FAQs

Hotels

What kinds of hotels does Frontiers Education use?
Frontiers Education uses 3 and 4 star hotels.  The hotels are selected based on quality, cleanliness, location and suitability. Most hotels in the US have facilities like free wireless internet, a swimming pool, laundry, ironing board and iron, snack bar, fitness center, computers and printer etc.

How many students stay in a room?
That depends on the size of the rooms in the hotel.  If the room size is large and has two double beds, 4 students might share the room. If the room size is smaller with two beds, two students will share the room. Usually, in the US it will be four students per room and in Europe it will be 2-3 students per room. 

When will we know our hotel information?
Hotel information will be provided to all students and parents 30 days prior to departure.

Food
What food will be available during the tour?
We try to accommodate all food preferences but sometimes food options are limited. Indian food is generally available for dinner. During lunch it is mostly American/Continental food. Vegetarian options are always available.

Breakfast is served at the hotel and usually offers a choice of fruits, eggs, sausages, waffles, bread, rolls, pastries, cereals/ corn flakes, milk, juice, tea and coffee.

How many meals will be provided?
We provide three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. During flights, the meals will be provided by airlines. Students need to specify their in-flight food preferences in the registration form.

What if I feel hungry at odd hours?
We recommend that you carry some light snacks from home in case you feel hungry at odd hours. Most hotels also have a 24 hour mini-shop / vending machines where you can buy some food items and beverages.

Flights and Luggage

When will we know our flight details?
You will know your flight details about 30 days prior to departure.

Which airlines do you use?
Our choice of airline is based on several considerations. We select the airline based on reputation, fare, seat availability and the travel time involved. The aim is to choose the airline which takes the least time to fly, is the most comfortable and offers us a fare that fits in the budget.

The airlines we have used in the past include United Airlines, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Jet Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France and KLM.

Can I get frequent flyer miles?
Yes, you can get frequent flyer miles from the airline. You need to send us your frequent flyer details at the time of registration.

What luggage can I bring?
On international flights, airlines allow one check-in bag of up to 23 kgs and one carry one bag (cabin baggage). Some airlines may allow 2 check-in bags of 23 kgs if the flight is to the US.

However, on internal sectors within the US, the airlines might charge for check-in bags. This charge will have to be borne by the students so it’s better to travel with one bag only.

We strongly recommend that the students travel light. The best guideline is that you can bring what you can carry yourself (not drag on the wheel). Our advice is to pack smart and bring as little as possible.  Students will have to carry their own bags and load / remove them from the bus on their own. They will also have to take their bags on their own to their hotel rooms. See our packing list for specific suggestions.

What are the luggage restrictions?
Students should carry all delicate equipment such as cameras, handy-cams, laptops, ipods, cell phones as well as money in their carry on bag. The airlines and our company will take no responsibility for items missing from the baggage.

Liquids such as perfumes, deodorants, mouthwash and any beverages, gels such as shampoo, toothpaste etc are not allowed in carry on baggage. They have to be put in the check in bags else the security will throw away these items before you board the plane. Please look at the website of the specific airlines for exact restrictions on luggage and be careful about the changes in regulations from time to time.

Communications

How do I contact my child when he/she is on a tour?
We will be providing the phone number of the hotels to all parents and school authorities before we leave for the tour.

We suggest that students carry prepaid SIM cards such as those available from Lyca Mobile or Matrix

Can my child call me?
Whatsapp calling is the cheapest way to make calls. All hotels provide Wi-fi internet.

Can my child use his/her mobile to call/receive calls?

Students can carry their cell phones with global roaming but the roaming charges are quite expensive. We recommend usage of a Matrix card or a a Lyca Mobile prepaid sim.

Is Internet available in the hotel?

Wireless Internet is available free of cost at the hotels in the US. In Europe, there might be a small fee for Internet usage. Students can carry their laptops if they wish to use the Internet from their rooms.

In the US, students can use the computers in the business center to email their family/friends.

Health

What happens in an Emergency?

Tour directors from Frontiers Education are trained to handle any minor illness, accident. They carry a complete first aid kit and common medicines to handle any minor injuries or health issues.

In case a student requires medical attention, he/she will be immediately taken to the nearest hospital. We purchase comprehensive travel insurance to take care of any eventuality.

Allergies and existing medications.

If any student suffers from any allergy or is on medication, please let us know in advance and provide adequate medication along with a doctor’s prescription in case we need to purchase more.

