Below is information about travel to New Zealand. Please read the information carefully, and do not book a ticket until you are accepted into a program. Please note that the cost of these flights are not included in the program fee.
Click here to download tips for international travel.
Group Flight Option:
Advantage Travel arranges an optional group flight to Auckland for IFSA-Butler programs in New Zealand. Below are some details about the group flight option:
The group flight goes to Auckland and arrives on the program start date. If you want to fly to New Zealand with the group, you must reserve a spot and pay for it by the deadline listed. Please note that group flights can sell out before the deadline.
The group flight includes a ticket from Auckland to your host city, should you be studying outside of Auckland.
Fill out the Advantage Travelgroup flight reservation formfor your program and submit your payment online, or download the form and mail it to Advantage Travel with your payment.
The group flight fee includes a return fare to the group flight U.S. city of departure. Add-on tickets for other U.S. cities are available for an additional fee. Be sure to specify a return date when booking your group flight ticket.
Students travel as a group on the outbound flight to Auckland only and choose their own return date to the United States, as well as make their own way to the airport for their trip home.
IFSA-Butler staff will meet you at the airport upon arrival and transport you to the orientation site.
You will meet other students on the program before arriving abroad.
An experienced travel agent will work on your behalf to re-issue your ticket if you miss a flight.
Ticket change fees may be lower than tickets you buy independently
We have representatives monitoring flight departures to ensure that you make the group flight. If you are delayed for any reason, we will contact our office abroad so our staff know when to expect your arrival. IFSA-Butler staff do not monitor return flights.
IFSA-Butler staff do not travel on the flight, but they will be at the airport to meet group flight participants.
If you don't choose to participate in the optional group flight, you'll be considered an independent traveler and you'll need to make your own travel arrangements. Things to keep in mind if you book your own travel:
You must plan to arrive at Auckland International Airport before the group flight for your program lands. Double check the Advantage Travel group flight reservation form to confirm the arrival date and time of the group flight for your host university.
If you are already in Auckland on the day the group flight arrives, you must return to the Auckland International Airport no later than the arrival time of the group flight.
If you fail to meet the group flight, you are responsible for your own transfer to the orientation site, which could cost more than $200 in peak traffic.
You must attend the mandatory IFSA-Butler orientation at the start of your program.
Directions to your program's meeting point will be provided in the Travel Essentials newsletter prior to your departure.
Requirements for Independent Travel:
For students studying outside of Auckland, you must book the same group flight domestic ticket from Auckland to your host city. It is very important that you book the same flight as the group from Auckland to your host city, as that is the flight from which we'll be arranging transportation to your housing. Visit the Advantage Travel website and view the group flight reservation form to find the exact date and flight number that you should book.
You will be responsible for your own accommodation and luggage storage if you arrive before the first day of orienta- tion.
If you are studying outside of Auckland, you are responsible for purchasing your own flight(s) back at the end of the semester.
For All Students:
IFSA-Butler will not refund students for any portion of IFSA-Butler orientation missed due to flight issues. However, resident staff will meet with students separately to cover any important information that was covered.
Return Flights:
You must schedule a return flight that leaves no earlier than your program end date. See the Dates and Fees tab on your program's page of the IFSA-Butler website for the program end date, but remember dates are subject to change. Be sure to confirm the exam schedule and the last date of your program once you arrive at your host university.
Log Your Travel Plans
Have your travel plans squared away? Be sure to share the details on your student portalas soon as you've finalized your plans so our New Zealand staff will know when to greet you!
Arriving Early?
IFSA-Butler cannot accommodate early arrivals. If you plan to arrive in New Zealand before the program start date, you may want to consider a youth hostel. You should make advance reservations before leaving the United States. Our New Zealand office recommends the following:
YHA Auckland City 18 Liverpool Street, Auckland City
Phone: 64-9-309-2802 or 0800 278 299 (Freephone at Auckland Airport)
YHA Auckland International 5 Turner Street, Auckland City
Phone: 64-9-302-8200 or 0800 278 299 (Freephone at Auckland Airport)
Every city and most large towns have a visitor information center called i-SITEs that can help you find accommodation, low-budget tours and transportation. They are identified with a blue lowercase "i" in italics on a white background.
