Arriving as a student: getting from the airport straight to campus
Updated
Students landing in New York for the first time usually carry the most luggage of anyone on the flight — a semester of clothes, bedding and electronics, two or three overweight cases as a starting point. And the destination is rarely a hotel; it is a dorm entrance.
It is also the journey with the least experience behind it: a new city, jet lag, and no parents on hand. Here is what to arrange in advance.
Straight from the terminal to campus
From JFK, LaGuardia or Newark, one car takes you directly to the campus, the dorm entrance or an off-campus apartment — no transfers, no dragging cases through a subway change.
Enter the dorm or apartment address as the destination and pick it from the suggestions. If you do not know the building yet, use the university address and note the building in the booking.
A semester of luggage in one trip
Enter the real bag count and the system sizes the vehicle to fit; if one car will not do, it upgrades or adds a second, priced before you pay.
For bedding, oversized cases or a monitor, note the dimensions — we size by actual volume rather than piece count.
There is little point squeezing into a smaller car to save: a load that does not fit costs more time and money than the upgrade would have, and means two trips.
Book early around move-in
Late August into early September, and the days either side of every term break, are the busiest of the year.
Booking early in those windows leaves real choice of vehicle and time. The sense that every student in the city is moving in on the same day is not an illusion.
Once your flights are settled, it is worth booking the car straight away.
Students under 18
Plenty of boarding-school students are under 18, so the rules are worth knowing in advance:
The booking must be made by an adult — a parent booking from overseas is fine. A passenger under 18 travelling unaccompanied needs written authorisation from a guardian.
Passengers under 14 are not carried unaccompanied under any circumstances; an adult must travel with them.
The authorisation and handover arrangements are completed during booking. Done in advance, nobody is turned away on arrival day. This is a legal obligation, not a preference.
The trip back to the airport for parents
Many families fly over together, settle the student in, then head home. That departure can be booked at the same time.
Departures include 15 minutes of free waiting from the driver's arrival, rather than the 90 minutes that applies on an arrival — because the departure time is the one you chose.
If the plan is arrival, then campus, then parents back to the airport a few days later, you can book each leg separately, or take the car by the hour for the apartment viewings, shopping and registration in between.
Term round trips and going home for the holidays
The arrival at the start of term and the departure at the end can be booked together rather than arranged twice.
Flights get changed — you can reschedule once at no charge more than 48 hours ahead, to any time within 30 days of the original date, and airport bookings affected by the flight itself are exempt from the 48-hour rule entirely.
Campuses further out — toward Boston or Philadelphia — are priced point to point in the same way, with tolls already included.
Questions about this guide
How do I book an airport pickup as a student with a lot of luggage?
Set the airport as the pickup and your dorm or apartment as the destination, then add your flight number and the real bag count. One car takes you the whole way with no transfers, and the system sizes the vehicle by volume — upgrading or adding a car if one will not fit.
How far ahead should I book for move-in?
Late August into early September and every term-break return are the busiest periods of the year. Book as soon as your flights are settled; earlier booking means real choice of vehicle and time.
I'm under 18 — can I travel on my own?
Yes, but an adult must make the booking (a parent booking from overseas is fine) and a guardian's written authorisation is required. Under 14 we do not carry unaccompanied at all. Complete the authorisation during booking rather than on arrival day.
Can I book both the start and end of term at once?
Yes, both legs can be booked together. If flights change, you can reschedule once at no charge more than 48 hours ahead, and airport bookings affected by the flight itself are exempt from that 48-hour rule.
Can you take me to a campus in another state?
Yes. Interstate trips are priced point to point with tolls included and the final amount shown before you pay. Campuses toward Boston and Philadelphia, and across the 13 East Coast states, are all reachable directly.
My parents are staying a few days — can we use the car for apartment viewings too?
An hourly charter suits that better: the driver stays with you, with as many stops as you need, at your own pace.
Price an airport-to-campus trip
Transparent pricing — you see the final price before you pay, with no hidden fees. The system generates your quote as soon as your trip details are in, and your trip is confirmed automatically once you pay online.