With students across the country settled on campus and a new school year in full swing, it’s an exciting time for families.

For students, the opportunity to step out into the world and experience a new place, meet new people and encounter fascinating new ideas is one of the most valuable and life-changing junctures in their young lives. For parents, guardians and the rest of their families, there is pride and the thrill of seeing their children take the next big step in their development as they take their place in the world.

With our world growing smaller with improvements in communication technology and increased connectivity through transportation improvements, students are broadening their horizons and studying further from home than ever before, meaning a huge part of the next four years will feature travel.

We’ve all heard stories from previous generations—our parents, grandparents and others—sharing their wistful memories of their college travel escapades. Whether solo or with friends, heading back home or to far off places, there isn’t an airport or train station in the world these days where you won’t find a group of students or solo travellers, wandering through the terminal to their own new adventure.

Photo: Contributed

Many college students soon find the combined effects of flexible student life, newfound freedom in young adulthood and the desire to see the world too much to resist, or they meet friends from abroad whose stories of home fascinate them and draw them to a new destination. After all, many of the sensations they experience travelling during their college years will be the same as that first week back at the dorm – new sights, smells and sounds, new people and cultures, and memories to hold forever.

Between getting to campus, visiting home for the holidays and travelling the world on summer break, students are on the road – and in the air – more than ever before. Fortunately, some airlines and travel agencies have recognized this boom and are ready to meet the demand.

With the newly-minted Yukon University welcoming students from across Canada and around the world, Air North, Yukon’s airline, is one of those leading the way in offering stress-free travel for students at a fair price. With a flight network that stretches from Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon and home to the university’s main campus, across university and college towns throughout Western Canada, including Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton and Calgary, the airline offers students the chance to travel between these locations and experience Canada’s territories with an ease they may never have expected.

Whether they’re flying to Inuvik to take the drive up to the Arctic Ocean, looking to experience the Yukon’s contrasting incomparable natural scenery and fun, welcoming downtown culture or skipping the drive between Kelowna and Vancouver for a much-needed visit during the worst months to drive, Air North is making student travel comfortable and affordable.

Photo: Contributed

It all starts with a bit of Yukon hospitality – it’s harder than ever to pack light for a trip, especially when you’re getting ready to spend your holidays bouncing from slopes to jacuzzis to dinner with the whole family. Air North gets it and offers not just one, but two checked bags with every fare. There are no secret fees after booking, no click-through surprises, no hassle – so you can throw your hiking boots, snow boots and stylish dinner shoes in beside your parka and all of those college-branded gifts for your parents without worrying about costs at the counter.

Once you’re on board, sit back and enjoy free meals and snacks from the airline’s own “flight kitchen,” which sends up fresh, locally-sourced food overseen by its Red Seal chef, Michael Bock. By time you wrap up with a delicious Midnight Sun Coffee brew, you’re landing – and you’ve skipped the traffic, the lines and the fees with gifts and a full belly.

And, if the call of the Yukon is too much to resist, Air North is ready to provide a “bucket list” location for many Canadians, the Yukon has never been closer and more connected. Students can reach Canada’s most incredible natural playground on just one flight and find themselves in locations like Kluane National Park, home to most of Canada’s highest peaks, including Mount Logan. It’s 83% covered in mountains and glaciers and can be reached within hours.

Back in town, they can immerse themselves in museums and Indigenous architecture to discover the fascinating history of the Yukon’s First Nations, whose unique cultures lay at the heart of the territory’s rich and diverse tapestry. Later that night, they can relax at the world-class Eclipse Hot Springs, located in Whitehorse before heading downtown to live it up in the city’s vibrant nightlife scene. And that’s just day one.

So, if it’s a freshman deep into the semester, pining for that first visit home, or a senior looking to mark their final year of undergrad with the trip of a lifetime with friends they’ll never lose touch with, make sure your list of campus essentials includes your travel plans with Air North at the top.

They can’t wait to welcome you on board and to see what you’ll do next.

Photo: Contributed

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.