Flights and travel guide to United States

The United States of America is a large country in central and north-western North America, often referred to as the “USA,” the “U.S.,” the “United States,” “America,” or simply “the States”. It has a land area of about 9.6 million sq km (about half the size of Russia and about the same size as China). It also boasts the world’s third largest population after China and India, with over 300 million people. It includes both densely-populated cities with sprawling suburbs, and vast, uninhabited and naturally beautiful areas. With its history of mass immigration dating from the 17th century, it is a “melting pot” of cultures from around the world.

Climate

The overall climate is temperate, with notable exceptions. Alaska has Arctic tundra, while Hawaii and South Florida are tropical. The Great Plains are dry, flat and grassy, turning into arid desert in the far West and Mediterranean along the California coast. In the winter, the northern and mid-western major cities can see as much as 2 feet (61 cm) of snow can fall in one day, with cold temperatures. Summers are humid, but mild. Temperatures over 100°F (38°C) sometimes invade the Midwest and Great Plains. Some areas in the northern plains can experience cold temperatures of -30°F (-34°C) during the winter. Temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) sometimes reach as far south as Oklahoma.

The climate of the South also varies. In the summer, it is hot and humid, but from October through April the weather can range from 60°F (15°C) to short cold spells of 20°F (-7°C) or so. The Great Plains & Midwestern states also experience tornadoes from the late spring to early fall, earlier in the south and later in the north. States along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, may experience hurricanes between June and November. These intense and dangerous storms frequently miss the the U.S. mainland, but evacuations are often ordered and should be heeded. The Rockies are cold and snowy. Some parts of the Rockies see over 500 inches (1,200 cm) of snow in a season. Even during the summer, temperatures are cool in the mountains, and snow can fall nearly year-round.

The deserts of the Southwest are hot and dry during the summer, with temperatures OFTEN exceeding 100°F (38°C). Thunderstorms can be expected in the southwest frequently from July through September. Winters are mild, and snow is unusual. Average annual precipitation is low, usually less than 10 inches (25 cm). Cool and damp weather is common in the northwest (the state of Washington and its vicinity). Rain is most frequent in winter, snow is rare, especially along the coast and extreme temperatures are uncommon. Rain falls almost exclusively from late fall through early spring along the coast.

Culture

Because of its size and because its citizens are descended from diverse immigrants, there is no single universal American culture. Visitors to the South will find a far different culture from those traveling to California or New York City.

Worldwide trends often begin in the United States, and modern inventions are often either invented or first mass-produced in the United States. The United States has one of the highest per-capita car ownership rates in the world. Other common elements of United States culture include individualism, Hollywood films and popular music, including country music, blues, jazz, heavy metal, rock and roll, rap and hip-hop; sports like basketball, baseball, American football, soccer, and NASCAR racing, technology, tolerance, corn on the cob, and fast food.

Holidays

The US has a number of holidays - official and/or cultural - of which the traveller should be aware. Note that holidays observed on Mondays are usually treated as weekend-long events. (A weekend consists of a Saturday and a Sunday.) Federal holidays—i.e., holidays observed by the US federal government—are indicated in bold italics.

Also, if a federal holiday with a fixed calendar date (such as Independence Day) falls on a weekend, the holiday is moved to create a three-day weekend—to Friday if the holiday date is a Saturday, or to Monday if the holiday date is a Sunday.

• New Year’s Day (January 1) - most businesses closed; brunches and football parties.
• Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January) - many government offices and banks closed; speeches.
• Chinese New Year (January - variable date) - chinese cultural celebration
• St. Valentine’s Day (February 14) - private celebration of romance and love.
• Presidents Day (third Monday in February) - (officially Washington’s Birthday) - government offices and banks closed; many stores have sales.
• St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) - Irish-themed parades and parties.
• Easter (a Sunday in March or April) - Christian religious observances.
• Passover (one week around Easter) - Jewish religious observances.
• Memorial Day (last Monday in May) - most non-retail/tourism businesses closed; some patriotic observances; trips to beaches and parks; beginning of summer tourism season.
• Independence Day / Fourth of July (July 4) - most businesses closed; patriotic parades, cookouts and trips to beaches and parks, fireworks at dusk.
• Labor Day (first Monday in September) - most businesses closed; cookouts and trips to beaches and parks; traditional ending of summer tourism season.
• Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (autumn) - Jewish religious observances.
• Columbus Day (second Monday in October) - many government offices and banks closed; sales.
• Halloween (October 31) - trick-or-treating, parades, and costume parties.
• Veterans Day (November 11) - government offices and banks closed; some patriotic observances.
• Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November) - government offices and most businesses closed; family dinners, on Friday major Christmas shopping begins.
• Christmas (December 25) - most businesses and restaurants closed the evening before and all day; exchanging gifts, Christian religious observances.
• New Year’s Eve (December 31) - many restaurants and bars open late; lots of parties, especially in big cities.

