For Parents—Common Travel Questions

With so many details to be sure we get right, how do you recommend purchasing our domestic travel ticket?

You are free to book your domestic tickets yourself; however, we strongly recommend you purchase airline tickets through John Gossen at Bursch Travel—(763) 295-5551—for the following reasons:

• If the returning international flight is canceled or delayed, John will automatically re-book his clients on the first available flight. This is especially important if a student is 16 or younger.
• John will coordinate the domestic flight to Chicago to begin Training Camp with other students who will be flying in for the program. He will coordinate the domestic flight home with the international flight. He will also help with problems such as lost tickets and anyone who may need to return from overseas early.
• When you purchase your ticket through Bursch Travel, it not only ensures cooperation with Royal Servants’ flights but also assures you that you will be well taken care of both in your initial plans and in any problems you may encounter. This is especially important in light of the fact that official figures show that one in four flights will be delayed, canceled or diverted.

One Final Note: If your son or daughter is 15 or younger, please read the “Travel Consultant and Unaccompanied Minor Form” in your student’s Prep Packet.

How does my son/daughter get to his/her gate to fly home once they come back to Chicago from overseas?

Because of airport security regulations Royal Servants cannot take students to their gates. However, each Trip Leader will explain to the team how to get through customs, catch the airport shuttle to their terminal and re-check their bags. We will have a Royal Servants’ representative at the airport and available to assist students who need help. We will make the contact information for that person available closer to the summer.

What if their international flight is delayed and they miss their connection or their domestic flight is canceled on short notice?

As previously stated, Royal Servants will have representatives in Chicago. If your son or daughter’s flight arrives behind schedule and they miss their domestic connection or if their domestic flight gets canceled, you can get our representatives cell phone number by calling Reign Ministries’ headquarters. We will do whatever we can to assist your son or daughter book a new flight or arrange for them to get a hotel room for the night. Our staff will then escort the student to the hotel. If rooms are full, Royal Servants will contact you to talk about options.

What if I can’t get them a flight home on the day they arrive back in the United States?

If your son or daughter’s international flight is arriving too late for you to book a flight home that night, you will need to arrange for a hotel room. To help out with this issue, Royal Servants has booked a block of rooms at a hotel with free shuttle service, a restaurant, and affordable rates.

If you book through Royal Servants, we will make sure that your son or daughter gets to the hotel, gets a meal if needed, and then wakes up in time to catch the shuttle back to the airport the next morning. Because of the sheer volume of students staying overnight and the varying locations of hotels, only those who book at the same hotel as Royal Servants will be able to be escorted to the hotel.

How do I book a hotel through Royal Servants?

Royal Servants does not make any money from booking hotel rooms. We offer this option as an additional service because we recognize that it is important and want to accommodate those students who are unable to get home upon arriving in the US. In order for us to care for them adequately it is important for them to be in the same hotel as our staff.

Royal Servants will send each participant a hotel request form with the “Updated Missions Schedule” (sent out in April.) Once you know that you need overnight lodging, please complete the form and return it with a check with the stated amount and made out to Reign Ministries. We must receive request forms and checks no later than June 7.