Monthly Update - April 2026 - Travel For Teens

Home Monthly Update – April 2026

Update From TFT Headquarters

We’re one month closer to departure! It’s hard to believe, but we are beyond excited as we get into the season of filling up trips, making final reservations, and preparing for summer. We have another big update to share with you, read on!

The goal of our monthly updates is to share key information relevant to the time of the year and a centralized place for general information that will help you and your teen prepare for their program.

These are the key items for our April update:

Flights Reminder
Order your TFT Traveler Tee
Non-Voluntary Flight Changes and Voluntary Trip Changes
Paperwork and Payment Audits

Looking Forward!

This year is flying by! We want to make sure our families know what to expect as we approach summer. We’d like to share this timeline between now and departure to help you prepare.

April

Post Registration Webinars – view schedule here.
Order the free TFT traveler tee
Book your traveler’s flights
Complete all your paperwork

May

Optional Add-On Information will be released
Visa information released (when applicable)
Additional paperwork requirements for select programs
- Language placement assessment for language immersion programs
- Scuba waivers and certifications
Complete all your paperwork

June – July – August

Pre-Departure Webinars
Introduction to your Trip Leader in mid-June
Pre-Departure Emails
- General Instructions two weeks before departure
- Travelers join their WhatsApp group a week before departure
- Specific travel Day information one week before departure, including UM info if applicable

Have You Purchased Your Flights?

At this time, all families should have received the program flight information. Please search your inbox for an email with the subject “Ready To Book?”. If you cannot find this email, please let us know and we will forward the information.

If you haven’t purchased your flight yet, now is the time! If you have booked your traveler’s flights on your own, you can either enter them in your MyTFT portal or forward them to help@travelforteens.com.

For flight paths, you have multiple options:

You can book the designated “group” flights that fly out of our US hub airports – with domestic connections to get to the hub if needed
Book a completely independent route to get your teen to their destination – fees may apply for staff supervision or private transfers if needed
Book a hybrid of group and independent flights tailored to your traveler’s needs.

If you would like to speak to a member of the team about flight logistics, click to schedule a call! For more information, check out the Flights page on our website, which includes a section about Unaccompanied Minors (travelers under age 15) and the rules/restrictions governing their travel.

It is important to note that Travel For Teens does not use group contracts or bookings with student discounts.

Get Your Traveler Tee

Have you ordered your teen’s free TFT Traveler tee? Say that three times fast! If not, don’t delay! Our bright teal shirts help staff recognize travelers as they arrive, not to mention that it’s a great souvenir! We partner with a local print company to provide the t-shirts for summer. The shirt is optional, and if your teen would like to have one, you can order it and have it shipped for free* directly to your home.

Click here to order!

*Shipping is free within the United States. An additional fee applies for residents of Canada. Due to customs and shipping restrictions, our partner is not able to ship traveler tees outside of North America and TFT is not able to provide upon arrival at the onset of the program.

A Few More Reminders

Paperwork Audits

Our Client Service team has begun to send out reminders for paperwork and trip tasks that are not complete. If items are still outstanding after multiple notices, late fees may be imposed. In extreme circumstances, a traveler may be removed from a program if paperwork is not received. As a reminder, you can check your trip task due dates in your MyTFT account.

If your ‘Sign the Travel For Teens Paperwork Packet via DocuSign’ task is still marked ‘no, ‘ this means you have not completed the packet sent 24 hours after you registered. We ask that you first search the primary guardian’s inbox for ‘Contract and Paperwork for [Traveler Name],’ which is the subject line of the email we sent. If you are still unable to find it or are unsure, please reach out using one of the methods listed at the end of the update.

Payments Due

We are beginning to make final reservations and purchase inter-trip travel, and the need for accounts paid is essential. At this time, anyone who has not registered in the last two weeks and has a balance is overdue unless they have communicated with us and made alternate arrangements. Our finance team is reaching out to families 1:1 to request final payment and will begin to apply late fees or charge the card on file.

We ask that you give us the benefit of the doubt in our communication; our teams strive to complete their tasks for trip preparation. We will work with you if you communicate with us. Thank you in advance for your timely attention to our deadlines.

Non-Voluntary Flight Changes

This is the time of year that airlines make schedule changes. While we make every effort to set the most efficient flight paths early in the season to ensure cost efficiency for fares, our flight paths are at the behest of the airlines and are always subject to time changes or outright cancellation. This is entirely out of our control.

In the event that an airline changes or cancels one of our group flight paths between now and departure, Travel For Teens will identify a new flight path and will work with all impacted families on rebooking the flight.

Voluntary Trip Switches

While you are still able to switch your teen’s program, there will now be a $200 additional fee for all voluntary trip switches. To initiate a trip switch, please email help@travelforteens.com with the trip name and dates that you would like us to switch your teen to. Once the switch has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email with a new paperwork packet to complete. Our Client Service Team will send you an email with the new flight path and any other important details you need to know.

Still Have Questions?

Our phones will be very busy these coming months! Review the options below on the ways to get ahold of us that are most convenient for you!

Schedule a Call

We highly recommend this option, as it allows us to call at a time that is convenient for you! Depending on your question, you can schedule a specific type of call that one of our skilled Client Service or Logistics team members can help you with!

Welcome Call – Recommended for first-time families and alums as well, this allows you to holistically go over the account with us and discuss deadlines, to-dos, and what to expect. Even if you signed up a few months ago, it’s never too late to schedule a welcome call!
Flight Logistics Call – Schedule this call to discuss purchasing a flight with TFT or independently. We can go over connections, independent arrivals or departures, or any other travel-related question you may have
General Call – If you have a quick question, this is the one for you! You can even type up what you want to talk about so we can be prepared to answer with exactly what you need

Click this link to schedule any of the above calls. We are here to help!

Call Us

Our Client Service & Logistics Teams answer the phone between 8 am and 5 pm EDT. Our phones can get very busy during this time, and if you call, you may reach our voicemail, which we will return within one business day at the latest.

We have a lot of talented teammates answering the phones, however, not every single person that you speak to may be able to answer your specific question, but don’t worry, they will get you that answer! This may mean setting up a future call. We do this not to inconvenience you, but to ensure that you are getting the correct answers you need.

We are coming into the busiest time of the year at the TFT Office. Our volume will be heavy but we will get back to each of you.

To call, dial 888-457-4534, Option 1

Email Us

Any questions can be answered by email as well! We answer all emails within two business days unless otherwise noted or we are closed for a holiday. Emails are answered in the order in which they are received, so it is very important to understand that if you reply to your own email in an attempt to point out you haven’t been answered yet, the email becomes recent from that moment and actually moves you out of your place in the queue! We don’t want that!

You can reach us at help@travelforteens.com