For some students, that first international flight can be the most daunting part of the entire move. A long-haul flight, unfamiliar airport, connecting flights, immigration, baggage and the simple reality of being thousands of kilometres from home can be a lot to take in, particularly when it is the first time someone has travelled internationally alone.
And while the student may be the one boarding the plane, there is usually someone back home watching the flight tracker.
That is the problem Australian travel platform Juurnee is looking to address.
Juurnee connects travellers who need support on a flight with another traveller heading in the same direction. The companion is vetted and matched with the traveller before the journey, with the idea being simple: if you don’t want to make a difficult journey alone, find someone who can make it with you.
The platform was created by founder Rachel Crampton after she found herself needing help on a long-haul flight from Sydney to London with three young children. Her partner had to return to Australia unexpectedly, leaving Crampton facing the prospect of making the journey alone with children aged four, two and four months.
She eventually found someone willing to travel with her for $1,000.
That experience became the starting point for Juurnee.
Now the concept is being applied to a much wider group of travellers, including nervous flyers, elderly passengers, people with disabilities or injuries, parents travelling with children and, potentially, international students making their first big trip overseas.
A little less lonely at 30,000 feet
For an international student, a companion does not necessarily need to be a professional carer or travel expert.
Sometimes, having someone who has done the journey before may be enough.
A companion can help navigate a transit airport, work out where to go next, manage luggage and provide reassurance when the inevitable travel hiccup occurs. More importantly, there is someone sitting beside the student who knows what they are doing.
That could be particularly valuable for younger students arriving in Australia for the first time.
There is also another stakeholder group in this equation: Mum and Dad.
For parents sending a son or daughter halfway around the world, knowing that their child is travelling alongside another person can provide some reassurance during what is often an emotionally charged period.
And that is where Juurnee becomes potentially interesting for the international education sector.
Universities, colleges, education agents and international student offices could potentially incorporate a service like this into their pre-arrival or welcome offerings.
The sector has become increasingly focused on the student journey, from the first enquiry through to enrolment, arrival and settlement. But the journey literally begins with the journey.
Perhaps there is an opportunity to pay a little more attention to that bit.
And there is another side to the proposition
Juurnee is not simply about finding someone to help.
It also allows travellers to get paid to fly.
Students already studying in Australia who are planning to head home for the holidays could potentially use the platform to offset some of the cost of their airfare by becoming a companion for someone travelling the same route.
The model is relatively straightforward. A traveller posts a journey, including the route, dates and the amount they are willing to pay. Companions can browse available journeys and apply for those that fit their own travel plans.
Juurnee says companions are vetted and reviewed, while payments can be held securely until the journey has been completed. The traveller chooses the companion rather than being automatically matched by an algorithm.
The current focus includes the Sydney to London and London to Sydney routes, although the platform says it is expanding more broadly.
For an international student staring down the cost of a Christmas flight home, getting paid to travel on a route they were already planning to take is an interesting proposition.
It turns the economics of the journey around.
Instead of simply asking, “How much is it going to cost me to fly home?”, the question becomes, “Can I make some of that cost back by helping someone else?”
The bigger opportunity may be before the student even arrives
There is a broader point here for international education.
Universities spend plenty of time thinking about orientation, airport transfers, accommodation, enrolment and student support. But increasingly, the competitive student experience starts before a student leaves home.
That means seemingly small interventions can have an outsised impact.
A nervous 18-year-old navigating their first international flight does not necessarily need another glossy welcome pack. They may simply need to know there is someone they can turn to when they land in Dubai, Singapore or Sydney and realise they have absolutely no idea which way to go.
Likewise, a parent may not care about another university ranking when they are watching their child board a 20-hour journey alone.
They care that their kid is okay.
That makes Juurnee an intriguing proposition, particularly for institutions and agents looking at ways to strengthen their pre-arrival support and duty of care.
It is also a reminder that international education is, ultimately, about people moving across borders.
Sometimes the most useful innovation is not another app, portal or chatbot.
Sometimes it is simply putting another person in the seat beside you.
For more information, visit Juurnee.
