Martin Lewis issues fresh ESTA and US visa warning for Brits heading to World Cup
Martin Lewis is warning Brits they might have spent too much on getting their travel documents for trips to the US, and they probably won't get that money back.
The World Cup is starting imminently across Canada, Mexico and the US, though the lion's share of games are going to be played in the US and that's where both England and Scotland have their group games.
Those making the journey had better remember to have their Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), or if they're not allowed that they'd better have applied for a US visa.
However, the Money Saving Expert was alerted to a potential issue where Brits might be paying too much when sorting these documents, and if there's anything Martin Lewis won't let go unanswered it's a situation where people may be paying more than they need to.
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One of his fans flagged an issue where the British Airways site was directing customers getting their ESTA to a tool run by Sherpa, a third-party site charging more than if you'd paid for it direct from the US government.
What are the variances in costs?
Lewis and his team found that while the official price of an ESTA from the US government was £30.07, the price people were paying through Sherpa was £51.43.
His team said the official, cheaper, version was much lower down the page, meaning people rushing through the booking might pay quite a bit more than they needed to.
Speaking on the matter, Lewis said: "The innocuous-looking 'check your visa' tool it has embedded on its site looks fine, until it directs you to get a travel permit and gives you a price far higher than people would pay if they just went direct to the official government site.
"While it does, if you look carefully, itemise the separate government fee and the admin fee, I think it's too easy to miss and misunderstand.
"I doubt most people would really pay £17 for an Australian e-Visitor doc if they knew they could easily click to get it for free from the official route. So I suspect a material number of people who do pay don't know they needn't.
He added that he's seeing these types of portals "popping up on more and more flight booking sites as another way to get a further bite out of your travel cash."
He warned passengers that it'd be difficult to get a refund, but if they checked Sherpa and saw their application hadn't been processed yet they could ask for a refund.
Sherpa said people often 'find the government portal confusing, difficult to use, prone to errors and unsupported', and they're transparent about the extra fees you need to pay to use their services.
LADbible Group have contacted Sherpa for further comment.
British Airway's response
British Airways told LADbible they thought Money Saving Expert's presentation of the situation was unfair, and that if customers wanted they could apply for an ESTA somewhere else without impacting their booking.
The company added it's confident various options are given equal prominence and the information customers need to know is clearly displayed.
In a statement, BA said: "We serve customers travelling to hundreds of different destinations where entry requirements vary by nationality and route taken, with some requirements changing at short notice.
"We offer an optional third-party service to assist with this and check requirements all in one place, and for some destinations an optional service to help with applications.
"We make it clear that customers must check the full entry requirements with the relevant government directly.
"It is made clear that Sherpa is a third‑party provider and may charge additional fees, and customers can easily apply directly via official government channels also linked on the same page."
How much does it cost to attend the World Cup?
Football fans wanting to watch the games in person better have deep pockets. Here’s what flights, accommodation, tickets and food and drink will cost England supporters:
Getting there
If you fancied catching England’s opening game against Croatia next Wednesday (17 June), a return flight from London to Dallas, Texas would set you back around £700, according to Skyscanner.
The second and third games are a little cheaper to get to - £400 if you want to watch the Three Lions go up against Ghana in Boston on 23 June, and £500 to see them play Panama in New York on 27 June.
But now you need somewhere to stay.
Hotel costs
NBC has crunched the numbers on hotels, looking at the average for the five cheapest hotels within 15 miles of the station as of late last month.
In Atlanta for the opening match, the average hotel room is £350 for two nights, and that’s on the cheap side.
A hotel to watch the second game in the group stages in Boston will cost £725, and the third in New York will be £485.
Now to get your ticket for the game…
Ticket prices
Tickets for the opening game against Croatia are still available and going from £430, via Seatpick.
England vs Ghana will set you back at least £330, and the match against Panama £250.
I bet all that number crunching has made you thirsty…
Food and drink prices at the World Cup
Unlike in the UK, football fans are allowed to drink in the stands in the US, Canada and Mexico - if they’re made of money, that is.
Prices at a warm-up match between England and New Zealand at the Raymond James stadium in Tampa, Florida on Saturday (6 June) might give an indication of what to expect in the World Cup proper, which is bad news for fans.
A large beer was advertised at $18.75 (£13.99), while just a bottle of water was priced at $7.50 (£5.60).
Meanwhile, according to Football Ground Guide, a basic meal and a beer will set you back $23.88 (£17.83) at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where England’s first game will take place.
For England’s second game at the Boston Stadium (also known as the Gillette Stadium), according to Football 2026 hot dogs are going from £6.30, while burgers will set you back £10.45.
Meanwhile, a basic meal and a beer at the MetLife stadium for England’s match against Panama will cost you £24.87.
Topics: Martin Lewis, UK News, Travel, Money
Joe Harker