How Does Travel Work on Remote Year?
12. Nov. 2021
Work and travel programs are known for their logistical efficiency. There’s a certain amount of attention detail that is required to ensure that hundreds of remote workers are able to spend their days in coworking spaces, focused on achieving their goals, then simultaneously pack up their bags and jump on a plane to the next destination on their itinerary.
How is this really possible? How can these inspiring groups of professionals continue to excel in their careers while dealing with the logistics and realities that come with traveling to a new city each month for an entire year?
Well, they get by with a little help from their friends.
What is the Remote Year Travel Team?
The Remote Year Travel Team is the team that makes it possible for thousands of people to transition out of and into new cities around the world each and every month. In short, they’re our secret weapon.
They are the magical people that coordinate travel plans for every. single. person throughout their time on program. Yes, that does mean they are booking hundreds of plane tickets every month. If you thought you were addicted to finding the best deals on a flight, you haven’t met the Remote Year Travel Team.
When you’re traveling and your mind is elsewhere, sucked into spreadsheets, code, or a pitch deck, you can rest assured that your travel plans aren’t on the backburner. You’ll still be able to see a new city and explore a new culture next month without so much as looking up a flight manifest, because the Travel Team has you covered on Remote Year.
In addition to mastering logistics and possessing superb attention to detail, the Remote Year Travel Team is also a licensed and accredited travel agency. This means they have access to travel rates that aren’t available for the public on airline websites or flight aggregators.
What does that mean for you? Check out some of the most frequently asked questions about traveling with Remote Year below.
Are all of my travel expenses covered in my Remote Year fee?
All of your travel expenses between Remote Year cities are covered in your Remote Year fee if you travel with the program during the scheduled program transitions. Your arrival flight into your first Remote Year destination, and your departure flight at the end of your program, are not covered in your Remote Year fee.
Think of it this way:
Say you’re from New York City, joining a 12-month Remote Year program. The Remote Year Travel Team can help you find and book your flight from New York City to, let’s say, Lisbon at the start of the program, but you’ll need to pay for it separately.
Over the next 11 months, you won’t need to worry about a thing - the Remote Year Travel Team will book your program-related flights as a part of your Remote Year fee.
At the end of the program, let’s say you complete your program in Mexico City, you’ll be going through the same scenario as you did in the beginning of your program. The Travel Team can help you find and book your flight from CDMX back to New York City, or whatever city you want to travel to next, but you’ll need to pay for it separately.
If you decide to head out on a few “side trips” during your Remote Year (that’s Remote Year lingo for something like planning a weekend trip to Bali when your program is in Chiang Mai) great news! The Remote Year Travel Team is poised to help you find the best deal and book your flight. However, the cost of your “side trip” will be separate from your Remote Year fee.
How does travel work on Remote Year?
The Remote Year travel process is standardized thanks to years of experience working with remote workers from around the world. When you officially join a program you’ll know what to expect as you prepare to transition to a new city.
Each month, there is a designated Transition Weekend, wherein every Remote Year program makes the move to the next city on their itinerary.
Wait, every program moves at once? Yes! It’s a big weekend for the Travel Team, but it means that programs have their full attention in case something goes awry. When it comes to travel, there are never any guarantees!
These transition flights are intentionally booked between Friday evening and Monday morning, local time, so that participants’ work hours are minimally affected. Though the Travel Team does their best to keep conflicts to a minimum, due to the length of travel and changing time zones associated with intercontinental flights, continent to continent travel days can overlap with some Remotes’ work hours. The good news? You’ll know your itinerary details three months in advance so you’ll have time to plan.
If you find that you have a conflict with a transition flight, and you contact the Travel Team early enough, you can change to another flight that fits your work hours. You will need to cover any additional costs that are attributed to your new flight.
What is a transition weekend like on Remote Year?
Transition weekends can be long and stressful, but they can also be some of the most memorable moments of your Remote Year experience. It’s all about perspective!
"Though traveling with 40+ people can sometimes feel like herding extra sassy cats, one of my favorite moments each month is Transition Day,” Jess Newfield, a Program Leader for Remote Year Aurora, said. “Especially that moment when everyone has boarded the plane, and I look back over my seat to see beaming smiles dispersed across the rows. The only people smiling on a cramped, stuffy plane. My uncool Mom side usually comes out about this time for me to take an awkward selfie that will soon enough become a cherished photo for what it represents: an extra EXTRA large family sailing across the sky together."
Remote Year Veritas Program Leaders Michelle and Chrissy documented one of their travel days for us, hour-by-hour, to give you a little taste of what you can expect from a transition. They made it a point to keep the long day fun for their participants, incorporating local traditions and some of their own, into the process.
The Travel Team and other Remote Year Staff work to ensure that you have the smoothest transition into your next destination. However, we know that a part of travel that can be less than glamorous is the travel itself. We do our best to optimize your travel experience, but sometimes you’ll have very early check outs, late night arrivals, or imperfect flight patterns.
How much luggage can I bring?
Baggage policies vary per airline and per route. Remote Year can guarantee, at minimum, one checked bag up to 20kg and one carry-on bag up to 5kg for all group travel.If you are traveling with any unusual items such as musical instruments, sports equipment, or smart suitcases, please be aware of the airlines’ policies for oversized baggage and/or baggage with lithium batteries (for smart suitcases).
Do I always have to travel with the group?
While traveling with your Remote Year program can be an incredible bonding experience (some programs dress up to match a new theme each month!), you don’t have to travel with the group every time. We know that there are extenuating circumstances that could prevent you from being able to travel on the prearranged transition weekend.
The Remote Year Travel Team is here to help Remote Year participants alter and customize travel to best suit each individual’s needs. If you ever want to change, upgrade, or alter your flight, with enough notice, you’ll be able to do so through the Travel Team. While Remote Year does not charge anything for these changes, there are usually airlines change fees that get passed back to Remotes based on the altered route, how far in advance the change is requested, and a few other factors. There you have it! At its core, the Travel Team strives to make travel simple for each and every participant on Remote Year. Though travel can be complicated, stressful and sometimes loooong, this team makes it possible for people to live flexible lifestyles while seeing the world.
It’s no small feat, and we’re endlessly thankful for the work that they put in every day to make this dream life a reality. Cheers to you, Travel Team!
