What to do if you Encounter Flight Cancellations or Delays

While our hope is that you arrive at your study away destination without any challenges, we know at times these can occur for a variety of reasons.  Please note that NYU is unable to act as an intermediary between the traveler and airline, but it may be helpful to keep in mind the below tips should you encounter any flight cancellations or delays:

Contact Your Airline First

Number one tip: Whether it’s an airport delay or flight cancellation, contact your airline – immediately.  It is most beneficial to act quickly so that you are able to grab a seat on the next available flight if necessary.  Many passengers will be trying to rebook and options may become more limited the longer you wait.

If Your Flight is Canceled:

• Multi-task communications: If your flight is canceled or delayed, immediately get in line for a gate agent; at the same time, call the airline (it may be quicker).
• If you have a frequent flyer status with the airline that gives you access to a priority phone number, using this may expedite the service you receive.

Note: There are no federal requirements that require airlines to provide you with any hotel or meal vouchers due to events outside their control such as weather, but airline policies on this vary. When in doubt, ask. Some will provide you with certain amenities.

If Your Flight is Delayed:

• Stay in touch with the airline: Follow the tips above; stay connected to your carrier
• Don’t be late to the gate: Even if you’ve been told your flight is delayed, stay in the gate area. Delays can evaporate and windows of opportunity for take-off can be short; if you’re not present for boarding, you may be out of luck

Note: Always be at the gate at least 20 minutes before departure, minimum.

Ultimately, if you are in an area where you still have access to email or phone service, please contact the appropriate staff member(s) at NYU Florence listed on your arrival cheat sheet to forward your updated itinerary.  This is another reason why it is important to have a copy in your carry on.  

Should your updated itinerary arrive outside of the provided transportation window, you will be responsible for getting to housing (but don’t worry – the arrival cheat sheet will have all the relevant details necessary to do so!).  

The staff recognize these occurrences are beyond your control so will work with you to catch up if any material is missed.  On behalf of the entire NYU Global Programs team, we wish you safe travels!

Pre-Arrival Module Due!

Please note that the Pre-Arrival Module and the Global Health and Wellness Orientation are separate requirements and are both due before check-in day.  Leave ample time to access and complete both before you leave for Florence!  If you have trouble accessing the module, please email florence.studentlife@nyu.edu.

Global Orientation: NYU Florence

Some activities during Orientation Week are part of a program called Global Orientation.  This is a required academic component of your orientation and is made up of two parts: The first part takes place on Thursday morning Jan. 26 and is an activity in the Florence city center with the Italian language faculty.  The second part begins at 4:15pm and is a late afternoon presentation and film screening of the movie The Tale of Tales/Il Racconto dei Racconti presented by our academic Director, Virginia Cox.  Please see our website for further details.

Arrival Cheat Sheet

Don’t leave for Florence without your Arrival Cheat Sheet! It contains helpful information about navigating the airport, getting to your housing assignment, and NYU Florence contact information. Please provide a copy of this document to your family.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:  

• Know the time difference between your hometown and (site), and discuss a communication plan with your friends and family
• Know what to expect for meal costs in your host location (link to any helpful site/document for your site)
• Check the exchange rate for your host country’s currency regularly
• Purchase any necessary voltage convertors and/or adaptors.

And remember these tips from our First Time Traveler Post. (They’re actually quite good for everyone!)

On-Campus Student Employment Opportunities

NYU Florence offers students a very limited number of On-Campus Student Employment opportunities (8 positions in total for Spring 2017). The hourly wage is commensurate with the new base hourly wages instituted on the NYU-NY campus for academic year 2016-2017. On-Campus Student Employees are expected to work a minimum of 10 hrs per week and no more than a maximum of 15 hours per week.

Given the limited number of positions on campus and the competitive nature of the hiring process at NYU Florence, not all applicants will be hired as On Campus Student Employees. On Campus Student Employment is not a guaranteed form of financial aid and is in no way related to the Federal Work Study Program (only available on the NYU Washington Square Campus).

It is very important to budget for your study away experience.  We strongly encourage you, prior to your departure, to contact the NYU Financial Aid Office and discuss alternate methods of financing your semester abroad in case you are not hired for an On-Campus Student Employment position in Spring 2017.

For information on the available on-campus employment positions and to apply please use this online form

The DEADLINE for on-campus employment applications is FRIDAY JANUARY 20, 2017 at 12:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (or 6:00pm Central European Time).  We will not be able to accept late applications.

