TRAVEL POLICY AND LOGISTICS
Airline Tickets
To keep costs at a minimum, international airline tickets are issued on
a group basis by the GIP travel agent. Participants are expected to depart Philadelphia with
the group. Individual routing changes before or after ticket issuance
are at the discretion of the issuing agent. Any subsequent modifications
to the group itinerary are the responsibility of the participant, as are
any additional charges those changes require. Depending on the domestic
itinerary worked out for each group, in-country transportation is by train,
chartered motorcoach or public transit.
Accommodations
Living accommodations differ from country to country, and may vary within
each country depending on the locale. Previous groups have stayed at a
combination of moderately-priced hotels and corporate training facilities,
and efforts will be made to make similar arrangements this year. Rooms
are double occupancy. Participants are responsible for meals, with the understanding
that breakfasts are included as part of the hotel package.
Documents
A valid passport and, depending on your citizenship, a visa are necessary
for international travel. A passport should be obtained as far in advance
of the immersion experience as possible to allow time for processing.
Feel free to contact the GIP staff for advice on obtaining a passport.
Although visa fees are not included in the program cost, GIP staff will
help facilitate the processing of visa applications.
Insurance
All registered participants must show proof of current health insurance
coverage before departing on the immersion experience. Please
note that the student health insurance offered by the University of Pennsylvania
is valid overseas.
Side Trips
Personal side trips during the immersion experience are at the participant's
risk and should be done with the knowledge of the program director. No
reductions in fare and/or partial refunds can be granted to participants
who voluntarily deviate from the group itinerary or who depart the program
prematurely. For persons who depart early due to medical or bereavement
reasons, every effort will be made to recover any remaining accommodation
and travel expenses.
Spouses
Spouses are not permitted to participate in the GIP unless they are themselves
MBA students at Wharton.
Cancellations
The Wharton School reserves the right to cancel any study tour
for any reason before the date of departure. Immersion programs also
may be canceled due to lack of enrollment. Participants will then be notified
30 days prior to departure. In such cases, the Wharton School cannot assume
the cost of individual travel arrangements made by participants prior
to 30 days before departure. For this reason, it is recommended that personal
airline tickets not be issued prior to 30 days, or that trip cancellation
insurance be purchased.
If the Wharton School cancels any study tour for any reason
before the date of departure, all monies received are refunded. If
the participant cancels prior to Monday, March 1, 2006, one-half of the
deposit will be refunded. On or after March 1st, the entire deposit is non-refundable,
unless a substitute participant is found to take the canceled space. Substitutes
are drawn from the appropriate wait list in chronological order or by
a subsequent registration.
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