Overland : summer & semester programs for 10-19 year olds
Making travel arrangements for your Overland program is an important part of preparing for the summer. The information below is designed to help make your planning this spring and your child's travel this summer trouble free.
Overland staff will meet all student flights at baggage claim. Your child will call home on arrival to confirm that we have met him or her. Even if your child arrives early or is delayed, we will be there. At the end of your child's program, we will assist with check in and stay in the airport until your child is in the air. If a problem arises, Overland staff at the airport, along with our directors in Williamstown, will resolve it. You can count on us.
For All Students: Please do not purchase non-refundable airline tickets until you receive an Overland email from Kate Silverman (kate@overlandprograms.com) confirming receipt and review of the School Reference.
Please have your child fly early in the day; this offers more flight options should delays or cancellations occur. Please do not travel on the last flight of the day.
We recommend purchasing a non-stop flight even if this means driving to a major airport farther away from home.
If a flight with connections is your only option, please follow these guidelines:
Our experience shows that students can successfully fly alone to and from their Overland program. With assistance from parents and help from Overland staff, flying alone simplifies everyone's airport logistics.
Flying Alone--Registered As An Unaccompanied Minor
Flying Alone on Code Share Airlines
Planning your child's arrival and departure within the recommended Overland times is appreciated (see 2010 Program Start & End Information). Please note:
Using frequent flyer miles to purchase tickets is acceptable. Please note, however, that other airlines do not always accept frequent flyer tickets should a missed connection or cancelled flight occur. Our advice is to redeem frequent flyer miles for tickets only if your child's trip is non-stop or if your child can travel early in the day.
Please be aware that many airlines now charge additional fees for any checked baggage. You can often pay for these ahead of time when booking your child's flight. However, if that is not the case, please provide your child with a method of payment for checked baggage during trip start and end. Fees vary by airline; please contact your specific airline for more information.
If your child will be flying to his or her trip with a bicycle, please be sure to:
A. Review your child's Packing List for details on flying with a bicycle. Packing lists are available on trip pages.
B. Be aware of the fees charged by the airlines to check a bicycle as a piece of luggage as these fees vary from airline to airline. For example, in late 2009 these were the fees charged by a number of carriers (these are typically in addition to any regular bag fees):
| Airline | Bike Fee Domestic Flight One Way | Bike Fee International Flight One Way |
|---|---|---|
| American | $100 | $100 |
| British Air | N/A |
No charge if under 51 lbs |
| Continental | $100 if over 50lbs, treated as baggage if under 50lbs. | $100 if over 50lbs, treated as baggage if under 50lbs. |
| Delta | $175 | $300 |
| KLM/Northwest | $100 | $150 |
| United | $175 | $200 |
| US Airways | $100 | $100 |
C. Notify the airline to confirm that bikes are acceptable on each leg of your child's flight (bikes may not be accepted on smaller regional jets).
D. Allow for additional time at check-in.
On arrival at your final destination, all students (except Unaccompanied Minors) should go to baggage claim. Please instruct your child to wait at baggage claim to be met by a member of Overland’s staff (they will be wearing Overland T-shirts). We will be able to identify your child because we’ll have his or her flight details and a photo. For Unaccompanied Minors, an Overland staff member will be at your child’s gate or the airline’s meeting area. For international programs, students should collect their bags and exit the secure part of the airport through customs. A member of Overland’s staff wearing an Overland T-shirt will be waiting.
When the Overland staff member meets your child at the airport, he or she will make sure that your child calls home to confirm that he or she has arrived safely. For programs in Africa, Europe, Hawaii and Alaska, this may mean that the call home arrives in the middle of the night.
For all trips that go outside of the United States, students must bring a signed, valid passport with an expiration date no earlier than six months after the program end date. For students on Virgin Islands Service, Overland recommends traveling with a valid passport. Please keep a photocopy of your child’s passport at home. Visit www.travel.state.gov for additional passport information.
For all U.S. programs your child should bring a school ID, driver’s license or other identification (e.g., a photocopy of your child’s birth certificate or passport). Please do not send an original passport with your child on his or her U.S. program.
If any problems occur while your child travels to or from his or her Overland program, don’t worry; we’re here to help. For 26 years we have managed the arrival and departure of thousands of students. Any questions or concerns? Call us.
Overland P.O. Box 31 Williamstown, MA 01267 | 800.458.0588 | 413.458.9672 | Fax: 413.458.5208 info@overlandprograms.com
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Overland Programs offers more than 40 different trips including New England summer camps and hiking adventures for tweens (5th graders and 6th graders), hiking trips for teens, teen bike trips in Europe and America, and teen summer service programs. Whether you're looking for a language immersion program, summer programs abroad or service programs abroad, summer writing programs, environmental studies programs, teen adventure travel trips, a field studies program, or even a gap year semester in Spain, you're sure to find a program here which will create lasting memories, capture the imagination, and strengthen physical, emotional and social skills. Overland is not simply a summer or semester-long experience—it's a life experience with value and resonance that extends far beyond the boundaries of a young person's time with us.
Overland leaders are students and recent alumni from top colleges and universities, including many schools in the Ivy League and NESCAC as well as other elite schools across the country. Overland leaders are campus leaders, varsity athletes, sports captains, peer counselors, outdoor guides, and honors students. All leaders are First Aid, CPR, and lifeguard certified.
Overland Programs, also known as Overland Summers and even as Overland Adventures, is proud to have ACA accredited summer programs, teen summer camps, teen summer adventures, teen travel, teen summer programs, teenage camps, teen adventure programs, teen adventure trips, summer camp programs, summer programs abroad, language immersion courses abroad, teen bike trips, teen bicycle tours, teen summer service programs and New England camps which are held to the highest safety standards. Overland is not a teen tour or a summer camp, our trips and programs are carefully crafted and designed to challenge our students, who are always in small groups with superlative leadership.
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