The Student Union resumed its Turkey Shuttle service this semester for students traveling to New York, New Jersey or Logan Airport for Thanksgiving break, according to an email sent by Student Union President Krupa Sourirajan ’23 to community members on Oct. 29. The Turkey Shuttle service, in collaboration with Joseph’s Van Services and the Brandeis Sustainability Fund, provides transportation for students traveling home for the holiday.
“It’s first come, first serve and they do tend to sell out quickly, so don’t wait!” wrote Sourirajan in her email to the student body.
Ticket sales began on Nov. 2 at 12 p.m., according to a social media post on the Student Union’s Instagram. The Student Union offered three different buses heading to New York and New Jersey, leaving Brandeis on Tuesday, Nov. 23 and Wednesday, Nov. 24. One bus will be leaving on Nov. 23 at 3 p.m., and the two buses on Nov. 24 will be leaving at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., according to the email. The only bus heading to both New York and New Jersey is the bus on Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. Students taking the shuttle will be boarding the buses near the Rabb Steps, according to the email.
After the first day of ticket sales, four Turkey Shuttles to New York and New Jersey were sold out, according to a sign posted in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) ticket booth. The only two remaining shuttles were leaving on Wed, Nov. 24 at 12 p.m. and returning Nov. 28 at 10 a.m.
The Turkey Shuttle will be traveling from Brandeis to Pennsylvania Station in New York, and to Newark, New Jersey. The Turkey Shuttle tickets cost $25 per one-way ticket, according to the email; students were asked to pay in cash at the SCC ticket booth.
Students were also asked to bring their student ID with them when purchasing their tickets since students could only buy one ticket per ID. The shuttle is meant for Brandeis students only, according to a post on the Student Union’s Instagram page.
There are no refunds or exchanges available for students, according to the Instagram post; however, if one student wants to sell their ticket to another student they may do so if they go to the ticket booth at the SCC so that the ticket can be transferred. Tickets cannot be transferred after Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., according to the post.
Another shuttle service is being run to Logan Airport for the holiday weekend, according to the email. The Logan Airport shuttle tickets cost $5 per ticket, according to the email. Nine shuttles will be running to and from Logan Airport. Three shuttles will head to Logan Airport on Nov. 23 and another three will run to Logan Airport on Nov. 24. There are three shuttles that will bring students back from Logan Airport to the University on Nov. 28.
According to the official Brandeis Student Union Turkey Shuttle Fall 2021 document provided, students should show up to the shuttle 30 to 45 minutes before their bus is scheduled to depart. Students are advised to bring one suitcase and one carry on that can fit overhead on the bus. The estimate for travel time without traffic to New York’s Penn Station is four hours and 30 minutes, though the document advised planning for traffic. The estimated travel time to Newark is four hours and 50 minutes without traffic.
