Declined Esta prevent travel

TELLIT01

katbig said:

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.

The highlighted sections would seem to explain what happened.  A new request was sent for the same passpost number when flights from Europe was blocked.  That effectively cancelled the original application approved on 16/1/20, and no new requests were being authorised.  There doesn't seem to be any valid reason for the insurer to refuse a refund.  If you have no luck their try your credit card company.  Keep copies of all communication.

mattyprice4004

It’s rubbish, but your best luck lies with your insurer - the travel agent / airline has no liability as it was an entry requirement that changed. 

photome

I have read many reports of Estas being cancelled , but mine hasn’t . It seems to be random.

OP I think your travel insurance should pay out

Sandtree

Most travel insurance will not cover cancelled holidays when the reason is about visas or equivalent else someone who is 99% sure they'd be rejected for a visa (eg due to an extensive serious previous criminal record) could book everything, get declined and get all their money back from the insurer.

I've not followed the US situation, I'd only go there if you paid me (unfortunately work does more often than I'd like), and so not sure if the termination of ESTA/Visas was the mechanism used to close the border or if it was in addition to other actions?

It would be helpful to see the wording of the travel insurance in question to have a better idea as to how it may respond.

jonesMUFCforever

photome said:

I have read many reports of Estas being cancelled , but mine hasn’t . It seems to be random.

OP I think your travel insurance should pay out

Have you actually checked your own ESTA?
Or it could be that only people with a 'live' flight find their ESTA's withdrawn?
As the U.S. Border authority will not accept travel from non U.S. citizens you might find that you would be declined access.

photome

jonesMUFCforever said:

photome said:

I have read many reports of Estas being cancelled , but mine hasn’t . It seems to be random.

OP I think your travel insurance should pay out

Have you actually checked your own ESTA?
Or it could be that only people with a 'live' flight find their ESTA's withdrawn?
As the U.S. Border authority will not accept travel from non U.S. citizens you might find that you would be declined access.

I checked a few weeks back and it was ok and I had a live flight which I have now moved to April next year, but will check again

i realise that having an ESTA at the mo is worthless but that’s different to actually having it cancelled

just checked and it is still authorised

waamo

photome said:

jonesMUFCforever said:

photome said:

I have read many reports of Estas being cancelled , but mine hasn’t . It seems to be random.

OP I think your travel insurance should pay out

Have you actually checked your own ESTA?
Or it could be that only people with a 'live' flight find their ESTA's withdrawn?
As the U.S. Border authority will not accept travel from non U.S. citizens you might find that you would be declined access.

I checked a few weeks back and it was ok and I had a live flight which I have now moved to April next year, but will check again

i realise that having an ESTA at the mo is worthless but that’s different to actually having it cancelled

just checked and it is still authorised

If you look on the Esta site the wording states that any attempt to travel to the US will result in your Esta being cancelled and entry denied.

Im guessing they are leaving them as valid as they are useless anyway. It will stop thousands of applications once they reopen their borders if they remain valid but unusable. I guess it's just so they don't have to deal with a flood of applications that may swamp the system.

photome

waamo said:

photome said:

jonesMUFCforever said:

photome said:

I have read many reports of Estas being cancelled , but mine hasn’t . It seems to be random.

OP I think your travel insurance should pay out

Have you actually checked your own ESTA?
Or it could be that only people with a 'live' flight find their ESTA's withdrawn?
As the U.S. Border authority will not accept travel from non U.S. citizens you might find that you would be declined access.

I checked a few weeks back and it was ok and I had a live flight which I have now moved to April next year, but will check again

i realise that having an ESTA at the mo is worthless but that’s different to actually having it cancelled

just checked and it is still authorised

If you look on the Esta site the wording states that any attempt to travel to the US will result in your Esta being cancelled and entry denied.

Im guessing they are leaving them as valid as they are useless anyway. It will stop thousands of applications once they reopen their borders if they remain valid but unusable. I guess it's just so they don't have to deal with a flood of applications that may swamp the system.

Yes I saw that, my point is that many people have said they have had emails cancelling their ESTA many months before travel . Mine hasn’t been , but yes I know I can’t travel