FLIGHT BOOKING OVERVIEW
Booking Your Flight
Welcome to SPI’s flight booking information page!
Every SPI participant is required to independently book their travel. We strongly encourage traveling on the designated flight itineraries for their program. Please scroll down for designated flight information. Peak fares for flights range between $600-1,200 for Latin America and $1,600-2,500 for Europe & Asia. You have the choice to book directly with the airline or through a third-party travel agency.
Travel to the Program Site
Our on-site director teams arrive abroad several days ahead of students. Although 90% of our student body travels aboard the designated flights, we encourage parents to accompany novice travelers or students under age 16 to the international gateway airport (New York-JFK, Dallas, Los Angeles). It’s also common for parents to travel with their child all the way to the program site (ie. Santander, Siena).
Airport Arrival Reception Abroad
All students and parents receive a flight arrival instructions with pick-up contact information prior to departure. Students traveling on our designated flights will be met outside of baggage claim by on-site staff holding an SPI sign (provided your flights are within our booking requirements). SPI normally has staff at major hubs (i.e., New York-JFK) to assist with connecting flights for our outbound summer programs, although this is not guaranteed.
Independently Escorting Your Child
Many families have combined an SPI immersion program with their own vacations in Europe, Latin America, or Asia. Families delivering their child directly to the program site (i.e: Santander, Siena) are considered Permitted Deviations. If you would like to escort your child to the program site, please review the Permitted Deviations below for specific information on planning your “meet up.” Due to disruption to the immersion experience, SPI strongly discourages parents visiting their students during the duration of the program.
STUDENTS UNDER 16
Please book on an airline that does NOT require unaccompanied minor service for 14-15 year olds (do NOT book on United or Southwest). We also recommend parents travel with their student to the designated flight departure airport or all the way to the program site if they are uncomfortable with them traveling independently. Please refer to the individual airlines for their current policies.
FLIGHT BOOKING GUIDELINES
Guidelines
Choose Best Flights & Airline
You are free to use miles/points to book your ticket directly with the airline.Book with at least 2 hours of Connection Time (Outbound Flight)
SPI has staff in Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Guangzhou to assist students with connecting to their flights abroad.
Submit Your Flight Itinerary IMMEDIATELY to SPI Online or by email
Arrival & Departure
Time Window
Failure to Arrive or Depart within this time window will incur a $200 fee.
Program start date is the departure day from the U.S. Spain, France, Italy & China – Students will arrive abroad the FOLLOWING DAY. Mexico & Costa Rica – Students will arrive abroad the SAME DAY. If you arrive from outside North America, please book accordingly.
| Program | Arrival Airport | Arrival Window | Departure Window |
|---|---|---|---|
SANTANDER, SPAIN |
Santander Airport (SDR) | 10 AM to 6:15 PM | 6:30 AM to 3 PM |
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN |
San Sebastian Airport (EAS) | 10 AM to 6:15 PM | 6:30 AM to 3 PM |
BIARRITZ, FRANCE |
Biarritz Airport (BIQ) | 10 AM to 6:15 PM | 6:30 AM to 3 PM |
SIENA, ITALY |
Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) | 7 AM to 11 AM | 10 AM to 3 PM |
COSTA RICA |
Liberia International Airport (LIR) | 10 AM to 7 PM | 12 PM to 7 PM |
GUILIN, CHINA |
Guilin Airport (KWL) | 10:00 PM to 1:30 AM | 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM |
Booking Your Flight Online Is Easy!
Search Best Flight Options: Google Flight Search
Book Directly with Designated Airline: Delta American
PERMITTED DEVIATIONS
Flight Deviations
Arriving and/or departing outside of the booking window – $200 fee
All students traveling outside of SPI’s Arrival & Departure Window (see above) will be charged a $200 fee. This is to discourage flights outside of the time window. All flight deviations must be pre-approved by SPI (please email admissions@spiabroad.com). In addition, families must provide complete deviation details and sign the release form below.
> Failure to provide permitted deviation details by May 1, will incur an additional “late planning fee” of $150.
Certain permitted arrival deviations are exempt from any fees. Please reference the information to the right of this box for more information.
Independently Escorting Your Child to the Program
Permitted Drop-off Locations - NO FEE
PERMITTED: Arriving outside of the Arrival Window and INDEPENDENTLY TRAVELING to the hotel where your group is staying . Families must provide complete deviation details and sign the release form above.
> You must be at the designated meeting point by:
SPAIN: 6:00 PM at designated meeting point on arrival day
FRANCE: 6:00 PM at designated meeting point on arrival day
ITALY: 10:30 AM at Rome Airport on arrival day
COSTA RICA: 5:00 PM at Liberia Airport on arrival day
MEXICO: 9:00 PM at designated meeting point on arrival day
Permitted Pick Up Locations - NO FEE
PERMITTED: Departing before the group and INDEPENDENTLY TRAVELING to the airport by taxi, car, with parents, etc.
PERMITTED: Parents picking-up students or students having been authorized to INDEPENDENTLY DEPART the program. (See Designated Program Release Points & Times for guidelines).
*SPI cannot assist with ground transportation arrangements for permitted deviations.
Designated Program Release Points & Times
All students are released from the SPI program at the airport check-in counter in the program site’s airport (i.e. Santander) on the program end date. Below are alternative program release points and times if students will not be departing as scheduled in program itinerary.
Picking Up Child in Program City: Students meet parents at their hotel or at designated meeting point at an agreed upon time. Officially released from SPI on Saturday morning at 9 AM.
