Winter Travel Strategies
Winter in Rochester can require travel strategies to get home for the holidays on time. In the winter of 2012, my flight got delayed four times, and the dorms were closing for the holidays. I thought I was never going to get home. Luckily, a friend of mine from school was going to Buffalo that very day, and I got my flights re-routed out of Buffalo. My friend pretty much made my holiday season! From that experience, I’ve learned a couple of important things:
1. Have a Back Up Departure Airport
Nobody knows when a huge snow storm is going to hit; life happens. This has only happened to me once, but Rochester’s airport can close down. However, don’t fret, as we are close to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and Syracuse International Airport as well. If you need to urgently get come, and the Rochester Airport is maybe giving you weather related troubles or your flight got canceled for some other reason, don’t hesitate. There is always someone going to one of those two cities and if not, you can take a bus to get to those cities. For me when I was trying to get home, it was not even snowing that much but flights from Rochester remained grounded while Buffalo flights were operating with minimal delays. Rather than waiting, I wanted to get to Buffalo to leave to get back home to Cali. Although an hour away, when you’re trying to get home urgently, having Buffalo nearby is extremely helpful.
Rochester International Airport
Source: marriott.com
2. Have a Back Up Arrival Airport
Likewise, having a backup arrival airport is also helpful. Think of another airport near your home that you could land at in case you needed it. Of course, this will vary from place to place, and depending on where you live, may not even be an option. I am from the Inland Empire region of southern California, and about five international airports are within a two hour drive of where I need to be. When flying home once, because I wanted flights changed during the busy holiday season, I gave the airline representative a list of airports they could fly me into. If there are not other airports near you, think of cities where you have friends or relatives, anywhere you might be able to reside for a few days while busy travel times calm down.
3. Local Contact Person
Rochester is a very homey place and everyone is like family. Have a friend from the Rochester area you can contact for maybe a last minute ride, or a place to stay for a few hours if need be. Anyone in the area can be a possible person who can help you in a time of need, so don’t hesitate to contact those you work with: TAs, lab researchers, staff, or even professors. I had a friend who a few years ago needed to get to Boston. His travel plans fell through, and it just so happened that one of his professors was headed in that direction that very weekend, and offered my friend a ride. This just speaks volumes of the family-like nature at the University of Rochester.
4. Residential Life Contact Info
Add the contact information of Residential Life into your phone. When I was getting ready to leave, and my flight got canceled, I knew that the dorms were closing the following day. I got in touch with Residential Life because I just had no idea what to do; it was cold outside and I didn’t really have anywhere to go! They helped me calm down and worked with me to let me stay in the dorms for the rest of that day and I got my dates and times mixed up; the dorms did not close until the following day. Regardless of all the mix up I had, they can be an important contact to have in a time of need.
At the end of the day, the key here is flexibility. When travel arrangements don’t happen as planned, don’t worry. Just be organized and systematic with a back-up approach. There are countless sources who can help you out, so ask for help and remember that you’re never alone!