Travel options

34KING18

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Apr 15, 2015
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Looking ahead at travel options for in-processing day, I see that there are two options for getting to the Academy. Either USAFA arranges everything (pays for plane ticket) or you can do it yourself. I'm a little confused with this and instead of waiting till Monday or Tuesday when someone from the Academy writes back to an e-mail, I thought I'd try here granted that many people on here have gone through this experience. To my understanding, if you choose USAFA to pay for your ticket, they pay for your ticket but they also provide transportation to the Academy? Do you arrive the 29th and then they provide a taxi or some shuttle service to the Academy? Do you have a chance to stay in a hotel or do you go straight from the hotel to the Academy? I would be going to the Academy for in-processing day by myself so I feel like if I were to arrange something by myself, with my luck there would be no taxis or anything to get me to the Academy. Any suggestions are greatly thanked! I've never gone through this or know anyone who has so brand new to this :)
 
You would arrive the day before. You are responsible for transportation and lodging. There is a shuttle bus that takes you to some of the hotels in the area and then you'd need a cab in the morning.

Last year my DD went by herself. Her ALO was kind enough to put her in contact with a friend of his at the academy who's also a sponsor family. That person picked my DD up and she was able to stay at their place for the night. You might want to consider reaching out to your ALO.
 
Ok. Thank you very much for the info. I'll definitely speak with my ALO in the beginning of the week
 
I thought USAFA used to do a program where new cadets could stay with a local family the night before (can't remember what they called it, bed and breakfast program or something)... Did they discontinue this?
 
I believe it is still running but a friend on mine that went to the Academy said that sometimes, there are mix-ups with families and you don't really know who's getting you so to just get a cab. His words- not mine
 
The Bed and Breakfast program is a wonderful thing for those coming to the Academy alone. Sponsor families in the area will pick you up at the airport, take you to their home for dinner and give you a place to stay and a ride to the Academy the next morning for I-day after breakfast. You will be sent information on the Bed and Breakfast program. Because of the amount of work involved in matching requests to sponsors, you might not find out your sponsor family's information until just a few days before I-day. I have never heard of anyone getting left behind because if there are any unmatched candidates the sponsor families always step up and take an additional one if needed.

Stealth_81
 
My son did the bed and breakfast last year when he went to the Prep School. His sponsor family picked him and a few others up at the airport and brought them back to their house for dinner and breakfast the next morning. This was really nice as everyone is nervous, and you get to unwind with these amazing people who open their home to you.

I believe the Academy will also pay for one flight for you, after that you are on your own.
 
If you plan to arrive alone the academy will connect you with a "sponsor" family that will pick you up and allow you to spend the night. They will also take you to the academy for I day.
 
2015 Inprocessing Day --- Prior to I-Day, our daughter was on a Class of 2019 Facebook page and the night before I-day, she read several request from appointees that they needed a ride from their hotel. We gave rides to as many would fit in our car, so keep that option in mind.
 
My sons were picked up at COS airport by the (very attractive) daughter of their sponsor parents. They were given a room there in their home, which they had and well-utilized for four years, then their sponsor dad, an Army colonel, too them to I-Day and stayed with them till the second guy was over the bridge. My boys went in at half hour intervals so as not to receive that "special attention" which can happen on the bus later on.

My sons flew from the Steeler Nation to Dallas on commercial air, and then from Dallas to COS. After looking around, they realized there were only six people on their plane who were not USAFA bound - a ton of 18 year olds on that plane! They had a great time, and then actually "knew" someone besides the twin brother when they got to USAFA.

Just relax. There is really almost nothing too confusing or out of sync with getting you/your child to USAFA, and I recommend following their proffered arrangements, rather than making your own (unless like ChristCorp, you're relatively closeby). It makes for a true "separating" step for your now-adult child, and it is best for him/her not to cross that bridge leaving a bawling mother and button-popping papa behind. Save that for the privacy of your home.
 
It makes for a true "separating" step for your now-adult child, and it is best for him/her not to cross that bridge leaving a bawling mother and button-popping papa behind. Save that for the privacy of your home.

I think that's a choice best left to each family. I don't think there is a universal "best" when it comes to I-Day arrangements.
 
Just to make sure that I understand it correctly. The Academy only arranges your flight to COS? They don't do transportation or hotel correct?
 
We will be taking DD out to the Springs several days ahead of I-Day for a few reasons - let her acclimate to the altitude, visit family in the area, last mini-family vacation before we are "empty nesters", etc.
Her report time for I-Day is 0700. Anyone else have their report time and is it 0700?
As the time gets closer, and once we get onto the parents Facebook page (via my DH's Facebook account), if anyone needs a ride or assistance getting to the Academy on I-Day, please let us know.
DH is a '79 grad and since some of his family still lives in the area, he knows his way around. Otherwise, GoogleMaps is a great way to find addresses.
 
When will we know what sponsor family/the person picking us up from the airport? A
Also are the people that are hosting me for the bed and breakfast program also my sponsor family ?
 
They may be your sponsor family. Back in the day, my kids' sponsors were friends of friends, and are now friends in their own right. I believe that usually, these b-n-b's for overnight before I-day are just kindly folks who don't mind having a strange teenager in their home for a night.

Of course, everyone has their own ideas of what works for their family. For ours, with four kids in college at the same time, going out for I-Day, or A-Day was just impossible. But we did make it to all four Parents Weekends.
 
When will we know what sponsor family/the person picking us up from the airport? A
Also are the people that are hosting me for the bed and breakfast program also my sponsor family ?

You will get the information before you leave for COS. Like I said earlier, it might be just a day or two before you leave since they will be matching candidates and sponsors up to the last minute.

Chances are that the sponsor for Bed and Breakfast will not be your regular sponsor family. Most candidates will have one sponsor for B&B, a different one for Doolie Day Out, and yet another for their regular sponsor family.

My son had one family for all three because one of my uncle's classmates (USAFA Class of '63) asked to be his sponsor and he arranged to be his sponsor for B&B and DDO as well. That family became a big part of my son's life at USAFA and my son asked the sponsor dad (along with my uncle) to do his commissioning. They are still close today and we all keep in touch frequently.

Stealth_81
 
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