Group Leader Academy
Staying Organized
Hurrah! You’ve registered and added students to your travel group. Staying on top of all the little steps and to-dos between now and the beginning of your trip will help ensure a smooth departure when the time comes. We can help.
6-9 Months Before Departure
Use the Checklist
Let our dynamic Group Leader Checklist be your guide to staying organized for your trip. Check out the My Checklist section in My Account to learn more.
Ensure Participants Have the Necessary Documents
Does anyone need a passport or visa? The sooner you check, the better. And we have a letter written for you to send out to participants to help get this item off your list.
Alternate Returns
Check if any participants are returning separately from the group. If so, ensure those participants have submitted their Alternate Return Request Form.
Check if Your Participants are Behind on Payments
Log into My Account, select your upcoming trip and click on Participant List. For any participants who are behind on payments and at risk of being cancelled, the Balance Due amount will appear in red. You can select the check box next to each of those individuals and use the Email Participants feature at the top of this section to alert them that they’re behind on payments.
Know Your Rewards
You’re treating your students to a life-changing travel experience, and we think you deserve a little special treatment in return. Get familiar with ACIS’ World Traveler Rewards program and learn the many ways we say “Thank You” to teachers.
3-6 Months Before Departure
Finalize Optional Activities
Consider any available optional excursions or entrances, and decide if you’d like them added to your tour. Any optional activities not selected will be automatically declined at 45 days prior to departure, so it’s smart to discuss them with your Program Consultant now. Also, it’s a good time to begin planning your free time, so let us know if you need ideas. We’re always happy to offer suggestions.
How to Select Your Assistant Chaperones
When you are planning a trip, it is important to select additional chaperones that you can rely on. Here are some tips on how to choose the perfect Assistant Group Leader(s) for your trip.
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A Bit of Paperwork
Rooming
Review your travelers’ designated rooming. You can see what each person has elected in My Account by selecting your upcoming trip and clicking on Participant List. You’ll see Requested Rooming listed as a column. If anyone is expecting a single, twin or double but is not listed as such online, they need to contact ACIS so we can make this adjustment.
Stipends
You should be receiving your Stipend Preview soon. Your response to this Stipend Preview lets us know how to distribute your participant credits for your free chaperone places, so it’s very important that you confirm this for us as soon as possible once you receive it.
Primary Group Contact and Emergency Contact List
Have you already selected a Primary Group Contact for ACIS? This is the person ACIS would reach out to on your group’s behalf while overseas to communicate any important information (example: a last-minute hotel change). Your Primary Group Contact in turn is responsible for disseminating this information to the rest of your group’s Emergency Contact List members. It’s helpful to discuss this in a meeting so everyone can decide how this will happen (Group email? Texting?) and ensure that the Primary Group Contact has all the correct information in order to reach out to everyone with any updates if necessary.
In My Account, visit the Documents tab for your trip to add your Primary Group Contact information, and, starting about 30 days before departure, to download your group’s final Emergency Contact List for distribution.
0-3 Months Before Departure
Host Pre-Departure Meetings
Now is the time to reignite excitement and prepare everyone for travel!
Some Final Paperwork
Check Signatures
Does ACIS have ALL signatures on file, including your own and any assistant chaperones? A quick way to look is to open My Account and click on Participant List. If you have participants whose signature column is not checked off, contact the participants and their parents or guardians as soon as possible. They should check for emails from ACIS containing the e-signature link or log into My Account and submit their e-signature there. For participants under the age of 21, we must have a parent or legal guardian signature on file. Submitting these forms to ACIS is so important—without all signatures your final package with e-ticket info cannot be sent.
Complete the Notes for your Tour Manager
ACIS Tour Managers love to hear about you and the group before you arrive. In My Account, select your trip and click Tour Manager to find the section called “Notes for your Tour Manager.” Your responses to these questions can be entered up until 14 days prior to departure at which point we print and place them in your Tour Manager’s Tour Packet to read before you arrive. If you haven’t done this yet, go fill them out online today!
Understanding Tipping
- It is customary to tip the tour manager, touring bus driver and other service providers for a job well done. The tip is an incentive to give an outstanding performance.
- For your convenience we now include tips as a separate line item in the program fees that travelers pay up front. Additional tips for outstanding service are always appreciated, but never required.
Note: You never have to worry about tipping waitstaff during a meal provided by ACIS.
Get your Participants Ready to Travel
The ACIS website contains a wealth of information to help prepare participants for their tour. Participants can access this through the Getting Ready section of their online My Account and you can share the link with them. Make sure your group members check it out!
Use the ACIS Travel App
Well before departure, encourage everyone to download the ACIS Travel App to easily share flights, hotels and itinerary info with family via text or email. The app can also be used to access maps and explore upcoming destinations without the use of Wi-Fi.
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