GET A CHANGEABLE TICKET!
TRAVEL DATES
Most families travel approximately
3.5 - 4 months from their referral date. The date
depends on the
time CHI receives the Travel Approval from Ethiopia.
Families will be notified immediately by email of the travel time and asked to make their
international flight arrangements.
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It is common that the confirmed travel date may not
be known until about two weeks prior to leaving. You may
research all options before then but not finalize arrangements.
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Families will be notified when appointments are confirmed with
the American Embassy and
the Ethiopia arrival and departure dates are set up by our Addis
Ababa
Office Staff.
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The CHI Travel
Coordinator will contact you when it is time to make the international reservations
-
She
will give you suggestions regarding those flights.
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You are free to
use the travel agency of your choice for the US domestic and
International flights or to make your own arrangements directly
with the airlines of your choice. You can do it. We
can help.
Things to Know When
Booking Your
International Flights
-
Your choice of international
departure city depends on where you live:
East coast
- New York or
Washington D.C.:
Midwest - Chicago
or Detroit
West coast - Los
Angeles or San Francisco
Do not book a flight
returning to the US with any layover in Canada. Your child will not be able to board that airplane even
if you won't be getting off the plane in Canada.
-
When arranging your
US flights to the city of departure, please allow enough time (a minimum of 2-3 hours) to catch your international flight.
If need be, you should fly the night before and spend the night in
order to catch your international flight.
-
A
return international ticket for your child in his/her Ethiopian Name is required even if your child
is under the age of two.
You do not have to purchase a seat ticket, but a lap ticket is
required, and the cost is a percentage of your adult ticket.
The ticket must be in your child’s Ethiopian Name,
because that is the name that will appear on his/her Ethiopian
passport.
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The port of entry
into Ethiopia is Addis Ababa.
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It is sometimes very difficult to
use frequent flyer mileage due to the short notice of the
confirmed travel dates.
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CHI will need to know
your specific international airline flight information with
carrier name, flight numbers, arrival date/time
and departure date/time. Please send by E-mail a copy of
your complete travel itinerary from the airlines to CHI:
Attn:
sharon.turner@childrenshope.net
INSIDE ETHIOPIA TRAVEL
-
At present, no inside Ethiopia air travel is required.
General Airline Information & Transit
Visa Notice
Get Your Ticket!!
Use your choice of travel agents or do it yourself.
Once you have been given
clearance to travel by CHI, confirm your itinerary, and email a copy
to your adoption consultant. You should plan on spending 7 business
days, inclusively in Ethiopia (minimum). Ethiopian
Air, Lufthansa, Emirates Air, Northwest Airlines/KLM, and British
Airways have good air service to/from the United States. If a travel
agent is making your arrangements, make sure they have experience
making reservations in Ethiopia. Your child will travel on an
Ethiopian passport; be sure to check your return itinerary if
your child will require any transit visas based on your flight
itinerary. It’s best to fly through Britain if not flying
direct, which does not require a transit visa for your child. The
child will need a transit visa when flying through Germany. Please
check with the airline or your travel agent to determine if a
transit visa will be required for your route of travel.
It is
sometimes very difficult to use frequent flyer mileage due to the
short notice of the confirmed travel dates, and the possibility of
sudden changes due to the time in country being lengthened or
shortened. Please check with your travel agent. Ensure that your
reservation allows for flexible travel plans, without having to pay
hefty fees for changing, as delays do sometimes happen in country.
Please remember to buy a return ticket for your child.
This is required even if your child is under the age of two. You do
not necessarily have to purchase a seat ticket, (depending on the
age of the child) but a lap ticket is required and the cost is a
percentage of your adult ticket. The ticket must be in your
child’s Ethiopian Name, as that is the name that will appear on
his/her Ethiopian passport. The name on
the tickets must match the name on the passports.
Request bulkhead seats
with bassinet or sleeping bag, (depending on your child’s age and
weight) on all segments of the flight home. Note: You will not be
able to reserve bulkhead seats – they are assigned on a first-come,
first-served basis for disabled passengers and families with
children, so you may want to get to the airport early. You may also
check into the possibility of ordering baby food or special meals
from the airline for the flight home but these as well are not
guaranteed. We encourage you to plan accordingly for your child’s
meals on the plane.
Travel Insurance
If you decide that
travel insurance is worth your consideration but don’t know where to
start in terms of comparing policies and prices, InsuremyTrip.com
offers a free on-line comparison tool to make an informed decision.
The URL is
http://www.insuremytrip.com/myquote-1000-0-13521-43.html. The U.S. Department of
State has posted a similar travel insurance advisory at
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1470.html.
Travel insurance information
is also included in your travel packet for your convenience.
Confirming Your Flights & Getting
Ticket for Infant
Confirm your departure
flight home within 48 hours of arriving in Ethiopia;
and two days before departing Ethiopia call the airline directly/or
go into your airline’s ticket office and reconfirm your flight home
again. Before your departure, check with the airline or travel
agent to find out how much luggage and how many carry-on bags you
are allowed. International standards vary from domestic flights. If
you have any extra room for donations, please check with your
adoption consultant for suggestions of donations for the House of
Hope Transition Home and Guest House or items that are needed in the
country.
Registering with the U.S. Embassy
Registration at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate (in the country you
are visiting) makes your presence and whereabouts known, in case it
is necessary for a consular officer to contact you in an emergency.
During a disaster overseas, American consular officers can assist in
evacuation were that to become necessary. But they cannot assist you
if they do not know where you are. Registration is free and private
through the State Department’s travel registration website:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_1186.html
or
https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.
By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or
Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. Registration is
particularly important for those who plan to stay in a country
longer than one month, or who will travel to a country that is
experiencing civil unrest, has an unstable political climate, or is
undergoing a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or a hurricane.
Where
will you stay in Ethiopia?
It is your choice. Click the above
link for details.
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