British Airways Customers May Be Overpaying for Travel Documents

British Airways customers might have paid too much for travel documents.

British Airways passengers should check their travel permit costs because some customers are paying more than the official government charges due to a third-party site called Sherpa.

British Airways sends customers to Sherpa's site when they book travel that needs a permit, like to the US, Canada, or Australia. However, Sherpa adds administration charges to the official permit price.

Martin Lewis says people should check these charges because they might get their travel permits cheaper or for free from official government websites.

Martin Lewis said British Airways should not be doing this because it is a big company with a good reputation. He thinks this practice makes the company seem less trustworthy.

The 'check your visa' tool on British Airways' site looks okay, but it sends people to Sherpa, which charges more than the official government site. The tool does list the separate government fee and administration fee, but it is easy to miss.

Martin Lewis warned that the fine print can be easy to miss.

Martin Lewis said spending £17 on an Australian e-Visitor document might not seem like a lot, but people can get it for free from the official site. He doubts many people would pay if they knew it was free.

A US ESTA costs £51.43 through Sherpa, but only £30.07 from the official government site. A Canadian eTA costs £16.06 through Sherpa, but only £3.75 from the official site.

Martin Lewis said people should be careful when using British Airways' site and other flight booking sites because they might charge extra fees.

Martin Lewis also warned that it is not just British Airways that uses Sherpa's tool. Thomas Cook and Virgin Atlantic also use it.

MoneySavingExpert says people should look closely at airline and travel websites when booking. They should watch for wording that says 'third-party service provider' or 'admin fee'.

The official MoneySavingExpert guidance says people should go through the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office site to find the right official site for each destination.

Some countries require travel permits before people can visit.

British Airways said they offer an optional third-party service to help with entry requirements. They say customers can always apply directly through official government channels.

British Airways said they make it clear that customers must check the full entry requirements with the relevant government directly. They say Sherpa is a third-party provider that may charge fees.

Sherpa said people use their service because they find the government portal confusing. Sherpa simplifies the application process and provides 24/7 support.

Sherpa said they are transparent about their fees and give people the option to go directly to the government system. They provide an itemised receipt showing the different costs before payment.

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