View Full Version : Another ESTA question
So, we booked to fly into Atlanta on April 6th (with KLM via AMS from MAN) and being the organised type of person I am have already logged our details on the ESTA website. I notice there is no requirement to give any dates of travel on there, just the flight numbers and first night's accomodation address. Turns out we have now been bumped off the KLM flight from AMS direct to ATL and are now flying with NWA from AMS to Detroit then onto ATL. My question is do I have to do anything to advise our revised flight numbers and place of entry into US?
KH
Robert5988
03-02-2009, 21:40
In years to come there are going to be thousands of people who will be diverted, have last minute cancelled flights(like yesterday at LHR)miss flights and arrive at a different gateway airport.
I would have thought it wouldn't matter as long as you have clearance to enter.
jolliffee
03-02-2009, 22:05
Hi, I travel to the US on business quite often, sometimes at short notice; I did my ESTA some time ago and have never input the flight info.
In fact on my last trip just over a week ago, my flight to Newark was canceled at short notice so I flew into JFK
I notice that my travel details have ESTA = Yes.
lafifille
04-02-2009, 20:45
It won't take 2 minutes to change the info, and won't change your clearance, so why don't you do it just to be on the safe side?
Nathalie.
Hi Guys, thank you for your response. I originally posted this on Feb 3rd and it didn't appear until today so I guess there is some form of pre-post moderation in force but I thought I'd made a hash of it.[msneek] In the meantime, I logged back onto the Esta website and changed our flight numbers from KL to NW after entering those interminably long application numbers for the 4 of us.
I do find it odd though that you're not asked for your date of travel but you are asked for your flight number. For all they know I could be going next day or next month. I've have thought they'd be more interested in when you are going and how long you are staying. And as a previous poster mentioned, flights could be unavoidably changed at the last minute. Hey, ho............
lafifille
07-02-2009, 01:04
Never, never, ever try to understand what's in the mind of an immigration bureaucrat :D :D :D
Nathalie.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by KH2508
I do find it odd though that you're not asked for your date of travel but you are asked for your flight number. For all they know I could be going next day or next month. I've have thought they'd be more interested in when you are going and how long you are staying. And as a previous poster mentioned, flights could be unavoidably changed at the last minute. Hey, ho............
[/quote]
Don't forget that none of this information is assessed in isolation though. The airlines are still required to send Advanced Passenger Information to the USA, and that will allow them to cross-reference passport numbers with the ESTA database, amongst others.
They are really not interested in you if you're travelling to the USA next month, only in the next day or two. And they get your date of travel from other, more reliable, sources.
I have got great fun -my sons passport runs out in March.He is 16,on 2nd April. So, he can have a 10 year passport on 2nd April - which I can send off for 2 weeks before then- but then - we go away on the 7th April - and I have to enter ESTA - so I feel quite hassled :)
I think I will have to make an appointment and go and do the passport on his birthday, there and then. -that gives me a couple of days for ESTA to be accepted!EEK