Declined Esta prevent travel

katbig

On 13 March 2020 and 36 hrs prior to departure our previously approved Estas were declined without reason. Too late to reapply (72 hrs required) after 1 hr trying to contact officials in USA they said they would NOT reissue or provide emergency Esta. This is not COVID related as border did not close to UK until 16/03. Hence we could not travel. Travel Agent and Insurance both say we have no claim. £6500 lost. Can anyone offer advice please. I cannot lose hope in my fight for compensation. Thanks in anticipation. 

silvercar

Generally speaking it is your responsibility to ensure you have entry rights, so I wouldn't expect travel insurance or the travel agent to offer you anything in compensation. Your travel agent may have been able to cancel the flights and accommodation, but the refund would be limited at a last minute cancellation. There is even the possibility that the flights could have been rescheduled at short notice for a later date - though that would have involved a change fee. If nothing else you are entitled to the taxes back on the flights you didn't take, even claiming after the event.
I don't understand how pre-approved esta's were declined. To  my limited knowledge, once they are approved they remain valid for 2 years or until your passport expires. I don't understand why they went through a re-approval check. Can you explain this?

TELLIT01

When was the original ESTA application made?

Ganga

I know our ESTA ,s were declined but this was 17/03/20 due to covid ,the wording on the e-mail was ESTA status change .Could it not be the same on Katbig ,s

waamo

The revocation proclamation was issued on the 13th March. All Estas were effectively cancelled on  that day. If your travel was after that you couldn't go and this was due to Covid as stated in the proclamation.

Westin

katbig said:

On 13 March 2020 and 36 hrs prior to departure our previously approved Estas were declined without reason. Too late to reapply (72 hrs required) after 1 hr trying to contact officials in USA they said they would NOT reissue or provide emergency Esta. This is not COVID related as border did not close to UK until 16/03. Hence we could not travel. Travel Agent and Insurance both say we have no claim. £6500 lost. Can anyone offer advice please. I cannot lose hope in my fight for compensation. Thanks in anticipation. 

Are you UK passport holders or EU passport holders?
The EU travel restrictions came into force first and I believe from midnight US/EST on 13 March.   
UK and Irish departure points were added shortly afterwards (as you say may have been 16 March)
I suspect the cancelling of the ESTA was down to the Presidential order banning arrivals from UK/EU.
Surprised your travel insurance is not accommodating the refund.

katbig

I don’t know how to reply to individual responders, sorry. 
Silvercar our application was approved 16/01/20. Email received 1640hrs 13/03 to check our application. Footnote says this is most likely due to a more recent application using the same passport. When we spoke to an agent they would not provide a reason nor issue an emergency Esta.

We are UK passport holders. Our flights were meant to be via Frankfurt.
 When USA closed borders to Europe (not UK) our travel agent hastily and with extra cost got flights changed to UK departure. We explained this to Esta agent on the phone but was still refused a reissue.

Waaamo please can you tell me what the revocation proclamation is. I have been told that because the US border was still open and our plane did depart albeit without us Covid19 is not the reason why we couldn’t go. Our travel agent says there are no monies to be refunded and it is out of their hands.

Thanks all for taking the time to look at my post. 

katbig

waamo. Just looked at the proclamation and on that date 13/03 it refers to people from or have travelled through Schengen region so does not apply in our case. Regards

silvercar

waamo said:

The revocation proclamation was issued on the 13th March. All Estas were effectively cancelled on  that day. If your travel was after that you couldn't go and this was due to Covid as stated in the proclamation.

That will be the reason then. Esta's no longer accepted as a replacement for a full visa.
Your insurance may pay out, complain if it doesn't as you have nothing to lose.

heatherw_01

katbig said:

waamo. Just looked at the proclamation and on that date 13/03 it refers to people from or have travelled through Schengen region so does not apply in our case. Regards

As you were going via Frankfurt from the 13th (when the Schengen restrictions started) this is why you would have been denied boarding.
Germany is in the Schengen area

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/presidential-proclamation--travel-from-europe.html

sheramber

katbig said:

waamo. Just looked at the proclamation and on that date 13/03 it refers to people from or have travelled through Schengen region so does not apply in our case. Regards

America ( Trump) may not have realised UK and  Ireland  were not in the Schengen area, hence they were added  on 14 March.