The compulsory Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) is free at present, but from 9 September visitors to the US will have to pay for it.

It lasts for two years; people who already have a valid form will not have to pay until their current one expires.

The scheme was introduced in January 2009 but was made mandatory from January 2010.

It applies to all 35 countries with US "visa waiver" status.

Promote tourism

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation form, which takes up to 72 hours to be approved, gives air passengers prior approval for entry to the US.

It replaced the green I-94 card which passengers have previously filled in on their flight into the US.

End Quote Martin Lewis MoneySavingExpert.com

Most people who fill in the form should receive approval from the US Department of Homeland Security within a few minutes.

But British Airways and American Airlines are advising travellers to apply at least 72 hours in advance.

Both airlines have said people without valid Esta forms or visas will not be allowed to board flights to the US.

The fee has been introduced to fund a programme which aims to promote tourism in the US and attract foreign spending.

Martin Lewis, creator of MoneySavingExpert.com, has urged people even considering a trip to the US to apply for a form now to beat the charge.

He said: "The security authorisation lasts for two years, so do it now and it'll be free if you travel in that time. Yet leave it for a month and you'll have to pay for it.

So save money now and apply for your ESTA! and dont forget you can also save with Bargain Villas - search here for Cheap USA villas and Cheap Florida villas

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Bargain Villas has been nominated for this years British Travel Awards under the category of 'Best Villa / Self Catering Booking Company'

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And the nominations are.....

Your can also take a look at the Bargain Villas website and search for some fantastic (almost) award winning properties for your next holiday

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The system involves placing infrared technology on to an aircraft to supply images to both the pilots and an airline's flight control centre.

These images will enable pilots to see an ash cloud up to 62 miles (100 kilometres) ahead of the aircraft and at altitudes between 5,000ft and 50,000ft.

This will allow pilots to make adjustments to the plane's flight path to avoid any ash cloud.

Millions of passengers had their travel plans wrecked when airlines had to scrap thousands of flights in recent weeks due to Icelandic volcanic ash.

Read more:

Hogwarts Castle towers on a grey, rocky crag above a forest of pines. You can pop into Ollivander's Wand Shop or the Owl Post Office and enjoy three great rides.

The park features a host of technological firsts and stars of the films are brought to life with state-of-the-art holograms, robotics and live action.

Hagrids hut

Inside Hogwarts Castle

Theme park gate

Stars of the film visit the park - Robbie Coltrain and Emma Watson

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The first Brits could be experiencing the Wizarding World next Friday, when Virgin Holidays starts special tours. The official opening is on June 18.

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You can be one of the first to visit the park. Start your holiday search today by visiting Bargain Villas for a cheap Orlando Villa You can also book car hire in Orlando (21/05/10)  starting at an increadible price of £108 per week with www.usrentacar.co.uk

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A Met Office forecaster said ash which exceeded the acceptable level for flights would "clip" London in the early hours of Monday morning, but the plume would drift away during Monday night and Tuesday.

Manchester, Liverpool, East Midlands, Birmingham, Teesside, Norwich and Doncaster airports are among those closed in England.

Airports in Northern Ireland, Prestwick near Glasgow, some Scottish islands and the Isle of Man are also affected.

London airports are open. Travellers are urged to check with their airline.

The air traffic authority Nats said the Civil Aviation Authority had been forced to extend a no-fly zone imposed earlier on Sunday after the ash cloud had spread further south.

In England, other airports inside the no-fly zone include Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Blackpool, Sheffield, Doncaster and Carlisle.

In Wales, Caernarfon is the only airport affected.

All three Northern Ireland airports - Belfast International, George Best Belfast City Airport and City of Derry Airport - have also been shut.

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National airport management agency Aena said nine airports closed early on Saturday and six more shut from 1200 local time (1000 GMT).

The restrictions would be in place until at least 1800, Aena said

Most flights between Europe and North America are being diverted because of the ash cloud's latest drifting, officials at Eurocontrol said.

Flights are being rerouted north and south of the 1,200 mile (2,000km) long cloud.

On average, 600 airliners make the Atlantic crossing every day, correspondents say.

Spain has closed 15 airports as a cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano drifts south over Western Europe.

