BBC Expert Warns Airline Passengers of Overcharging for Simple Services

Holly Hamilton explained the situation.

BBC expert Holly Hamilton warned travelers about new pitfalls when booking flights abroad on July 8. This issue is about ETSAs, which UK passport holders need to enter certain countries like the US, Canada, and Australia.

A recent investigation found that Sherpa, a third-party site, adds administration charges on top of official prices for these permits, which are sometimes free.

The BBC expert said BA is not the only airline linking to third-party sites to help passengers with travel documents. However, people trying to do their ESTA themselves might end up on unauthorized sites.

Holly said: "An ESTA is an online form you fill in before you go. Sherpa does it for you, but you pay more."

Passengers can do the ESTA process themselves online by going to the government website. Each government has different charges, all below Sherpa's prices.

For example, the US ESTA government price is £30.16, while Sherpa's price is £51.43. In some cases, like Australia, the eVisitor permit is free, but Sherpa charges £16.52.

Holly added: "You're essentially paying for them to do admin for you."

The journalist said these permits are straightforward, and passengers can fill them out themselves. She advised not to assume a middleman is needed and to ask a friend or family member for help if needed.

Holly said: "It's your choice. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to click on it."

Travellers need certain permits when traveling to certain countries.

For people who want to tackle the task on their own, Holly warned: "Many people search online for the form, particularly for their ESTA application."

Holly warned: "Please don't search online because it's easy to click on unauthorized sites that might not help you but will take your money."

Sherpa responded: "We simplify the application process and make it more accessible, with 24/7 support and an AI-supported feature-set that reduces errors."

Holly admitted the permit process can look intimidating but is meant to be user-friendly.

Sherpa said: "We are transparent about the difference between the government fee and our service fee, and we often give the option to go directly to the government system."

BA said: "We serve customers traveling to hundreds of destinations where entry requirements vary, and we offer an optional third-party service to assist with this."

BA added: "We make it clear that customers must check the full entry requirements with the relevant government directly, and customers can always apply directly via official government channels."

Holly's warning is important for travelers to avoid overcharging for simple services.

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