Safety

Safety Information

As a company, the safety of students is our paramount concern. The hotels, activities and places to visit are chosen keeping the safety as the top priority. However, it is very important for students to follow the safety instructions provided to them by the tour director, instructors and the staff at theme parks/attractions.

What safety precautions should I observe?

General Precautions

Stay in groups. Do not stray from the group on your own. Students will be provided a slip with the contact number of the tour director and the address and phone number of the hotels. Students should keep this slip in their wallet/purses and contact the tour director using the nearest phone if they get separated from the group.

Never accept a lift from a stranger.

At Airports
Stay with the group and do not wander around without taking permission from the tour director/teachers

Hotel Safety
Never leave valuables in your room unlocked. Keep the door locked and chained when you are in your room. Do not open to strangers. Do not give out your room number to strangers. Never climb out of windows, over balconies, etc. Read the emergency instructions in case of fire alarm.  Know the number of your teachers’ and tour directors rooms and how to locate it.

Stay in your room after the designated retiring time and do not wander around in the hotel or try to use the swimming pool at night.

Passport Safety
Students must carry a money belt / handbag and keep their passports safely in the money belt or handbag. Do not carry the passport in the hand or keep it in the seat pouch on the aircraft.

Always carry a copy of your passport in your suitcase and another copy in your hand bag. Hand over your passport to the teacher / tour director  for safe keeping as soon as your reach our destination.

Money
Do not carry a large amount of cash. Use a prepaid forex card and memorize the ATM pin or keep it in a safe place away from the card. Keep your cash and card in an inside pocket where it cannot be easily reached.

Do not bring jewelry or valuables
You will have to travel a lot, this can multiply the chances of losing or forgetting your belongings.

Listen carefully to instructions and observe them
Listen carefully to all instructions provided by the instructors at Space Center Houston, Kennedy Space Center, theme parks and other attractions and follow the instructions strictly. Failure to do so may lead to disciplinary action against you.

In the bus
Safety laws mandate that passengers must remain seated when the bus is in motion. Students should not move around the bus

In Shopping Malls
Move around in a group or with a friend. Report at the designated time at the place informed to you.
Clothing

What clothes should I carry?

The clothes you should carry depend on the time of the year. During summers, the temperature will range between 34 deg C to 20 deg C. You should carry 2-3 jeans/ skirts, and 10-11 t-shirts/tops. You can also carry a couple of Bermudas/shorts.

Swimming trunks (not Speedo type but longer trunks like shorts) should be carried by boys and girls can carry appropriate swimwear. You should also carry a towel.

In Winters the temperature will vary between 20 Deg C and 0 Deg C. Please carry 2-3 jeans, long sleeve shirts/tops, woollens / jacket , and a cap. Carry a daily change of undergarments and a few handkerchiefs.

If you are participating in the Space University program, you are required to dress in your school uniform for the graduation ceremony. Please carry one set of your uniform along with proper shoes. You can carry sneakers/sports shoes or any other shoes you are comfortable in and a pair of bathroom slippers. For a detailed list of things to pack, click here.

Can I wash clothes there?

In the US, the hotels will have a laundry with a coin-operated washing machine and a dryer. These can be used but we do not recommend washing clothes because ironing will have to be done yourself.

In Europe, the hotels may not have a coin operated washing machine. Public laundries are available but we strongly recommend that you carry enough clothes so that you don’t have to wash them.

Clothes do not get dirty easily in the US and Europe so the same jeans can be worn for more than a day.

Electronic Equipment

What electronic equipment can I carry?

Laptops, mobiles, iPads and cameras are allowed, but will be the sole responsibility of the student, we will not take any responsibility for any loss or damage. 

What is the electricity system in the US/Europe?

All electrical and electronic devices in the US work on 110 volts. In Europe, all devices work at 220 volts. Plugs from India won’t fit into sockets in the US and Europe.Students should carry a travel adapter that will allow them to charge their camera/phone/mp3 player or any other device that they might be carrying. These adapters are available at all large electric equipment shops.

Participation

My school is not based in India? Can you organize the program for us?

We welcome school groups from all over the world. We have organized international educational programs for students from countries other than India in the past. We can organize  the land part of the tour and depute a tour director to oversee all the arrangements. However, we can only offer advice regarding the visa application and air tickets for students from outside India. The visa and air tickets will have to be organized by the schools with help from local travel companies. The cost we will provide will be in US Dollars and will exclude visa, airfare and insurance costs.