Do I need to renew my Esta when travelling to the US?

Q We have just learnt a very expensive lesson and we want to try to stop it happening to others by publicising the problem. We were denied boarding our flight to Florida at Gatwick and consequently missed our cruise because of an issue with my husband's Esta [the form to determine eligibility to visit the US]. He was issued with it less than two years ago but renewed his passport six months ago. We had no idea that you have to renew the Esta as well.

We think that the airlines and travel companies could mostly prevent this happening by reminding their clients maybe one week before they travel to the US about the issue. Could you please help to facilitate this?

Name withheld

A I will certainly try to raise awareness of the problem. In the 20th century a visitor visa granted by the US was usually valid indefinitely and you could simply take an expired passport containing the stamp along with your new one when visiting America. That all changed after 9/11. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) was introduced as an alternative to the much more onerous option of getting a full visa.

But many travellers fall foul of the requirements. Until a few months ago there was a sporting chance that even if it was discovered at the airport, you could apply online and be granted an Esta almost immediately, and board your flight as normal. The US now says: “Real-time approvals will no longer be available and arriving at the airport without a previously approved Esta will likely result in being denied boarding.”

The US government says that it does all it can to alert people to the expiry rules for the Esta. “Travel authorisations are valid for two years from the date of authorisation, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first,” it warns. Another reminder on the website: “If you obtain a new passport or change your name, gender or country of citizenship, you will be required to apply for a new travel authorisation”.

A third notification is given with the “authorisation approved” screen which shows the date the Esta expires – which will be the sooner of two years or the expiry date of the passport.

Had your husband gone online in advance of the trip to check the status of his Esta, he would have discovered it had expired along with the passport. I agree that airlines and travel firms could do more to alert travellers to the need to check. But regrettably they seem reluctant to do so.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder