. Less need to keep switching lanes. Countryside. And sanity!

dzug1

VT82 wrote: »

US Border staff are vile.

OH was held for an hour with his 12 year old nephew at Orlando while I was waiting the other side of security with our luggage. Absolutely no reason to stop them. Guy was very rude. When OH said politely enough 'you're not creating the best first impression for the start of our dream holiday', he was told 'well, you don't have to come to our country'. You don't want to start you're holiday in such a foul mood because you want to do nothing but complain about disgusting border staff!

And if that is any indication of how much on a power trip the US Border Authority is, no one affected by this ESTA issue is going to get so much as an apology, let alone any compensation.

Well I can think of several possible reasons to stop them - and what your OH said cannot be said 'politely'. Whatever tone it's uttered in it's still rude.