Aena said the airports affected were Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria, Zaragoza, Pamplona, La Rioja, Santiago, La Coruna, Vigo, Asturias, Santander, Leon, Valladolid, Burgos and Salamanca.

Eurocontrol, the agency that co-ordinates aviation safety in Europe, said airports were also expected to close in northern Portugal and parts of southern France.

In the UK, some flights to Spain were being affected.

At London Stansted, 22 Ryanair flights to the Canary Islands, mainland Spain and Portugal were cancelled, along with three EasyJet flights.

Flights from Gatwick to Portugal, Alicante and Madrid were cancelled and at Heathrow some flights to La Coruna in northern Spain were also grounded.

Last month, thousands of travellers were stranded after ash shut down airspace across Europe.

Recent images have shown activity in the Eyjafjallajokull volcano intensifying.

Experts at the UK's Met Office said it was sending ash up to heights of 30,000 ft (9,100m).

Flights across Ireland and parts of the UK were disrupted earlier this week.

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Hoseasons currently control over 12,000 places to stay in coastal, city and countryside settings throughout Britain, Ireland and Europe

Bargain Villas are pleased to announce the integration of Hoseasons properties into the Bargain Villas search results. Hoseasons currently control over 12,000 places to stay in coastal, city and countryside settings throughout Britain, Ireland and Europe. The integration will prove a significant boost in product offerings and ensure that Bargain Villas are able to service a wider variety of customer requests.Karl Hendrie, Managing Director Bargain Villas said "The association with Hoseasons is another step in a move to incorporate major property brands into the Bargain Villas network. By working with established and trusted brands our customers are assured of quality and confidence when buying"

On further expansion of Bargain Villas Hendrie stated "We are currently in the process of rolling out several keyword heavy TLD's (Top Level Domains) to not only increase our organic search results but also to expand our web presence and brand visibility. Our aim is to offer our visitors an impressive portfolio of quality property options available throughout the world"

For more information on this article please contact karlh@bargainvillas.co.uk

Glasgow, Prestwick and Derry are likely to be closed all day, while there are plans to shut Inverness in the morning only, and Belfast in the afternoon.

The CAA advised air passengers to check with airports before travelling and warned the situation was changeable.

Last month, volcanic ash clouds from Iceland grounded flights for six days.

The situation in the skies has been changing hour by hour, meaning the picture for air travellers is unclear.

Dublin Airport will also close from 1100 BST until further notice.

Forecasts show the 60 nautical mile buffer zone imposed around high concentrations of ash is close to some northern airports.

AIRPORT CLOSURES Glasgow 0700-1900 Prestwick 0700-1900 Inverness 0700-1300 Stornoway 0700-1900 Benbecula 0700-1900 Tiree 0700-1900 Islay 0700-1900 Barra 0700-1900 Campbeltown 0700-1900 Derry 0700-1900 Belfast International 1300-1900 Belfast City 1300-1900 Dublin 1100-onwards All times in BST. Source: CAA at 0200 BST

However, the latest advice issued by the CAA at 0200 BST said airports in Edinburgh and north-west England could safely stay open on Wednesday, despite the proximity of the ash.

The CAA says the South East of England is unlikely to be affected on Wednesday.

In a statement, the CAA said: "The situation remains changeable, so passengers expecting to travel from airports in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North of England and north Wales should contact their airlines to check whether their flight is operating."

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Airspace over Scotland's Outer Hebrides was closed, affecting Tiree, Barra and Benbecula airports, with Campeltown in Argyll also closed.

Flights in and out of the Republic are due to resume from 1300 BST.

An ash plume is drifting south from the same Icelandic volcano that wreaked havoc to European air travel in April.

Flights over Europe were banned for six days last month because of fears of the effect of volcanic ash on plane engines.

In the rest of the UK, schedules are operating as normal.

The decision to lift the restrictions followed safety tests that showed the engines could cope in areas of low density ash.

The fresh disruption comes as European Union transport ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss ways to improve air traffic management in the wake of last month's events.

Last week a spokeswoman for EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said that had there been more co-ordination at EU level, air traffic could have resumed up to three days earlier.

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