The Student Air Travel Association
The Student Air Travel Association, or SATA, was founded in 1969 as a not for profit cooperative dedicated to lowering the price of air travel for college students and other young people aged 25 and under. Their best known innovation is the introduction of the Student Air Travel Association ticket which is recognized by over 80 airlines and offers considerably more flexibility than a standard air ticket.
Advantages of the Student Air Travel Association Ticket
The Student Air Travel Association ticket is your best option for cheap student air travel worldwide. When booking it in advance, you get the lowest cost airfares and the ability to change travel dates and sometimes routes just by visiting one of the Student Air Travel Association's more than 400 branches in 85 countries worldwide. You can sometimes receive credit for an unused portion of a ticket if you decide to drop a part of your itinerary. Check the terms and conditions of your travel before you confirm your purchase for any restrictions that may apply. There will be a box at the top of your ticket marked "RESTRICTIONS" and/or "ENDORSEMENT" which will advise you of any strings attached to your particular trip.
To change your ticket (where permitted), visit any Student Air Travel Association office. You will be given either a sticker to put on your existing ticket or a completely new ticket, depending on the requirements of the airline(s) you are traveling with. If you wish to change your route, you will need to submit a re-routing request not less than 3 working days ahead of travel for that portion of your itinerary.
Who Is Eligible for a Student Air Travel Association Ticket?
Student Air Travel Association tickets are available to anyone who meets all of the following requirements. The applicant must be either a degree or diploma student at an accredited learning institution and hold an International Student Identity Card (ISIC); or a young person aged 25 and under who holds an International Youth Travel Card (IYTC). ISICs and IYTCs are available from any branch of the Student Air Travel Association for a small fee, upon production of either a valid student ID, a college class schedule and a tuition receipt (for the ISIC) or a government issued photo ID containing your date of birth (for the IYTC).
Both the ISIC and the IYTC currently cost $22 as of the time of writing this article (November 2008). They are available from any branch of the Student Air Travel Association, or you can buy them online via their website.
