Wedding in the USA in August

Murphy_The_Cat

ruthber said:

I wish I had a crystal ball! I don't want to book the flights until travel restrictions are lifted both here and in the USA but by then we would be cutting it fine and probably pay through the nose. In general what is the sequence for going to the USA? Do you book tickets after or before insurance and ESTA? thanks

Step #1 would be to find an insurer that will cover the 2 members of your party with pre-existing conditions and then pick your chin off the floor.

If you can get insurance that fits your needs AND your pocket, I'd do things in this order.

ESTA first,

Flights 2nd

(Then within seconds) travel insurance.

A 1 mile trip in an ambulance to hospital can cost $1000, before you've even got through the hospital door.

photome

i wouldnt be booking flights to the USA without an ESTA in place and knowing I could get insurance cover and a refundable flight.

Are ESTAs being granted at this time?  If they aren’t I would forget it for now

TELLIT01

An ESTA would only be agreement in principle that you can travel to the USA without a visa.  It wouldn't guarantee that you will be able to travel on a specific date - there will be thousands of people who had ESTAs prior to the USA effectively closing its borders who were unable to travel despite holding that document.  I wouldn't purchase flight tickets until the current restrictions have been lifted.

Murphy_The_Cat

photome said:

i would t be booking flights to the USA without an ESTA in place and knowing I could get insurance cover and a refundable flight.

Are ESTAs being granted at this time?  If they aren’t I would forget it for now

Usually, I'd agree with you.  But with 2 of the group having pre existing medical conditions, I'd firstly be seeing if a) they could get travel insurance for those folk and b) how much it would be.  The cost of the insurance could kill to job before flights & ESTA's are considered.

photome

Murphy_The_Cat said:

photome said:

i would t be booking flights to the USA without an ESTA in place and knowing I could get insurance cover and a refundable flight.

Are ESTAs being granted at this time?  If they aren’t I would forget it for now

Usually, I'd agree with you.  But with 2 of the group having pre existing medical conditions, I'd firstly be seeing if a) they could get travel insurance for those folk and b) how much it would be.  The cost of the insurance could kill to job before flights & ESTA's are considered.

I was essentially saying the same thing ( I did miss the n out of wouldnt tho)

are the US even issuing ESTA at the moment regardless of insurance etc

ruthber

Thank you for your comments. It is looking more and more as if we would not be able to travel under these circumstances.
Cost of insurance, flights, etc for 4 people is likely to be prohibitive even if there were no travel restrictions. 

Sandtree

photome said:

Murphy_The_Cat said:

photome said:

i would t be booking flights to the USA without an ESTA in place and knowing I could get insurance cover and a refundable flight.

Are ESTAs being granted at this time?  If they aren’t I would forget it for now

Usually, I'd agree with you.  But with 2 of the group having pre existing medical conditions, I'd firstly be seeing if a) they could get travel insurance for those folk and b) how much it would be.  The cost of the insurance could kill to job before flights & ESTA's are considered.

I was essentially saying the same thing ( I did miss the n out of wouldnt tho)

are the US even issuing ESTA at the moment regardless of insurance etc

Yes because ESTA is based on nationality whereas the travel restrictions are based on where you physically are. If you were a British Citizen living in Hong Kong you could get an ESTA and travel to USA without restriction

photome

Sandtree said:

photome said:

Murphy_The_Cat said:

photome said:

i would t be booking flights to the USA without an ESTA in place and knowing I could get insurance cover and a refundable flight.

Are ESTAs being granted at this time?  If they aren’t I would forget it for now

Usually, I'd agree with you.  But with 2 of the group having pre existing medical conditions, I'd firstly be seeing if a) they could get travel insurance for those folk and b) how much it would be.  The cost of the insurance could kill to job before flights & ESTA's are considered.

I was essentially saying the same thing ( I did miss the n out of wouldnt tho)

are the US even issuing ESTA at the moment regardless of insurance etc

Yes because ESTA is based on nationality whereas the travel restrictions are based on where you physically are. If you were a British Citizen living in Hong Kong you could get an ESTA and travel to USA without restriction

Guess I should have asked ..are the US issuing ESTA to british citizens living in the UK , as that would apply to the OP 

blindman

ruthber said:

Sandtree, no, we are British so were going to apply for ESTA. So we should not book until the Proclamation is lifted?
We have never been outside EEC and just relied on EHIC and did not book travel insurance before so do not really know where to start. My son and American fiancee and currently living in UK. She would like to have the wedding in US. They would travel ahead and the remaining family ie parents and 2 siblings would follow separately. Is this even feasible for this August?

I think she should wake up and smell the coffee.
Either postpone the wedding until the Covid and USA travel situation are firm (2022 at the earliest IMHO)

or

Book a Wedding in the UK after June. 2021

heatherw_01

I wouldn't be booking tbh!
They may not let brits in then and no one knows what will happen with covid.