Some British travellers have complained of missing flights to the US after being unable to apply for their ESTA visa waiver in time after a system upgrade caused it to crash.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is the visa-waiver programme available for citizens of countries including the UK, which allows them to stay in the US for 90-days without an official visa.
ESTA applications can be completed online and take around 15 to 20 minutes and, because of the quick turnaround, people often leave them to the last minute.
On Friday, an upgrade to the system meant the website failed over the weekend, which meant many people could not apply for the ESTA and weren’t able to fly.
A spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told The Times: "CBP has for many years recommended that prospective travellers complete the online ESTA form at least 72 hours in advance of travel to ensure sufficient time for processing."
He added that passengers unable to make their flights may be allowed to claim compensation.
