Urgent Help From Parents Needed

[Columbia_Student]

^^ Lol, how is he going to drive from Los Angeles to New York?

No from the airport to the college.

[HisGraceFillsMe]

It would probably be just as easy to take a train or a bus or something. And I don't think they rent cars to minors.

[thumper1]

My guess is that if the student is going for a scholarship interview...and they call the college...the COLLEGE will help them find a way to get from the airport to the school.


Here's what I found searching one of the air searches...

United flies by way of Dulles.

US Air flies by way of either Boston or Phili

Delta flies by way of Cincinnati.

I would suggest that changing planes at Dulles or Cincinnati is easier than changing planes in either Boston or Phili.

[Marian]

Rental car companies are surprisingly reluctant to deal with anyone under age 25.

But since this is an official university event, chances are that transportation has been arranged from the airport to the university, either by commercial airport shuttle or by some sort of university-owned van.

The only way you could do this trip without changing planes is to fly to New York City and then take a train to Rochester. But this is a LOT worse than changing planes. The train ride is like seven hours. Also, you would have to get yourself from the airport to the train station in NY, which is a little complicated and a lot annoying. You are better off changing planes. The worst that can happen is that you miss a connection and have to wait in an airport for a while until you can get another flight. You don't have to get yourself from one location in an unfamiliar city to another. With the train option, you would.

My son had to travel from Hartford, Connecticut to Washington, DC a couple of weeks ago, and he had to change planes in Philadelphia. He had no trouble finding his way around the Philadelphia airport. (He's a few years older than the OP, but this was only the second time in his life that he had ever been on a plane, so he's no more experienced -- and maybe less so.)

[brainsprain]

Another possibility is taking the United overnight flight into BWI, then taking the 7:10 am AirTran non-stop to Rochester.

[kelsmom]

I understand that your parents are worried, but please assure them that plenty of kids your age have changed planes with no problems. My daughter flew to several colleges by herself senior year, and she even had some issues with cancelled flights & subsequent rerouting. She made it just fine! You will be in a secure airport the entire time, and if you are going for a scholarship interview ... I assume you are intelligent enough to navigate an airport! I agree with having at least an hour between flights, because planes often arrive later than scheduled. Once you make the reservation, be sure to give the airline a mobile phone # and sign up for alerts. And check the flight status before you leave for the airport. If something happens enroute, don't worry ... you can get it taken care of. D had a connection at O'Hare that was cancelled after we left for the airport for the first leg of the flight. For some reason, they called only our home # to let us know, so we didn't know about the cancellation. She flew the first leg & then didn't have a flight once she got to Chicago. She talked to the ticket agent, who rerouted her through St. Louis ... she eventually got to Memphis! Neither of us panicked, and it all worked out.

[thumper1]

>>Another possibility is taking the United overnight flight into BWI, then taking the 7:10 am AirTran non-stop to Rochester>>

The OP can take an overnight United Flight to Dulles, and then take a flight the following morning from Dulles to Rochester. Same airline...a bit easier.

[swimcatsmom]

Kayak.com is a good search engine - it searches all the flights and web sites (airlines and different web agencies). i did a quick search and no nonstop flights between LAX and Rochester popped up which leads me to thing there probably are non. Just make sure you have enough time to make connections - you should be fine.

You are looking at an 8 hour journey. Leaving the evening of the 26th may be a bit tight and stressful if the interview is the 27th.

[TheresaCPA]

Your cell phone has a chip in that follows you around. use the cell phone and walk them thru the airport. I put my kid on a plane from Paris to Chicago when she was 10. She has navigated the city of chicago subterreanean circus known as a subway and that is full of monsters and other things like drunken cubs fans. Tell your parent to cut the cord and if that dont work they can attach one of those gps trakkers on you and follow your every footsteps to college.

[ClassicRockerDad]

Just take JetBlue from Long Beach to Rochester with a change at JFK. The JetBlue terminal at JFK is self contained, so you'll get off of the first plane and your connection will be very close. Go to JetBlue to book it.

[HisGraceFillsMe]

^YUS.

I loooove JetBlue. They have the comfiest planes I've ever been on.

[WayOutWestMom]

Hands, my D is more or less in the same situation. (Renaissance finalist, lives far, far away from NY). Only we have even less access to a large airport with many different airlines. I had hoped the go with her to Rochester--but at over $650 for airfare (ouch!) just for her, its way too expensive.

Since I have a friend who is travel agent, she made some sensible suggestions about the trip.

1. You're not likely to find a non-stop to ROC. Just isn't enough of a demand.

2. Avoid changing planes in O'Hare if at all possible. (D is going through Atlanta, even thought it makes her trip longer.) Airport is *always* under construction and the unpredictable midwest weather this time of year often makes for unexpected delays.

3. Try to avoid a connection that is the last possible flight out to your destination city that evening/night. D will be going out to ROC a day early because there are only two possible connections for her to get from here to there--and she's taking the earlier one. However, on the way back Friday, she *will* be on the last flight from her connecting city (ATL) to home. No way to avoid it unless she wants to spent a third night sleeping on the dorm floor.

4. The big issue, according to my friend, is how to manage things if D gets stranded somewhere because of flight delays, cancellations etc..Since D is under 18, can't rent a car and doesn't have a credit card--she's in a potentially bad situation. My friend recommended buying trip insurance. Cost of the policy depends on the cost of your ticket. The insurance co has 24-hr toll-free concierge number (and in some locations a staffed booth on the concourse) and they will arrange EVERYTHING should D get stuck--including a taxi/shuttle to an nearby hotel to spend the night and getting her put on stand-by on the next available to her destination (even it's not on the airline she booked her flight on). For me, the peace of mind is worth the $40 extra.

YMMV, of course.

Hope you have a safe and uneventful trip!

P.S. We knew the trip to ROC was going to be expensive and hard to arrange--she has friend who's a freshman there. He didn't even come home at Thanksgiving because of travel arrangement issues. Probably won't be home for spring break either--same reason.

[OG57]

I sent my 10 and 12 year olds to Florida and they had to transfer. We paid some extra money to have them escorted. Though it may make you feel embarrassed to have such an arrangement, it may be enough to convince your parents to allow you to go and take advantage of such a fine opportunity.

[WayOutWestMom]

Re: transport between airport and college.

Rochester's admission dept. will pick the student up at the airport if they are arriving Wednesday or Thursday between 9 am and 5 pm. And return them to the same airport on Friday. It'[s already been arranged, all the student needs to do is tell the office her flight number and arrival time.

And if that doesn't work, a cab ride to/from the campus is $10.

[hikids]

Depending on your age you can pay the extra money and fly as an unaccompanied minor. That should put your parents at ease, but may make you feel silly.