This depends on the airline and the fare given - we are required to follow Chevening’s policy and we will be offering the most economical fare(s). If you require additional baggage, you will need to arrange this directly with the airline and cover related costs, once your ticket has been issued.

Most scholars receive an arrival allowance, which can be used to offset the cost of paying for additional baggage – please check your final award letter to see if you are eligible for this payment.

For Scholars only:
For your homeward flight, most scholars also receive a departure allowance that can be used towards the costs of additional baggage – please check your final award letter to see if you are eligible for this payment.

We will offer you up to three flight options which meet the Chevening policy. As per the policy these will be the most economical and most suited to your needs and therefore may not include your preferred airline. If you wish to take a different option to those given, you would be asked to pay the difference by credit card. Please note there is a 2% fee (3% AMEX)

Chevening covers the cost of your travel only and advises that dependents are not brought to the UK for your Chevening award. However, if you choose to bring them you can book and pay for their tickets with us by credit card. Please note that the initial options we give you will still be the cheapest and most suitable options for your journey only. For example, we will not take into account availability on the same flight for family members, so if you need to amend the booking to enable you to travel together you will have to cover costs in excess of the lowest fare offered to you.

Please note most airlines charge for extra items such as sport equipment and Chevening will not cover these costs. You would need to contact the airline to arrange the transportation of sporting equipment.

As per the Chevening policy, we will arrange flights between the nearest airport in your home country and the nearest airport to your UK university/host institution, where possible. For flights to the UK, in some cases there may be a small regional airport close to your university but flights to these airports can often involve much higher costs or more complex journeys than if you travelled to a main airport and took a connecting train/coach to your destination. We will do our best to offer you the best options available and can advise you on the best way to reach your final destination. Please ensure you have checked with your university in case they have arranged a coach transfer service that you can make use of.

Most scholars receive an arrival allowance which can be used to offset the cost of paying for onward travel from the airport – please check your final award letter to see if you are eligible for this payment.

Once the ticket has been issued we will check to see if the ticket can be changed and we will inform you of the fees which you will have to pay by credit card. Chevening will not cover the cost of any change to your ticket once it has been confirmed.

Diversity are instructed to issue tickets for scholar/fellow flights to the UK only once we have received a copy of your UK visa.

For Scholars only:
For homeward flights, tickets will be issued as soon as possible after booking details have been confirmed.

Ticketing deadlines are set by the airlines and your travel consultant may advise you if this deadline is approaching and you have not confirmed your booking. If a ticketing deadline passes without confirmation from you that you are happy for the flight to be booked, flights will be need to be rebooked. This may result in a change to the date and time of your flight as the original seat may have sold out. In these instances, we will provide alternative flight options as per the Chevening policy.

The name on your booking must be exactly the same as it appears on your passport. Please ensure that the name you enter in the relevant fields in the travel form match those in your passport. If there are any errors, you will be responsible for any costs associated with having them corrected. If errors are not spotted before your flight this could result in you being denied boarding.

Please note our airline reservations system does not allow for any spaces in the name field so your ticket will show your name as one long word. This is a standard format and so we ask that you give us your name in the same order as it is shown on your passport.

For incoming flights:
We are unable to issue tickets without first having seen a copy of your visa. Once you have received your visa please send us a copy and ask us to issue your ticket. If we have provided more than one option please specify which option you wish to take. We will then issue the ticket. Please note that during peak periods, this may take a few days due to the high volume of requests we are processing and those with closer departure dates will be prioritised.

Once we have seen your visa and you have asked us to confirm your booking, you will receive an email entitled “E-ticket”. At this stage you require nothing further from Diversity Travel and are able to travel by presenting the “e-ticket” at check-in.

For homeward flights:
Once you ask us to confirm your booking you will receive an email entitled “E-ticket”. At this stage you require nothing further from Diversity Travel and are able to travel by presenting the “e-ticket” at check-in.

Where possible, you will be given three different flight options to choose from. The fares provided will be consistent with Chevening travel policy and we request that you be as flexible as possible.

If there is a single flight option which best meets Chevening’s policy, we may offer this initially as the only option. If you feel that this option does not meet your requirements, you are welcome to reply to us explaining why, and we will see if it is possible for to provide further options.

The option(s) offered to you will be based on cost and the convenience of the routing. The earlier you obtain your visa and are able to make a confirmed booking, the more likely it is that you will be able to obtain a preferable routing.

This depends on the availability of the flight at the time of booking. The cost of flight tickets can change on a daily basis, which means that we will not necessarily be able to offer you a seat on a flight booked by one of your colleagues several days earlier.

We will try and accommodate your request wherever possible. However, if the cost is significantly higher you will be required to arrive outside these hours and organise alternative transport to your institution/university.

Chevening policy states that no flights can be booked for first or business class travel.