The United States has over 10,000 cities, towns, and villages. The following is a list of nine of the most notable. Other cities can be found in their corresponding regions.

• Washington, D.C. - The national capital, and a multi-cultural community.
• Boston - The capital of Massachusetts, best known for its colonial history, its passion for sports, and university students.
• Chicago - The “Windy City”, heart of the Midwest, transportation hub of the nation, notable for its massive skyscrapers and other architectural gems.
• Los Angeles - The United States’ 2nd largest city; home of the film industry, palm-fringed neighborhoods, mountains, beaches, freeways, pollution, and sunshine.
• Miami - Miami attracts sun-seeking northerners and strivers from Latin America and the Caribbean.
• New Orleans - “The Big Easy” is known for its quaint French Quarter and annual Mardi Gras celebration.
• New York - The United States’ largest city, home of the financial services and media industries, with world-class cuisine, arts, and a diverse population.
• San Francisco - Gateway to the California coast, wine country, and Yosemite National Park.
• Seattle - Known for Microsoft and Starbucks, and has 5 distinct climates within 200 miles of the city center, including 14,000′ peak Mt. Rainier, temperate rain forests, Pacific Ocean, and arid desert.

Entry requirements

The United States has exceptionally onerous and complicated visa requirements for some visitors. Read up carefully before your visit, especially if you need to apply for a visa, and consult the official United States Visas site for current information. The US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have slightly looser entry requirements from the rest of the country; see those pages for details.

Visa-free entry

Citizens of the 35 countries within the Visa Waiver Program , as well as Canadians, Mexicans living on the border (holding a Border Crossing Card) and Bermudans (with British Overseas Territories passports) do not require advance visas for entry into the United States. In the case of Canadians and Bermudans, the entry period is normally for six months maximum. However, effective January 12, 2009, even visa-free travelers must apply for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval online before their flight, preferably 72 hours before travel. ESTA approval is free and, once granted, is valid for two years (or until your passport expires). Don’t expect the customs officers to be aware of this fact and they will most likely ask you to provide the exact same information on a form on arrival.

Travel under the Visa Waiver Program is limited to 90 days for tourism or business purposes only; neither employment nor journalism is permitted with a Visa Waiver. The 90-day limit may not be extended nor will travel to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean reset the 90-day limit.

As of December 31, 2008, the countries under the Visa Waiver Program are Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau may enter, reside, study, and work in the US indefinitely with only a valid passport.

Visa Waiver Program Requirements

Passports issued after October 26, 2005 need digital photographs embedded on them, and passports issued after October 26, 2006 must be biometric passports, which have a chip embedded with the user’s information. Some countries, e.g. France, did not have biometric passports available at that date, meaning that citizens from these countries with newer passports but not biometric passport have to obtain a tourist visa, which can be a cumbersome, costly and time-consuming process. If you have a non e-passport issued after October 26, 2006 and you are from a Visa Waiver country, try having your government exchange it for an biometric passport, explaining that you wish to travel to the U.S.

Entry under the VWP from air or sea also requires entry via an approved carrier. It is a somewhat safe assumption that most major airlines and sea carriers are approved, but make certain that the carrier is approved to carry Visa Waiver visitors. Notably, however, this means that flying private aircraft or chartering a vessel to the United States requires a full visa.

Travelers must also have a return/onward ticket out of the United States. If the return/onward ticket terminates in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or any Caribbean island, the traveler must be a legal resident of that country/territory. If traveling by land, there is a $7 fee when crossing the border.

