General travel tips:

• TSA does not require U.S. citizens under 18 flying domestically to fly with an ID (unless traveling internationally, in which case they’ll need a passport valid for at least six months past their travel dates). All students 18 and older must travel with a valid ID. For international students traveling to the U.S. or other countries, please check your country’s visa requirements several months prior to departure.
• Arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure to ensure your student doesn’t miss their flight. If flying as an unaccompanied minor, you may want to arrive even earlier. For big/busy airports like Denver or Atlanta or Seattle, please arrive up to three hours early to account for long check-in and security lines.
• Your student’s daypack (carry-on backpack) should be packed according to the trip-specific packing list in CampInTouch. In the event that luggage is delayed, instructors will make sure your student has everything they need.
• Pack your student’s prescription medications in their daypack (not in the checked duffel bag). All medications must arrive in the original container, and your student will give those to their instructors for safekeeping upon arrival.

Meeting Adventure Treks instructors on opening day

We begin tracking all flights early in the morning on opening day, and your student’s instructors plus a director will greet everyone at the airport. For students traveling as unaccompanied minors, an Adventure Treks instructor will meet them at the gate when they step off the plane. For students NOT traveling as unaccompanied minors, we try to meet them at the gate but cannot guarantee that due to airline and airport regulations. If we are unable to be at the gate, we will call and text them and let them know exactly where to meet us, which is usually baggage claim. Instructors will be easy to find in an Adventure Treks T-shirt and hat.

Safe arrival notification

Each student will call home upon meeting with an instructor so parents will know they’ve arrived safely. This call usually takes place after your child has met an Adventure Treks instructor, collected their bags, and met the other students. Please expect up to an hour between the time your student’s flight lands and the phone call home to you.Instructors will then collect all electronics, medications, valuables, and wallets/passports. After everyone has arrived, the group will head to a nearby park to play games, eat lunch, and have a quick orientation before heading off for their first campsite.

Unaccompanied minor service (UM)

The majority of our students fly to Adventure Treks without their parents, and most airlines offer an unaccompanied minor (UM) service to young travelers who are flying without an adult. Each airline has its own fees (typically $75–$150 each way), restrictions on flight options (e.g., some airlines don’t allow connections for UMs), and additional paperwork for UM service, so please call them directly with questions. (If your child meets the airline’s age requirement, we will assume they are flying to Adventure Treks independently unless told otherwise.)

Here’s our advice:

UM service comes with additional complications. Some airlines (like Delta) will put embargos on UMs if there’s a threat of bad weather—meaning airline representatives will deny them boarding and they get stuck at the airport. We’ve also had UM students stuck in airport lounges overnight after a canceled flight because the airline wouldn’t rebook them. Most students prefer not to fly as UMs, as it’s a great way to build independence and navigate airports on their own. Thus, many families opt for an airline that doesn’t require UM service to avoid the additional fees, paperwork, and preparation required. Please know that if UM service isn’t required for your child but you do opt into it, managing any cancellations or delays will be more difficult, as your child’s rebooking options will be more limited. Please call us at 828-698-0399 if you’d like to chat more about how to avoid the UM services.

If you do not book UM service, you can still request a gate pass from the check-in agents to go behind security with your child until their flight takes off. Adventure Treks instructors will be waiting at the arrival airport, ready to greet students when they land.

If you do book UM service, the airline will ask you for information regarding the person picking up your child (i.e., the AT staff) upon arrival. This is the only person to whom the airline will release your child when they land. We cannot provide this info until a week before the trip starts, so please give them your information in the meantime. You can update the airline later with the instructor’s info.

International student travel

Adventure Treks is thrilled to welcome teenagers from all over the United States and even the world. In a typical year, our students hail from about 40 states and 20 countries. We believe that having this global community strongly benefits our students, who truly enjoy and appreciate making friends with others from different cultures and backgrounds.

Depending on where your child is flying from and the flights available, your child may be able to arrive the day before the trip starts. Please contact us at admissions@adventuretreks.com or at 828-698-0399 to discuss flight options if coming from another country.