Let's get chatting about getting you over to the USA. It all starts with booking your outbound international flight from down under, but this page will also give you some good advice on general transport around the country.
Booking your international flight
Many colleges will advise for you to wait to get the I-20 or DS-2019 Forms (To be discussed in Stage 6), which essentially tells you what dates your exchange program is, before you book your flights. This way you know your dates and when the 30 day grace period starts. However, as these forms can take a while to receive, if you see a great price on international return flights, it's hard to say no to a good deal!
Use flight comparison tools such as Skyscanner and Google Flights (note: Google Flights is by default quoted in USD, so you will need to change it to AUD). You can also use a travel agent such as STA Travel or Student Flights to assist as they have access to student discount pricing
You can try find special deals through the airline's website directly. Popular carriers that do return flights to the USA include Qantas, Virgin Australia, American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines. Anything under $1,300 is a great deal! Sign up for news alerts or use apps like Hopper to get notified on the best prices and dates available
Look to book a return flight (which is usually cheaper) to one of the big transport hubs in the USA like Los Angeles, San Francisco or Dallas. This makes it easier from a logistical point of view and is cost effective
Depending on if you want to do a bit of travelling before you start college, consider entering America 30 days before your program starts. It is highly recommended you be at your college for orientation week (usually 1 week before classes begin)
Domestic Travel – Flights
Flying is a good option if you are travelling long distances and want to save some time. Although it may cost more than catching a bus, there are plenty of airline options. The main airlines that operate in the USA include:
However, there are some low cost (budget) carriers such as Spirit Airlines and JetBlue. Just remember that these flights are often delayed and there may be some hidden costs involved such as luggage, choosing your seat etc.. You can use Skyscanner, Google Flights, or go directly to the airline's website to book domestic flights.
Domestic Travel – Bus
If you are travelling relatively short distances, you may want to consider bus travel in the USA. There are many benefits to consider taking the bus as opposed to flying:
Cheaper and convenient
The bus usually picks you up and drops you off in the city centre (saving you having to get a taxi/uber from the airport)
Avoid having to go through airport security
Can see the beautiful country side from your window
Free Wifi is offered on most buses
There are a few main bus operators in the USA including:
One of the best things about doing exchange in the USA is the ability to travel to many incredible cities and experience the American culture. There are 50 states all together, but it is highly unlikely you will get to see them all. Tips for deciding which cities you want to visit:
East vs West Coast
Many students like splitting up east and west coast based on the seasons. For example, East coast will be very cold during the USA winter months (November to February)
If you are a beach bum, spend plenty of time along the West coast
Party Trip
Chase the festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, Ultra Music Festival, Austin City Limits (ACL), South By South West and Burning Man
See world class DJ's in the cities of Las Vegas and Miami
Nature Lover
Visit the beautiful picturesque nature of the USA including Yosemite National Park, Niagara Falls, The Grand Canyon and Zion National Park to name a few
Culture
Get to experience the true American culture by heading to some of the Southern states
Make sure you try the unique local cuisine in every city you visit
(Examples of some of the top cities to visit whilst in the USA)
Once you have booked your international flight and finalised your travel plans, it is a good idea to register your itinerary with Smart Traveller. This way, if there is the unlikely event of an emergency in one of the cities you are travelling in, The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will get in contact with your family.
Find out the best way to get home from the local bars and clubs. Many colleges have free late night rider buses, but otherwise its always useful to have Uber and Lyft on your phone.
It is probably best to befriend people who are part of greek life (e.g. in classrooms, around campus etc…) This way you bypass the whole rushing process, and can get some exposure to greek life through your connections
It’s a good idea to call your credit card company (e.g. Citibank) to inform them of the dates you are travelling and where you are going. This way they are expecting to see overseas transactions and won’t treat them as suspicious.
Scan every document you receive and save it somewhere safe (such as your email, dropbox or in the cloud). You never know when you might need to access these forms and documents.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines does not charge for check-in baggage (where as most airlines charge $25USD per bag).
Southwest Airlines does not show up on Google Flights or Skyscanner – hence you will need to go to the official Southwest Airlines website directly.
Southwest Airlines does not have arranged seating – instead you are grouped into classes and then it is first-come-first-serve based on your boarding position number. Sometimes this can be a bit like the hunger games, but just remain calm and find an available seat.
If there are prerequisites for a course you are interested, email or call the direct professor in the USA to express your interest in doing this course and to see if they could waive the prerequisite requirements
If you need the OS HELP loan, do not go on exchange in your final semester (since you are ineligible for the loan having no credit points to come back to). You should rather do this in your penultimate semester.
Look at your college’s semester dates on their website to find out when semester begins and ends. Try book your outbound international flight date for 30 days PRIOR to the start of semester, and your return flight 30 days AFTER the end of semester.
