If you encounter changes to your travel plans after you have submitted your Travel Form, please contact your Course Advisor to update them about the change.
If you encounter problems with your travel plans that will delay your arrival, please call 855-802-0307. Follow the prompts to reach the on-call staff member for your course.
PARENTS of students ages 13-16 who will be flying unaccompanied—please read carefully:
Recently, the airline industry has adopted stricter guidelines for children ages 16 and under flying unaccompanied by an adult. Each carrier has different rules about who must fly with Unaccompanied Minor (UM) status, depending on the minor’s age, the flight route and stops. This UM status will require an additional fee of $100-$150+, and may require additional forms. If your child is under 16 and is traveling without an adult, you MUST check to see if the airline you have chosen will designate them as an Unaccompanied Minor, and inform us of his/her status. This allows us to ensure we have sufficient staff at the airport to meet your child upon arrival, and/or accompany them until they board their flight after Course End. We cannot ensure this level of staff support without advance notice.
Your airline will ask for a contact name and phone number as the pickup person. Please ask your Course Advisor for the details of this person.
NOTE: The airline may not apply this status when you originally book the travel, but may choose to do so at a later date. They may require you to upgrade to UM status (and pay the additional fee) when your child checks in with the airlines to fly to Course Start. WE STILL NEED TO KNOW – please call us if this happens. Some airlines may require students 13-15 years old to be designated as Unaccompanied Minors when they check in at the airport for departure at Course End – even if they weren’t designated as an UM on the originating flight, so please make sure to ask your airline about their policies at the time of booking.
San Jose
Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO), SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
Your course ends at 10:00 AM at the international airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to make a flight before 12:00 noon. Please book your return flight after 12:00 noon.
Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría (SJO), SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
We prefer that students arrive by 1pm on course start day, so we can begin course activities right away. However, we can make arrangements to pick up if you are not able to get in before 1pm.
You should plan to arrive in Costa Rica on the day that your course starts. If you are arriving prior to your course start day, you will be responsible for your accommodations and arriving at the airport to meet staff on the course start day.
You must bring a valid passport with an expiration date of at least 6 months AFTER the date of your return flight home. Every student not coming from the Americas or a European Union country should consult the following web site to ensure that they meet immigration requirements for your country of travel: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
We recommend that you make two copies of your passport, one to keep with you during the course in case you lose your original, and one to leave at home, too. If you do not currently have a passport, you should start the application process NOW. It can take many weeks for your paperwork to be processed and a passport issued. For passport information go to: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html
Visa charge cards are accepted in most populated areas, and there are ATM machines for cash advances in some areas. We recommend a combination of cash and a debit or credit card. Semester students should bring $100. At the end of course, time permitting, students may be allowed to use that money to purchase souvenirs.
Keep in mind that there is a departure tax you will need to pay at the airport. This typically ranges from $20-$30.
Bring your flight itineraries, and the copy of the Course Overview with the number to call in the event of travel delay (855-802-0307).
Please review the times and locations for Course Start and Course End as you plan your travel to and from course. You should also be familiar with the information on the COVID-19 Health and Safety page.
Do not purchase any travel tickets until your Course Advisor has given the "go-ahead" to book travel for your course. This message will be in either your Cleared to Participate email or a separate message confirming the course is cleared to book travel.
Travel details (flights and drop-offs) are due to your Course Advisor 10 days before your course start date. This helps our airport shuttle teams get organized and ensures we have enough seats available for all students needing a ride. You will receive a Travel Form link from your course advisor. Please complete this form, even if you are being dropped off by car.
Students flying without an adult/guardian may need to bring an ID when traveling to and/or from course. If you need to obtain a non-driver ID card, please see your local Department of Motor Vehicles office. For more information, go to www.dmv.org/id-cards.php.