Flights and Transfers

Please note that you are liable for the cost of your airfare in the event that you need to cancel off the program or if Travel/Study is unable to run the program for any reason. Therefore we strongly recommend waiting to book your flights until closer to departure, purchasing refundable tickets or considering additional travel insurance to cover the cost of your flights in case you are unable to use your ticket. You may opt to work with your travel agent or call airlines directly or look on your preferred travel websites for flight options.

If you don’t already have a travel agent, we recommend you contact Carol Brazeau at Travel Experts, Inc., located in Oceanside, CA. She would be happy to assist you with air arrangements. She can be reached by email at carol@travelxperts.com or by phone at 650-823-9958. Note that Carol charges a service fee for making travel arrangements.

Working with our Tour Operator Distant Horizons

Distant Horizons is able to book flights for you and is very familiar with the various airlines and routings that will work for this program. Although we recommend that you use Distant Horizons Name for your flight arrangements, you are not required to do so. If you would like to request an itinerary and rate quote, please contact Julie Scott at (800) 333-1240 or julies@distant-horizons.com. Note that Distant Horizons charges a $100 service fee for each international ticket they issue.

When to Arrive/ Transfers

Arrive in Jeddah (airport code JED) mid-afternoon Sunday, February 26.

• Transfer duration: approximately 35 minutes from the airport to the Jeddah Sheraton Hotel.

• Check-in time at hotel: rooms will be available beginning at 4:00 p.m. on February 26.

• First activity: a welcome reception and light dinner on the evening of February 26. We recently decided to add dinner to the program in order for everyone to meet before the first day!

All arrivals transfers included:

Transfers from the Jeddah International Airport to the hotel are provided for all travelers, regardless of arrival date. We’ll use the flight information you provide to arrange included transfers. You may be grouped with other travelers arriving on the same flight or at the same time.

When to Depart/Transfers

Depart from Dammam (DMM) anytime Thursday, March 9. Please note most flights leave in the middle of the night.

• Transfer duration: approximately 30 minutes from the Le Meridian Al Khobar to the airport. Note that you are required to arrive at the airport in Saudi Arabia 2 hours prior to an international departure.

• Final activity: farewell dinner on Wednesday, March 8.

All departure transfers included:

Transfers from our hotel to the Dammam are provided for all travelers, regardless of departure date. We’ll use the flight information you provide to arrange included transfers. You may be grouped with other travelers departing on the same flight or at the same time.

Extra Hotel Arrangements

If you do decide to arrive early or depart late, our tour Distant Horizons, Distant Horizons would be happy to assist you with additional touring arrangements or hotel nights. Please contact Julie Scott at (800) 333-1240 or julies@distant-horizons.com if you are interested in additional arrangements before or after your tour.

The following are costs for extra hotel nights:

Jeddah Sheraton Hotel – Club Sea-View Rooms*

• $460 approximate cost per room per night, double/single occupancy (final price will be confirmed soon)

Le Meridian Al Khobar – Deluxe Sea View Room*

• $310 per room per night, double occupancy

• $290 per room per night, single occupancy

* These prices include breakfast and taxes. Note that the rates above may include booking fees and more restrictive cancellation penalties than the main program and may not represent the lowest available pricing. You may find better deals online or by booking directly with the hotel. If you elect to make your own additional hotel reservations, please notify us using the online Arrival and Departure Details Form. You may need to change rooms if you opt to book directly, since hotels cannot always link individual hotel reservations with group reservations.

Accommodations

Following are links to the hotels on our journey.

• Jeddah: Jeddah Sheraton Hotel (nights of February 26 & 27)

• Abha: Abha Palace Hotel (nights of February 28 & March 1)

• Al-Ula: Sahary Alula Resort (nights of March 2 & 3)

• Riyadh: Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya (nights of March 4 to 6)

• Al Khobar: Le Meridien Al Khobar (nights of March 7 to 9)