Stanford National Forensic Institute

Students from across the country and around the world attend the SNFI each summer, and for a modest additional fee we can provide transportation from SFO airport to the campus on the day of registration, and / or from the campus to SFO airport on the day of departure. We have attempted to answer the most common questions which we receive about our airport shuttle service below, but if you have additional questions, please contact us.

We also have a Frequently Asked Questions page which addresses general logistical questions about SNFI programs.

• Is there an airfare discount available for SNFI attendees?

  Yes!  We have arranged a special group discount with United Airlines for SNFI attendees and their families, which is available with promotion code ZHNY748703.  To take advantage of this discount, you can use any of the following booking methods:

1) Enter ZHNY748703 in the “promotions & certificates” box when searching for airfare on United.com, or follow this link to where you can enter code ZHNY748703.

2) Provide code ZHNY748703 to a United booking agent by phone.

3) Provide code ZHNY748703 to your travel agent.

• Do you provide an airport pickup/dropoff service?

  Yes, we provide an airport shuttle service, but only from San Francisco International Airport (SFO).  SFO in our experience has the greatest variety of services and flights to accommodate students arriving from across the country and around the world, and we have negotiated an attendee airfare discount as noted above.

• Do you meet students upon arrival?

  Our staff are stationed at the airport helping to meet campers and direct them upon arrival.  Our staff is equipped with the student flight details and cell phone numbers that parents provide on our forms when requesting airport shuttle service to facilitate meeting up in the baggage claim area (we are unable to go through security to the gate area). On the return, our standard service brings students to the airport and drops them off with their baggage at the proper terminal to allow for the check in process.  If you wish to provide an additional level of staff support for your camper we offer "unaccompanied minor service" for an extra charge.  See the "Unaccompanied Minor" section below for additional details.

• When is the airport shuttle available?

  We run the airport shuttle on the first and last day of each camp we offer. In order to use our service, please plan flights to arrive at SFO airport no later than 2:30PM on the first day of your camp, and to schedule flights leaving no earlier than 11:30AM on the last day of your camp. Please note that our staff won’t arrive at the airport until 11:00AM for arrivals, so please plan your flights accordingly. You're of course welcome to schedule an arrival prior to 11:30AM, but please understand that your child will need to wait until our staff arrives and may have a several hour wait until the first shuttle departure.  Similarly, our staff won't be able to stay at the airport once we drop your student off and they are checked in for their flights on the return, as we are unable to go beyond the security checkpoint and must return to campus for additional camp sessions.  If you are unsure of the flight timings needed to use our airport shuttle, please login to your Parent Portal account and review the Pre-Camp ToDo List for your session.  If you click on the "airport shuttle" links you'll be taken to a screen that shows the times and dates for the airport shuttle service for your specific camp session.

• What happens if my arriving flight is delayed and arrives later than the end of the arrival airport shuttle time window?

  Flights get delayed for a variety of reasons, including fog at SFO airport (yes, there is often fog or low clouds at the airport in July and August).  No matter than reason, we will accommodate late arrivals of flights which were originally scheduled to arrive by 2:30PM.  Depending on the length of the delay we may employ a variety of solutions, such as having one staff member stay at the airport until the arrival of the delayed flight or having a staff member return to the airpot at a later time to meet a student arriving later in the day.  We monitor the flight status of each student using the airport shuttle on arrival days starting in the morning, but it doesn't hurt to send us a quick email or call to notify us of a delay.

• What time does the airport shuttle leave Stanford’s campus on the last day?

  Our first airport shuttle departs at around 9:15AM, and the airport is a 30 minute drive from campus. Students will arrive at the airport with enough time to check in and clear security for flights beginning at 11:30AM.  You are welcome to schedule flights departing at any time after 11:30AM, however please understand that our staff won't be able to wait at the airport with your child after we drop them off at the terminal and they check in for their flight because we are unable to go beyond the security checkpoint.  On weeks with large numbers of departing students, a second and third airport trip may be arranged on a schedule that accommodates flight schedules of departing students (note that we do not announce these times in advance of camp as they are scheduled based on demand for the airport shuttle).

• What is the cost of the airport shuttle?

  Our airport shuttle service is available for $45 one-way and $75 round-trip.

• How do I sign up for the airport shuttle service?

  You will be able to sign up for the airport shuttle service from the parent portal beginning mid-May. We will send an email announcement when signups begin. Feel free to book your flights whenever it is convenient for you--adding the airport shuttle is simple and easy, and as long as your child's flights fall within the listed times, we will accommodate your needs. There is no capacity control for the airport shuttle, so there will always be space available for your child so long as you request service at least 72 hours before your flight.

• Is there a deadline to signup for the airport shuttle service?

  We ask that you sign up for the airport shuttle at least 72 hours before the start date of your child's camp to allow us time to arrange the appropriate number of seats. If you know that you plan to use the airport shuttle, please do sign up up earlier to help us gauge demand. If it is less than 72 hours to your child's camp and you would like to use the airport shuttle service, please email or call to check for availability with our staff.

• If I decide to pick up my child or arrange transportation on my own, can I receive a refund of airport shuttle fees?

  We must finalize our plans, arrange sufficient transportation capactity, and assign staff members to a variety of roles affiliated with the airport shuttle process.  Once we have made these arrangements (within 7 days of an arrival or departure date), we can't offer a refund of any airport shuttle fee.

• There is a cheap flight the day before camp starts. Can you pick my child up a day early?

  Unfortunately, no. We are only able to offer the dedicated shuttle on the days that your camp starts and ends, as the cost of running the shuttle for a single student is prohibitive, and our staff are having pre-camp planning meetings in the days leading up to the program. If you’re planning to arrive or leave on a day other than the scheduled start or conclusion of our camp, we recommend Supershuttle, a private shared-ride van service which has gotten generally good feedback from past attendees.

• Can you accommodate my child, who is flying as an "Unaccompanied Minor?"

  Yes!  We are required to have one staff member at the airport per student flying Unaccompanied Minor.  For arriving students, our staff must arrive well ahead of a flight's arrival time to obtain a gate pass, clear security and wait at the arrival gate to meet the student when they deplane.  For departing students, staff must obtain a gate pass, clear security, and then wait at the flight's departure gate until the plane has taken off and is airborne.  We ONLY can provide Unaccompanied Minor service in the designated time windows offered for the airport shuttle within the Parent Portal.

  For most of our staff, the first half of arrival days and the second half of departure days represent their only time off during the duration of the camp.  To compensate staff for the signifiant additional time burden, there is an additional fee ($50 one way or $100 round trip) in addition to the base airport shuttle charge for Unaccompanied Minor service.  This fee is in addition to any fees you may be obligated to pay the airline directly for their Unaccompanied Minor service.  You must separately request this service by checking the "Unaccompanied Minor" box on the Arrival & Departure Information page in the Parent Portal.  This service is available first-come, first-serve, and we do only have a limited number of staff available. However, use of the service is fairly rare, so we usually can meet most or all requests.