Travel Day
- Will someone be at the airport to meet me on the first day of the trip?
- If I live in the city where my trip begins, how will I meet my group?
- Can my family meet me at the end of my trip?
- What if I have never traveled alone before?
- How will my parents know that I have arrived safely and met my group on travel day?
Will someone be at the airport to meet me on the first day of the trip?
Yes! When you sign up for an adventure, you will be sent Travel Guidelines which outline when we would like you to arrive and depart from the specific city. Once your family has made your travel plans, we ask you to send all of your flight information back to our office. This information is then given to your ARCC leaders who will meet you in the airport at the specified meeting spot. Leaders will also remain with you on the last day of the trip until you depart.
If I live in the city where my trip begins, how will I meet my group?
If you will not be flying on the first day of your trip, we still ask that you meet your group at the designated airport. We have arranged a specific meeting place and time for ARCC leaders and students to meet each other. Upon enrolling in an adventure, we would ask you to call our office to obtain further details about meeting your leaders on the first day.
Can my family meet me at the end of my trip?
Yes. If you would like to meet your family at the city of departure on the last day of your adventure, arrangements can be made through our office. We have arranged a specific meeting place and time in each airport of departure for students and families. ARCC leaders will escort students to the designated meeting area and wait with them until they have reunited with family members. This is a nice option for students who live near the city of departure, or for families who decide to take a summer vacation near the location of ARCC adventures.
What if I have never traveled alone before?
For many ARCC students, this is the first time they have taken flights without friends or family. We encourage students (especially those who have to make connecting flights) to ask their airline about traveling as an Unescorted Minor. Airlines can arrange for students to be met in the connecting city and to be escorted to their connecting flight. Sometimes airlines require students under 16 years old to travel as an Unescorted Minor. It is possible that there will be another ARCC student on your flight, especially if you are coming from a major city. If you would like to coordinate travel plans with another ARCC student, please call our office and we can let you know if there are other students coming from your area on travel day. Please let the ARCC office know if you plan to travel as an unescorted minor.
How will my parents know that I have arrived safely and met my group on travel day?
When you get off the plane at your final destination, you will be met by one of your ARCC leaders. They will take you to the baggage claim and help you with your luggage. After you have claimed your luggage, you will call your parents to let them know that you arrived safely and met your ARCC group. For the international trips, this will happen in the gateway cities as Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. Once we arrive at the international destination, the group leader will call the ARCC office and a staff member will post their successful arrival details on the ARCC parent bulletin board. Parents of students who are flying directly to the international gateway city (i.e. Rome, San Jose, St. Thomas) can expect to get a call from their son or daughter once they meet with their leaders in the international airport.