What would flying look like, and how much more would it cost?
Over the years, we have heard this from numerous teachers who travel with their students. Sometimes, we have even learned that trip sponsors think flying is impossible. Approximately 20 schools in Michigan fly to DC for their annual 8th-grade trip. For those of you who want to know if this works for you and your students, here are the factors to consider:
Logistics
About 85% of all the schools that take their students to DC travel in the spring. This means they kick off the trip at the start of the school year, about 8-9 months before departure. Students register over the course of several weeks, and some more will add to the trip over the next several months.
This process can remain the same IF you select to advertise an estimated air rate. For 2025, we are using $400 as the estimated cost of the airline ticket from Detroit Metro to Baltimore International Airport (BWI). We intentionally error slightly on the high side to limit the chance of returning to the parents with an increased price.
Almost all of our groups that fly out of Detroit Metro will use Southwest Airlines. Generally, those tickets become available between 6-7 months prior to your departure date. Not only does Southwest have the lowest groups fares, but they also have the “friendliest” ticketing terms. This is true for cancellations, the reduction of seats held, and they do not require the names of the passengers until 45 days prior to departure.
Itinerary
In the past 20 years, every trip to DC has been three days with two hotel nights. The flight departs around 6:00 a.m. and lands around 7:30 a.m. at BWI. The return to Detroit Metro departs around 10:30 p.m. and lands close to midnight. For any school that contacts us about flying to any destination, we always look for the earliest flight out and latest return so you can get the most out of the trip.
For those who have always included Gettysburg in their trip, this can still be done. We recommend you make it the middle day of the trip. Everything you have done in a 4-day trip by bus can be done with a 3-day air trip.
Size of the Group
The airline will discount the seats for groups up to a maximum of 90 and that will usually come in at or under our projected air rate. Groups slightly larger than that (say close to 100) can be on the same flight, but this may push the actual air rate higher than the estimated one we advertised. That would mean a slight increase in the per person cost of the trip.
Groups of over 100-155 or so are likely to fly on different airlines with the hopes of arranging similar flight schedules. Groups larger than 155 are looking at three or more flights that may fly out of or into different airports, or their flight schedules will be significantly different.
With a group of 35 or fewer, flying has cost benefits. Motorcoach prices have nearly doubled since Covid, with prices for a 4-day DC trip from the Detroit area going for $15,000 per bus. This means the smaller your group, the more it costs per person to pay for the charter. If a small group is willing to limit the time you use a motorcoach while in DC by using the Metro (subway) system, this can be even more cost-effective.
Benefits to Flying
By eliminating the 10-hour bus ride each way, you can be in the DC area in less than 90 minutes from take off. If you have a 4-day trip by bus, this can be done in 3 days. This means less time out of school and/or you no longer give up your weekends traveling back.
Utilizing motorcoaches and drivers that live in the area impacts how quickly you get to destinations by avoiding traffic and road closures because of their expert knowledge of the city. You and your students are not as tired and that means they have more energy for the walking required in any DC trip.
Other Considerations: Most schools will have us contract a transfer motorcoach to provide round-trip transportation to and from the airport. However, you can have parents drop off the student or carpool to save this cost. If district buses are even available for you to utilize, they generally cost about the same as a transfer motorcoach.
When Does Flying Make Sense:
- The farther north or west your school is from DC.
- The stricter the policies are for student behavior, grades, and attendance to qualify to go on the trip.
- In general, if you want to make DC a “reward” trip or limit the number of students because you need to trust them.
- The more difficult it is for you to find staff or parents to chaperone the trip.
- The more frustrated you are with bus breakdowns and drivers who don’t know where they are going.
- Your district is concerned about how many school days can be missed for the trip.
- You can’t get staff to go on the trip because they give up part or all of their weekend traveling by bus.
When Does Flying NOT Make Sense:
- You want to keep the trip price as low as possible.
- You want as many students as possible to go on the trip.
- Your group is too large, and you will be on multiple flights.
- You want the students to bond and enjoy the bus ride there and back.
- You want students to register at any time up to the last weeks and days before the trip. This would NOT be true for air travel.
We hope this guide gave you the understanding you need when planning your next Washington, D.C. field trip. If you want a personalized experience tailored to your students, please do not hesitate to call Student Adventures at 1-877-873-7550 or email us at info@studentadventures.org!