Getting To & From Your Trip

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Making travel arrangements to and from your child’s Overland program is an important part of preparing for the summer. The information provided here is designed to help make your planning and your child’s travel this summer trouble-free. 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 27 years we have managed the arrival and departure of thousands of students. Any questions or concerns? Call us.

DON’T PURCHASE FLIGHTS UNTIL YOU RECEIVE THE GO-AHEAD FROM US

Please do not purchase non-refundable airline tickets until you receive an email from Kate Silverman (kate@overlandsummers.com) confirming our receipt and review of the School Reference and Health Record Forms.

PLANNING YOUR CHILD'S FLIGHTS

1. Can My Child Fly Alone?

Our experience shows that students can successfully fly alone to and from their Overland program.

Flying Alone—Unaccompanied Minor Policies

• If your child will fly alone please be aware that some airlines require children to register as Unaccompanied Minors based on their age. Once registered, the airline provides either an escort and/or supervision. It is important that you register your child if your airline requires it. Please call your airline to discuss their policy before purchasing your tickets. Age restrictions vary and some airlines only allow certain itineraries (i.e. no connecting flights).
• Students registered as unaccompanied minors are met by Overland staff at their arrival gate (domestic flights) or outside of the secure area (international flights). At trip end, they are escorted to their departure gate (domestic flights) or brought to the entrance of the secure area (international flights).
• At trip end, if a student is required to be registered as an unaccompanied minor by the airline and has not been pre-registered, Overland will register the student and bill the parents for the unaccompanied minor fees paid by Overland on behalf of the student.

Codeshare Flights (Flights operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code)

• If your child is flying alone with a codeshare partner airline, please make sure that your child will be allowed to fly alone on each of the carriers. Unaccompanied minor policies vary widely from airline to airline so please make sure that your child can travel alone on each of his or her codeshare airlines.

2. Coordinate Travel

• Coordinate travel with another Overland student. Call our office—we can look for other students in your area and provide you with contact information. For some students, traveling with an older student could eliminate the need to register as an unaccompanied minor (please check with your airline for their policies).
• Consider flying with your child. Many parents choose to fly with their children. For younger students especially, flying with a parent helps to ease the transition from home.
  
  • Consider flying with your child partway. Consider flying with your child to the connecting airport and meeting your child in the connecting airport for the return flight. This way your child does not have to navigate an airport without your help and only has a direct flight alone.

3. Travel Within Our Flight Windows And Early In The Day

Planning your child’s arrival and departure within the times recommended by Overland is appreciated (see 2012 Program Start & End Information). Please note:

• We will try to make exceptions for students flying from the West Coast for East Coast programs and for students whose only non-stop flight option is outside our arrival/departure times.
• For Europe-bound students, travel from the U.S. must begin the day before the program starts in order to arrive in Europe on the first day of the program.

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. 

4. Choose A Non-Stop Flight

We recommend purchasing a non-stop flight even if this means driving to a major airport farther away from home. Connecting flights are more likely to cause lost luggage, lost bike boxes, a late arrival to your trip start, and issues while traveling as an unaccompanied minor.

If a flight with connections is your only option, please follow these guidelines:

• Choose a flight with a layover time of at least 90 minutes. If your child is delayed on his or her first flight a longer layover will help your child arrive in time to make the connecting flight.
• Choose connecting flights offered by the same airline. When using the same airline for both flights, if your first flight is delayed, causing you to miss your connection, many airlines will assume responsibility and book you on the next available flight.

5. Be Careful Of Using Miles From A Frequent Flyer Program To Purchase Tickets

Should a missed connection or canceled flight occur, many airlines do not transfer miles towards a new flight. Our advice is use miles for tickets only if your child’s trip is non-stop or if your child can travel early in the day.

6. Be Aware Of Baggage Fees

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. If that is not the case, however, please provide your child with a method of payment for checked baggage during trip start and end. Fees vary by airline; please contact your airline for more information.

7. Flying With A Bicycle

If your child will be flying to his or her trip with a bicycle, please be sure to:

• Review your child’s Packing List for details on flying with a bicycle.
• 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) and allow for additional time at check-in.
• 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. In late 2011 these were the fees charged by a number of carriers (these are typically in addition to any regular bag fees):

AIRPORT LOGISTICS

Upon arrival at the final destination, all students (except Unaccompanied Minors) should go to baggage claim. Students should wait at baggage claim to be met by a member of Overland’s staff (they will be wearing Overland t-shirts). We will use your child’s itinerary and photo to identify him or her. 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 area through customs. A member of Overland’s staff wearing an Overland T-shirt will be waiting there.

YOUR CHILD WILL CALL YOU WHEN HE OR SHE ARRIVES

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. Due to time changes, this may mean a call arriving in the middle of the night.

PASSPORTS & IDENTIFICATION

For international programs (including Nova Scotia & Acadia), 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 birth certificate or passport). Please do not send an original passport with your child on his or her U.S. program.