BOOKING
Air travel to Rwanda from America takes over one full day. Africa New Life will facilitate the purchase of airfare for you. Airfare cannot be purchased without $1,800 and full application received. All airfare purchased will need to be pre-approved by you or the team leader before it is purchased on your behalf. Africa New Life books teams on the same flight patterns whenever possible. We find that flying with your team helps to build unity and friendship.
The ticket will be purchased on the Africa New Life office’s credit line, not the travelers. After airfare has been purchased, it will be included in the total trip cost. Once airfare is purchased by the Africa New Life office, if the trip is cancelled at any time by any party, the traveler will be responsible to pay the cancellation fee and/or the full cost of the ticket. If the ticket reimbursement is not received by Africa New Life within 30 days of trip cancellation, the given credit card will be charged for the outstanding balance. You will be notified via email that we are charging your card.
The name you submit on your application will be the one used to book your ticket. Please be sure that what you submit matches your travel documents (passport). They must match identically according to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations.
The price of the ticket is entirely subject to the dates of travel and the airline used. Africa New Life will work to get you the best price that we can, within reason. We cannot change trip dates drastically once a team has been set on the calendar (e.g. if your team is arriving on the 20th, we cannot book you separately to arrive on the 17th because it has a lower fare you will need to travel with the team). We work with a variety of airlines and cannot tell you in advance with which you will be flying.
Africa New Life works with a travel agency to facilitate the purchase of your ticket. We are not able to shop around online for your individual ticket. The agency that we work with is unable to use personal mileage programs for the purchase. This is because most airlines work solely with the earner of these miles to cash them in for tickets. If you would like to use your earned miles, please read I Booked My Own Ticket.
If you have restrictions or specific travel needs, it is critical that you include this information on your application or reach out to the Team Trip Department immediately. Africa New Life’s default will be to place you on the same flight pattern as your team. Once a reservation is made, it will be at the traveler’s expense to make any alterations.
TYPE OF TICKET
There are typically two types of airfare offered by the major airlines for international flights. One is refundable and the other is non-refundable. Whenever possible, Africa New Life Ministries recommends that you select the refundable option.
REFUNDABLE: There may be a higher fare for this type of ticket. The price increase (~ $50-$300) pays for the ability to cancel the ticket and receive a refund, minus a cancellation fee. The cancellation fee (~$300) will be reduced from the refund at the time of cancellation. The rest of the ticket price will be refunded to the purchaser. Learn more about our Trip Cancellation Policy.
In order to qualify for the partial refund, the ticket cancellation or alteration must be processed by the airline more than 24 hours before the intended date and time of departure. After this time-frame, no alterations can be made to the ticket. Once you have begun your trip, no change can be made mid-travel without a potential cost.
NON-REFUNDABLE: In the event that one must cancel the ticket, the purchaser will not receive any funds back from the airline. If the ticket cancellation request is processed by the airline more than 24 hours the before intended date and time of departure, the value of the ticket may be transferred and used within 1 year from the booking date by the original traveler. At the time of re-booking there will be a change fee of roughly $300, for which the traveler is responsible. It will be the traveler’s responsibility to track and use the value of this ticket by the expiration date. Most airlines allow you to use the value of the ticket on any of their partner airlines, domestic or international. You may contact the airline to determine the terms and conditions around the cancelled ticket.
POST-PURCHASE
Once a ticket is purchased, you will be sent an E-ticket to your email. Please look at the ticket IMMEDIATELY to note if there are any errors on the ticket (e.g. name spelling does not match your passport). There is a 24 hour window to cancel or alter the ticket without any fees. This 24 hour window begins immediately after purchase. If an error is found within this grace-window, we can cancel and re-book to fix the error. Any changes made to the ticket after 24 hours may result in a change or cancellation fee.
Do not be worried if there is more than one team member on your E-ticket. This simply means you were booked at the same time. You can find your confirmation number at the bottom of the ticket next to your name or under “Trip Locator.”
Print out the E-ticket and bring it with you to the airport. It serves as a reference for schedules and baggage limits when you check in.
You may also visit the airline website and enter your personal information. For example, you may enter in your frequent flyer number or pick your preferred seats. You are welcome to join a frequent flyer program post ticket purchase. Read on the airline’s website to find out if this is a program that you would like to join. We highly recommend holding onto all boarding passes during travel. Your boarding passes serve as proof of travel when redeeming frequent flyer miles. Your reservation number and e-ticket are not enough.
TRIP INTERRUPTIONS
As with any airline travel, there is a risk of trip interruption. In most instances, the resolution is solely determined by the check-in desks at the airport. It is critical that you self-advocate for flight correction.
If your tickets were booked by Africa New Life Ministries and you encounter trouble with airfare, please call or email AFC Travel ASAP. Find the information on our Emergency Contact Sheet.
Before departure, please double check your flight is still on time and running. This can be done by calling the airline or going on their website. Make sure to use your flight confirmation code to get exact flight information. Do not be alarmed if the flights have shifted by 20 minutes or so; this is very common with international travel.
I BOOKED MY OWN TICKET
A handful of individuals may want to facilitate their own airfare purchase. For example, those who desire to “cash in” a mileage program. If you fall into this category, we ask you honor the following requests:
- Before purchasing tickets, please notify the Team Trip Department of your intention so we do not move ahead with your airfare purchase.
- Please be respectful of the dates that Africa New Life has allotted for your team on the ground. If your team is arriving on the evening of the 20th, we ask that you arrange your flight to arrive on the evening of the 20th.
- Please show your proposed itinerary to the Team Trip Department before purchase to make sure that it aligns with team dates.
If you purchase your own airline ticket using personal funds or miles, then you will not be able to use the travel agency’s assistance should travel be interrupted in any way. Furthermore, Africa New Life will not be able to prepare a Gift in Kind letter for this purchase. However, we will acknowledge your participation on the trip upon your return. Learn more about Tax-Deductible Expenses.
