Travelling to and from the United States

Additional requirements for 2023 travel

Secure Flight and Advance Passenger Information

If you’re heading to the US, you need authorisation before you fly. Make sure you sort out your visa, or apply for the Visa Waiver Program, as soon as you can after you book, see below for details.

If you do not have all documents necessary to travel, Jetstar may not be able to carry you. Jetstar will not be responsible for any losses if you fail to obtain the appropriate travel requirements.

Additional entry requirements for travel in 2023

There are now additional travel requirements for travel to the US.

Requirements can change at short notice. Always check government websites for the latest information.

Passenger disclosure

To enter the US, all passengers 2 years or older will need to complete a US Passenger Disclosure form before boarding their flight, including visitors as well as US citizens and permanent residents.

We will send you an email 48 hours before departure with a personalised form you can complete online.

Alternatively, use your booking reference to access and complete the form below.

United States Passenger Disclosure opens in new window

If you booked through a third party, such as a travel agent or another airline, use the booking reference they provided to log in to Manage booking. Once logged in, you’ll find the Jetstar booking reference you can use to access the form.

Visa Waiver Program

Some citizens, including Australians, can get authorisation through the Visa Waiver Program. We recommended that you apply for authorisation as soon as possible, and no later than 72 hours before departure.

The program allows some passengers to enter the US for up to 90 days for tourism or business without having to obtain a visa. Citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and more are eligible. The program applies to visitors to the US and passengers with a stop-over or transit in the US.

Check your eligibility and apply for authorisation to travel at Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

If you’re travelling on a non-Australian passport or have special visa requirements, check your immigration conditions with your local US Embassy or US Department of State.

Secure Flight and Advance Passenger Information Programs

When you book travel to, from, within or over the US, we’ll ask you to provide a few details during booking and when you check in at the airport.

This information is mandatory, as it is required by the US authorities under the Secure Flight and Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) programs.

Add these details when you book:

Each passenger's full name exactly as it appears on the passenger’s travel document
Date of birth
Gender

At airport check-in, the following information must be added to your booking:

Passport number
Nationality
Country of passport issue
Alien Registration Number (where applicable)
Destination address in the USA (not required for US citizens and permanent residents) and country of residence for flights arriving into the US
Redress number* (if applicable)

*The redress number is a unique number that helps the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) eliminate watch list misidentification. If you’ve experienced screening difficulties or believe you’ve been mistakenly matched to a name on the watch list, apply to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a redress number.

What is the Secure Flight Program?

The Secure Flight Program enables pre-screening of passenger information against US Federal Government watch lists. Watch list matching applies to all passengers travelling on flights to, from, within or over the US. The stated objectives of the program are to:

Identify known and suspected terrorists
Prevent individuals on the No Fly List (and in some circumstances, other watch lists maintained by the US Federal Government) from boarding an aircraft to the US
Identify individuals on the Selectee List for enhanced screening to determine if they are permitted to board an aircraft
Facilitate passenger air travel by allowing cleared passengers to continue with their travel to the US
Protect individuals’ privacy

What happens to the Secure Flight information?

The airline must receive clearance from the TSA for every passenger before that passenger is allowed to board a flight to, from, within or over the US.

To obtain Secure Flight clearance, the airline must send the passenger’s name, date of birth, gender and redress number (if applicable) to TSA at least 72 hours prior to flight departure. TSA is a division of DHS and is responsible for the matching process.

TSA has provided the following Privacy Notice for passengers:

US Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

What happens if I fail to provide this information?

If you have not provided your full name, date of birth and gender, your tickets will not be issued. The passport details and destination address for each passenger is also required at the time of booking. If you have not provided all of this information, you may not be able to board your flight.

Does Secure Flight replace the Advance Passenger Information System?

The Secure Flight Program does not replace the APIS requirement. In addition to the information provided to the TSA, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires carriers to submit passenger passport details, alien registration number (where applicable) and, for flights arriving into the US, country of residence details and address details in the US (not required for US citizens and permanent residents). The carrier will not permit a passenger to board a flight to the US unless CBP clearance has been received.

For further information about APIS see the Customs and Border Protection website.

Passengers with a disability

From 13 May 2009, the US Department of Transport's (DOT's) Final Ruling on Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel (14 CFR Part 382) became effective. Jetstar is required to comply with most of the requirements of the Final Ruling. Jetstar currently flies to Honolulu in the US. For flights to and from Honolulu, there is no limit for passengers requiring wheelchair assistance.

You can obtain a copy of the US DOT's rule on Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel in an accessible format from the Department of Transportation by any of the following means:

(1) For calls made from within the United States, by telephone via the Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities at 1-800-778-4838 (voice). If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

(2) By telephone to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division at 202-366-2220 (voice). If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

(3) By mail to the Air Consumer Protection Division, C-75, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., West Building, Room W96-432, Washington, DC 20590, and

(4) On the Aviation Consumer Protection Division’s website.

Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights

The Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights applies to flights to and from the US. Learn can more about your fundamental rights on the US Department of Transportation website.

Contingencies for unexpected circumstances for flights to or from the United States

If you’re travelling to or from the United States with a disability and have specific needs or accessibility requirements, and we notify you of a change to your Booking that results in your Booking requiring you to travel:

through one or more connecting airports that differ from the original itinerary; or
in a downgraded class or a substitute aircraft that results in one or more accessibility features needed by the passenger being unavailable

And you choose not to travel, at your option, all passengers on the impacted Booking can request a refund of the applicable fare.