The I-94W form (see below) has a checklist of conditions that may deny visa waivers. Most of these are not a problem for most visitors (”Have you ever been or are you now involved in espionage, sabotage, terrorist activities, genocide?”), but the important one is that if you have ever been denied a US visa for any reason or overstayed on a previous visa, you will be denied entry. Having a criminal history with convictions for “crimes of moral turpitude”, controlled substance (drug) offenses, or jail terms of more than five years total are also disqualifying factors.

Obtaining a visa

For the rest of the world (including Mexicans not living in the border), the visa application fee is US$131 (as of 1 January 2008; not refundable). The Immigration and Nationality Act states that all persons requesting entry into the United States as non-immigrants are presumed to be immigrants until they overcome that presumption by showing evidence of “binding ties” to your home country as well as sufficient proof that your visit will be temporary. When the US rejects visa applications, it is usually because the applicant does not have enough binding ties to his own country to convince the consular officer that he or she is not planning to be an immigrant. Face-to-face interviews (where the official needs to be convinced that you are not a “potential immigrant”) at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate are required for many nationalities, and waits for interview slots and visa processing can add up to several months.

Depending on your nationality and the category of visa you are requesting, you may need to pay an additional fee (ranging from US$7 to US$200) only if the visa is issued. This is called a reciprocity fee, and is charged by the US to match the fees charged by other countries on US citizens .

Do not assume anything. Check on documentation requirements with the United States State Department or with the United States consulate nearest you. If coming to the country with a car, be sure to have documents showing car insurance, rental agreements, driver’s license, etc., before trying to enter the U.S.

By plane

There are plenty of airlines offering flights to United States from major UK airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, New Castle, London Gatwick. Most visitors from outside Canada and Mexico arrive in the United States by plane. While many medium sized inland cities have an international airport, there are limited flights to most of these and most travelers find themselves entering the U.S. at one of the major entry points along the coasts:

• From the east New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami are the primary entry points from Europe and other transatlantic points of departure. All the major east coast airports have service from a few key European cities.
• From the west Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu are the primary points of entry from Asia and other transpacific points of departure. Seattle has some international flights, and Portland (Oregon) has a daily flight to Tokyo. Of course, if you arrive in Honolulu, you must take another flight to get to the mainland. Foreign airlines are not allowed to transport passengers to/from Hawaii or Alaska and the other 48 states (except for refueling and in-transit). If you are flying into the west coast to transit to another destination, San Franscisco airport has a free frequent skytrain linking terminals and short security queues, compared to Los Angeles which will see you exposed to the elements catching a shuttle bus or walking between terminals.
• From the south Miami, Florida is the primary entry point from Latin America, primarily South America. Also, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Charlotte are major international waypoints. From Mexico, most major U.S. airports have non-stop service.
• From the other side of the world New Delhi, India has non-stop service to Chicago and Newark (New Jersey). From Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and United Arab Emirates you can also fly to New York (JFK). Qatar, and Saudi Arabian fly to Washington, DC, and South African Airways goes to New York (JFK) and Washington, DC (Dulles).

Note that the United States requires entry formalities even for international transit, and the current state of international affairs means that this is not going to change anytime soon. You must have a valid visa to enter the United States if required by your citizenship, even if you are immediately continuing on a flight to a different country. If your citizenship requires a visa to enter the U.S., avoid transiting through the U.S. unless you want to spend time and money to obtain a C-1 transit visa. Further, when booking flights to the U.S. note that you will be required to clear customs and immigration at your first U.S. stop, not at your final destination, even if you have an onward flight. Allow at least 2 hours of stop-over (ideally more than 3) at your first U.S. stop.

Almost all Americans speak English. They generally use a standard accent (native to the Midwest), popularized in the 20th century by radio, TV and movies. In the South and Texas, in New England, in New York City, and in the upper Midwest you’ll find some regional accents and dialects. Nowhere should this pose any problem to a visitor, as Americans often admire foreign accents and most will approximate the standard accent to help you understand them, or try to speak your language if they can. You may occasionally need to repeat yourself in order to be understood.

