Travel & Flight Information
Therapy Abroad will organize group flights for each of our program dates. Depending on the program, flights will depart from one of several major international hubs –Miami, Florida (Dominican Republic), Houston, TX (Belize), or Los Angeles, San Francisco, California, or New York, NY (Thailand, Bulgaria, Uganda). Our priority is finding an affordable flight on a reputable airline with nonstop service to our destination. As flight availability and pricing changes each year, so does our choice of airport and airline.
Group flights are arranged as a convenience for our participants and as a way to ensure that our programs are as safe and organized as possible. We want everyone who goes on a Therapy Abroad program to focus on their upcoming experience without getting bogged down in travel details, which is why we are here for you 24/7 if you have flight questions. More than 98% of our participants opt to take one of our group flights. As part of a group flight you will also have the advantage of traveling with a Therapy Abroad Flight Leader who will assist you with checking in, clearing customs and communicating with Therapy Abroad and your family if any issues arise from missed or delayed flights, lost luggage etc.
In certain situations, we understand that participants will prefer to make their own international travel arrangements, such as when a relative has a discounted fare available or frequent flyer miles they want to use. While we can accommodate such requests, we strongly encourage everyone to fly on the group itinerary. In some situations, participants who apply very late in the season may be required to make their own airfare arrangements when group seats on escorted flights are no longer available, although we will still be happy to assist in finding the best available flight option.
Paying for Flights
Flight information will become available at least 4-5 months before your scheduled departure. At that time, flights will be reserved and registered participants will be notified with detailed instructions on how to book their flights. All of your flight information will be provided to you, and you’ll be able to book over the phone or online with a credit card. The best part is that in order to reserve your space on the group flight, you will only need to make a minimum deposit of $50. You can then set up an interest-free pay-over-time plan or wait until your balance is due at 30-45 days prior to departure.
Late Season Bookings
Therapy Abroad works hard to accommodate late-season applicants whenever possible. Quite often our group seats on our flights are no longer available when bookings are made late in the season. Therefore, we urge you to apply early to reserve your space on one of our programs, at which time you will also receive your flight booking information. If there is still space on a program but the group flight payment deadline has expired then participants will need to make their own flight arrangements. Therapy Abroad will also charge a $150 travel coordination fee (each way), which ensures that we have staff on the ground when you arrive at your destination and to coordinate safe private transport with a Therapy Abroad team leader to meet with the rest of your group.
