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TENS of thousands of British travellers face being turned away from their flights to the US because they are not aware of a new piece of border control technology.

In less than a fortnight it will become compulsory for travellers flying to the States to have applied for a special visa-waiver online before they start their journey.

From January 12, if travellers from over 30 Visa Waiver Programme countries, including Britain, have not completed the new electronic system for entry and obtained an authorisation number they will not be allowed to take their flights.

Officials estimate only half of those who qualified to travel visa-free are registering so far.

New figures from the Customs and Border Protection office at the US Embassy reveal that only 3700 British tourists are signing up per day, around half of the number of people who fly out from the UK to the US for Florida holidays and business trips.

Customs and Border Protection also confirmed that while there are more than four million visits to the US each year, just over 240,000 have filled out the online Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) which replaces America’s green visa waiver entry form.

There have been only some 830,000 ESTA applications submitted from the visa waiver programme countries, raising concerns that it is set to become a global problem.

Airlines and border control officials are concerned that many passengers have not got the message leading to the prospect of chaos at British airports from January 12 as passengers face being refused to board US bound flights.

The ESTA, previously optional and now mandatory, is valid for two years and allows multiple visits to the US within that period – getting rid of the need to fill out the green form, known as I-94W, by hand on every trip.

British Airways, which flies an estimated 350,000 UK residents to the US every month and is expecting more to travel for Barack Obama’s January 20 inauguration, is one of the airlines that is concerned that travellers are not sufficiently aware of the risks of failing to get an ESTA.

It is one of a number of airlines which has sent reminders to their passengers that they must have ESTA authorisation in order to fly.

BA has warned customers who fail to apply for the ESTA at least 72 hours before they depart that they “are expected to be refused travel”.

Those booking late flights can still apply but there is a risk they may not receive immediate confirmation and will not be able to fly.

Euan Fordyce, of BA, said it was hoped US officials would reach a compromise to help those who will not have filled out an ESTA application to travel adding: “It was felt it is unrealistic that everyone would have filled out the ESTA by the deadline.

“It is a fairly straightforward process once you get on the website but the problem is just making people aware of it.”

Kelly Klundt, of the US Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Public Affairs, said: “The Department of Homeland Security will take a reasonable approach to those travellers not in compliance with the travel authorisation requirement. However, travellers who do not obtain an ESTA should be aware that they may be denied boarding, experience delayed processing, or be denied admission upon arrival in the US.”

Those who do not have an ESTA may be able to use a computer at the airport to apply, but those whose applications are pending may be unable to travel.

DHS believes the ESTA, mandated by US Government legislation following the 9/11, terror attack, should speed up the immigration procedure at the US border.