Many Americans are familiar with Spanish, or French, but few are fluent in languages other than English, unless they are from immigrant communities; Visitors are generally expected to speak and understand English. Even popular tourist sites may have signs only in English, or perhaps one or two other languages.

Spanish is the primary second language in many parts of the U.S. such as California, the Southwest, Texas, Florida, Chicago Metropolitan Area, and the New York Metropolitan Area. Spanish is also the first language of the U.S. territory Puerto Rico as well as a large minority of residents, mostly immigrants from Mexico or Latin America. The United States has the fifth largest Spanish speaking population in the world. Although it’s rare to be in areas where no one speaks English, a good handle on Spanish can make communications easier in some areas.

French is the primary second language in rural areas near the border with Quebec, in some areas of Louisiana, and by immigrants from West Africa. Haitian immigrants primarily speak Haitian Creole, a separate language derived from French, as their second language, although a substantial number also speak French. Hawaiian is the native language of Hawaii, and in the various Chinatowns in major cities, Cantonese is common. Smaller immigrant groups also sometimes form their own pockets of shared language, including Russian, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Tagalog, Korean, Vietnamese, and others. Chicago, for instance, is home to the second largest Polish-speaking population in the world, behind Warsaw. The Amish, who have lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio for generations, speak a variety of German, and some Native Americans speak their respective native languages, especially on reservations in the west.

Crime

It is true that for an industrialized nation, the USA has a fairly high violent crime rate; however, this is mostly concentrated in inner city neighborhoods. Few visitors to the US experience any sort of crime. Much crime is gang or drug related, and usually occurs in areas that are of little interest to visitors. You can all but ensure that you won’t experience crime by taking a few commonsense precautions. First and foremost, identify the high crime districts (this should be very easy to do) and avoid them. Speak softly. Dress to blend in. Keep money and credit cards in a secure place. Never display cash, expensive jewelry or gadgets in public. Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol, which impair judgement and make you vulnerable. In most places it’s perfectly safe to go out alone at night, but ask before you do. Chat with strangers in public, but don’t go home with them, and never get in their cars. Women should also avoid being alone in secluded places, including parking garages. Respect local laws and customs.

Never participate in street gambling or any kind of get rich quick scheme. If a stranger presses you for money, a polite “Sorry, I can’t help” will usually be sufficient; a firm “No” and walking away will almost always work.

Natural disasters

The U.S. is a huge country with very varied geography, and parts of it are occasionally affected by natural disasters: hurricanes in June through November in the South including Florida, occasional tornadoes mostly in the Great Plains region, earthquakes in California and Alaska, and wildfires in summer on the West Coast, particularly California. See the regions in question for more details.

Because tornados are so common between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains, this area has earned itself the colloquial name Tornado Alley. The San Andreas Fault is a tectonic plate boundry running through California and so this area is prone to earthquakes.

As elsewhere, attitudes toward homosexuality vary widely, even in locales with a reputation for tolerance or intolerance. Most Americans avoid public displays of affection; same-sex couples holding hands in public may get stares. Violence, however, is rare and extremely unlikely to happen to a traveler. In general, most Americans take a live-and-let-live approach to sexuality. The U.S. has many gay-friendly destinations, where openly gay couples are common, including New York’s Chelsea, Chicago’s Boystown, San Francisco’s Castro Street and Noe Valley, Washington’s Dupont Circle, and Los Angeles’ West Hollywood. Even outside of gay neighborhoods, many major cities are gay-friendly, especially in the Northeast and the West Coast. An increasing number of resort areas are known as gay-friendly, including Fire Island, Key West, Asheville, Provincetown, Ogunquit, Rehoboth Beach, Saugatuck, and parts of Asbury Park. In these areas it’s generally not a problem to be open about one’s sexual orientation. In many other smaller cities, there are neighborhoods where gay people tend to congregate.

Some gay-friendly businesses like to advertise themselves as such, say, with a rainbow flag or a small pink triangle or three-vertical-striped sticker in the window. Of course, chances are you’ll also be welcome at any other public establishment. You will find that the rural areas of states, especially in the far South, will be much more unaccepting to homosexuals to the more modern cities on the East and West coasts.

