Airlink Scholar · boarding schools and international students

From the boarding house to the boarding gate, with a parent's care.

Exeats, half terms, holidays and first arrivals in England, for boarders at Sussex schools and students at Worthing's language schools. Fixed prices, a safe word on every run, and you kept in the loop wherever you are.

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Fixed fares from Worthing, Lancing and Shoreham

Gatwick	£80	£150 return
Heathrow	£120	£230 return
Stansted	£185	£360 return
London City	£145	£280 return
Southampton Airport	£115	£220 return

All in, the same at 5am as at 5pm. Estate car for the trunk +£10. Pay by card link, or one monthly invoice for guardians and agencies.

Schools along the coast (Rustington to Arundel) are £10 more. Check your fare by town.

Dolly, co-founder of Sussex Airlink, in Worthing

A note from Dolly

“The person waiting at the gate is someone I’d trust with my own three.”

Read Dolly’s letter

Dear parents,

I'm Dolly. H and I have three beautiful children, and I still haven't got used to the moment the door closes behind one of them. If your child boards here in Sussex and you're in Hong Kong, Lagos, Munich or Madrid, you'll know that feeling times a thousand: the time difference, an airport the size of a town, and a stranger who's meant to be collecting them.

I can't shorten the flight. But I can promise you the person waiting at the gate is someone I'd trust with my own three: early, kind, carrying the bags, saying the safe word before anyone gets in a car, and messaging you at every step until they're safely through.

We'll look after your child the way we look after ours. Because to us, that's exactly what they are.

Dolly, with H
Founders, Sussex Airlink

From our family to yours

Our promises to you

🔑A safe word, every timeYou choose it and we keep it private. Your child never gets into a car without hearing it.

🪧Your child's name never on showOur arrivals board shows a code word your child knows, never their name, so nobody around them can tell they're travelling alone.

📲You'll hear from us at every stepA message at pickup, at the airport and at the door, wherever you are in the world.

🎙️A friendly voice before a friendly faceA short voice note from the driver the night before, so your child knows who is coming.

🧡The same driver, wherever we canOne familiar face for the whole school year.

📋Told once, remembered alwaysAllergies, medical needs, who may collect, what helps them feel calm: you tell us once, and every driver knows.

🎒A little comfort on boardWater, tissues and chargers for every kind of phone. Snacks only if you say so.

🌍A proper welcome to EnglandOn their very first arrival, a UK plug adapter and a UK SIM card are waiting in the car, so the first message home is sent before they've left the airport.

How every journey works

You tell us about your child, onceTerm dates, flights, who may collect them, any allergies or medical needs, and what helps them feel calm. We keep it on file so every driver knows, every time.

The night before, they meet their driverYou get the driver's name, photo, car and registration, and the safe word you've chosen. Your child gets a short voice note from the driver, so tomorrow's face is already a friendly one.

🎙️ "Hi Sophie, I'm Dolly! I'll see you at 2 tomorrow. Look out for the blue car."

Pickup at schoolThe driver signs your child out the way the school asks and says the safe word before your child gets in. No safe word, no pickup. Then we message you to say they're on their way.

✅ "With Sophie now, on our way to Heathrow."

At the airportWe drop at the terminal door, or with our walk-in or airline escort add-ons, we take your child inside and don't leave until they're checked in or with the escort. (See the prices below.)

✈️ "Checked in and with the airline team at 15:40. She gave me a wave. Safe flight, Sophie!"

Coming backWe follow the flight, wait in arrivals with a code-word board (never your child's name) however late it lands, and take your child straight back to school.

🏫 "Back at the boarding house and signed in. Welcome home, Sophie."

Safeguarding

Keeping your child safe is the whole job

Every driver licensed and DBS-checkedLicensed by the council, enhanced DBS checked, first-aid trained, and someone we know personally.

Only your child in the carNo strangers sharing, no stops you haven't agreed. Travelling with a friend? Only with both families' say-so.

Handed over, never dropped offTo the boarding house, the guardian or the airline, exactly as you tell us, following the school's own rules.

A female driver on requestJust ask when you book.

Your child's details kept privateEverything you tell us is kept securely in our booking system and only shared with the driver who needs it. We're registered with the ICO.

Our safeguarding policy, Carrying children safely, is yours to read before you book. Just ask. Our safeguarding lead is H.

Which schools?

Any school in Sussex, and the language schools too

We collect from boarding houses across the county, for pupils at the likes of Lancing College, Windlesham House and Brighton College, and from host families for students at Worthing's language schools.

We're an independent family firm, not connected to any school, so families book us directly and tell us how their school likes sign-outs done. Younger children get booster seats, fitted before we arrive.

At the airport

A little extra help, at a fair, fixed price

Some children need more than a lift to the door. These add-ons are priced to cover our time and the airport parking, not to make money from a worried parent, and you'll know the price before you book.

🪧Meet in arrivals with a code-word board

GatwickIncluded

HeathrowIncluded

Your child is met inside the terminal, not in a car park, by a driver holding a board with your chosen code word (never their name), and walked to the car. Chaperone agencies can charge over £100 for this alone. With us, it's part of the fare.

🧳Walk-in check-in

Gatwick+£45

Heathrow+£55

We park, walk your child in, and stay until the bags are dropped and the boarding pass is in their hand. Then we message you. Parking and up to an hour included.

🤝Airline escort handover

Gatwick+£95

Heathrow+£110

For children flying as unaccompanied minors. We're named on the airline's form, hand your child to the escort team, and stay until the plane has left, as most airlines require. Parking and up to three hours included.

🛬Collecting from the airline

Gatwick+£60

Heathrow+£70

Coming home as an unaccompanied minor? We wait at the airline's desk, sign for your child with ID, and bring them back. Parking and up to an hour and a half included.

Flight delayed beyond the time included? Extra time is £40 an hour, and we'll always message you before it starts. Two children, connecting flights or an escort to the gate: ask us for a fixed price.

Questions parents ask us

Do you walk my child into the airport?

Yes, if you add it: walk-in check-in is +£45 at Gatwick or +£55 at Heathrow, and airline escort handover for unaccompanied minors is +£95 or +£110. Meeting in arrivals is always included, with a board showing your code word, never your child's name.

Can you collect from the boarding house?

Yes, from any school in Sussex, following that school's sign-out rules.

What if the flight is delayed?

We follow it and wait. Delays never cost you extra, and your child is never left waiting alone.

Can two friends travel together?

Yes, if both families agree when booking, and you can share the fare.

Can we book the whole year now?

Please do. Send the term dates and we'll book every exeat, half term and holiday at once.

Are you a school's official transport?

No. We're an independent, licensed family firm in Worthing. Families and guardians book us directly.

Who do I call at 3am my time?

01903 331 333. A friendly voice answers, any hour.

Sussex Airlink is independent and not connected to any school.