Community Engagement Opportunities

NYU Florence offers a variety of activities so that students can become active in the local Florence community with both long and short terms projects. To learn more about the options available to you, read a list of descriptions here (note: you must be logged in to your NYU account to view). Interested students should complete the Google Form no later than Thursday February 9, 2017. We will also accept applications (pre-arrival) sooner than this deadline date as well.

Also be sure to attend the Community Engagement session at the NYU Florence Info Fair (Friday January 27, 2017) where you can meet Enrico Buonincontro, Community Engagement and Leadership Development Coordinator and get further information and updates.

Required Orientation Modules

In response to student feedback, NYU Florence has transferred some of the material traditionally presented during orientation to a pre-arrival module, so that, during orientation week, students can focus on getting to know their host city, learning about Italian language and culture, settling into housing, meeting each other, and overcoming jet lag.

Here is a link to the module.  You will need to log in to NYUHome with your net ID and password to see it.  Watching the videos and answering the questions will take about 45 minutes.  The module is mandatory for all students new to NYU Florence and must be completed before check-in day.

If you have questions or doubts, please contact the Office of Student Life at florence.studentlife@nyu.edu.

Important Travel Reminders

The time is almost here to leave for Spain, but before you depart for the airport make sure you have all of your immigration needs taken care of! It is important to keep any immigration related paperwork on your person/in your carry-on luggage and ready for your arrival in Spain.

Two important reminders for best practices when traveling abroad:

1.     In order to board your international flight you will need your passport.  You should have copies of your passport elsewhere.  OGS recommends keeping a color copy of your passport and visa separately in your carry-on luggage.  You should also have access to a digital encrypted copy of your passport and visa online that can be obtained from any computer.  Additionally, you may want to leave a copy of your passport and visa with a parent or guardian, or whomever you trust and would call in an emergency. If your passport/visa is lost or stolen having a copy of such may help expedite getting a replacement.

2.    After you arrive at your study away site, you should register with your local Embassy or Consulate.  U.S. citizens can register with the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program     which will automatically alert the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate to your presence in country.  Non-U.S. citizens should register with the relevant home country Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Upload a copy of your visa and stamped documents!

If you applied for your visa individually (not through NYU’s Group Processing), please upload a copy of your visa to our database.

Please also make a copy of the stamped document(s) returned to you by the Italian Consulate and upload them to our database. These documents are for your Permesso di Soggiorno. They are very important and must be brought with you to NYU Florence.

Global Safety Tips

Keeping you safe — and ensuring your ability to make academic progress — are top priorities for NYU. As you prepare to spend the semester away from your home campus, we wanted to share with you some tips and best practices that will help to do so.

The University continuously monitors events in cities and countries around the globe, and adjusts security precautions, as necessary, based on the local environment. Should an urgent situation arise, the University maintains an emergency notification system, which delivers alerts via text message and email.

• Register your travel with your respective embassy or consulate – both while you are at your study away location, and anywhere else your travel plans may take you.
• Make sure to have a mobile phone with you whenever you’re away from the site – and be sure to keep it charged!
• If you are planning on traveling away from your site – even if only for a night — please be sure to register your trip in NYU Traveler, and let a member of your local site staff know.
• Please be sure that your site staff has a local contact phone number for you.
• Do your homework before you travel away from your site. Check for potential travel warnings for cities and countries to which you are thinking about traveling (the US State Department website is a good place to start).
• Always be fully aware of your surroundings. Avoid at-risk areas (in many cities, this could include locations that are very popular with tourists). And if during your travels you ever find yourself in a situation in which you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts and leave.
• Whenever possible, travel in groups. Whether you’re going out for an evening, or are planning to explore the region (or beyond), go with friends!
• If you don’t know the person entering a building right after you, make sure they have their own ID — don’t allow “piggy-backing” at entrances to NYU academic centers and residence halls.
• If you ever have a question or concern about your safety – either at your site, or while you are traveling – either check with your local site staff, or call the NYU Public Safety Command Center (open 24/7) at +1.212.998.2222.
• Should you ever feel anxious or upset during your time away, or you simply want to have someone to speak to, please call the Wellness Exchange (24/7). You can always reach them at +1.212.443.9999, but many sites also have local numbers, which can be found here.

For more safety tips, visit: http://www.nyu.edu/global/global-academic-centers/florence/student-life/safety.html