Illicit drugs

Street drugs, including marijuana, are illegal throughout the U.S. Marijuana use is more widely accepted than other drugs (particularly on the West Coast), but generally not to the degree that it is in Canada or Western European countries. Although a few states have passed laws legalizing the medical use of marijuana, this will not protect any foreign citizen caught in possession. Outside of drug-using circles, most Americans frown upon illicit drug use regardless of quantity, and travelers would be wise to avoid using such substances in the United States. Penalties can be very severe, and can include mandatory minimum jail terms for possession of personal quantities in some states. Also, ANY drug possession near a school, however slight the quantity, will land you a heavy jail term. Attempting to bring any quantity into the U.S. poses a serious risk of being arrested for “trafficking”.

Prostitution

Prostitution is illegal in all areas except at licensed brothels in rural Nevada counties, and private residences in Rhode Island. In other states, tolerance and enforcement of prostitution laws vary considerably, but be aware that police routinely engage in “sting” operations in which an officer may pose as a prostitute to catch and arrest persons offering to pay for sex.

911

During any emergency, dialing 911 at any telephone will connect you to the emergency services in the area (police, fire, ambulance, etc). Calls to 911 are free from payphones and any mobile phone capable of connecting with local carriers. Give the facts. The dispatchers will send help. Unless you are calling from a mobile phone, the 911 operator can almost certainly locate you; with mobile phones it is more difficult. Never call 911 except to report a violent crime, a crime in progress, fire (in most places), or a medical emergency. Some cities have a 311 number for less urgent situations.

The American health care system is world-class in quality, but very expensive for the uninsured. Americans generally use private health insurance, paid either by their employer or out of their own pocket; some risk paying high hospital bills themselves, or depend on government subsidized health plans. As a traveler, it is advisable to acquire health insurance with medical evacuation coverage before arriving in the U.S.; should you not do so and a medical incident occurs, you may face enormous hospital bills.

In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 to summon an ambulance to take you to the nearest hospital emergency room (”ER”), or in less urgent situations get to the hospital yourself and register at the ER’s front desk. Emergency rooms will treat patients without regard to their ability to pay, but you will still be presented with a bill for all care. Do not use ERs for non-emergency walk-in care. Not only can this be 3-4 times more expensive than other options, but you will often wait many hours before being treated, as the staff will give priority to patients with urgent needs. In most areas, the charge for an emergency room visit starts around $500, in addition to any specific services or medications you may require. Most urban areas have minor emergency centers (also called “urgent care”, etc.) for medical situations where a fully equipped emergency room would be excessive. However, their hours may be limited, and few are open overnight.

Walk-in clinics are another place for travelers to find routine medical care, letting patients see a doctor or nurse-practitioner without an appointment (but often with a bit of a wait). They are typically very up-front about fees, and always accept credit cards. To find one, check the yellow pages under “Clinics”, or call a major hospital and ask. Make sure to tell the clerk you will be paying “out of pocket”; if they assume an insurance company will be paying for it, they may order tests that are not medically essential and in some cases bill for services that aren’t actually provided.

Dentists are readily available throughout the United States (again, see the yellow pages). Dental offices are accustomed to explaining fees over the phone, and most will accept credit cards.

Most counties and cities have a government-supported clinic offering free or low-cost testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases; call the Health Department for the county you are in for more details. Many county clinics offer primary health care services as well, however these services are geared towards low-income residents and not foreign travelers. Planned Parenthood (1-800-230-7526) is a private agency with clinics and centers around the country providing birth control and other reproductive health services for both females and males.

• It is polite to shake hands when meeting someone or being introduced. It is often omitted in less formal situations.
• Unless it is really crowded, leave some personal space between yourself and others.
• Social kissing as done in some parts of Europe is not practiced. Best to take your cues from others’ behavior toward you.
• Some words to describe race and racial features can be very offensive. If you have to reference race, Black or African-American, Latino, and White are acceptable terms. Avoid racial jokes.
• Other slang words which are used commonly in other countries can also be offensive. The word “fag”, the slang word used by the British to refer to a cigarette, is a derogatory term referring to homosexual men in the United States. Watch the use of your slang terms, stick to formal English.

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