Flying Jayhawks Travel

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers all graduates, former students, families and friends the chance to travel among the camaraderie of fellow Jayhawks through discovery, adventure and education. The program provides enrichment through the exploration of other cultures and lifestyles while strengthening loyalty, friendship, commitment and communication among a unique community drawn together by KU.

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers all graduates, former students, families and friends the chance to travel among the camaraderie of fellow Jayhawks through discovery, adventure and education. The program provides enrichment through the exploration of other cultures and lifestyles while strengthening loyalty, friendship, commitment and communication among a unique community drawn together by KU.

The Flying Jayhawks Program offers tours to traditional as well as unique destinations. The KU Alumni Association works closely with expert tour operators based on established reputations, dependable financial, operational and administrative specifications, and a professional staff. Our intention is to offer KU alumni and friends only the finest tour values; thus, tour operators and trips are selected based on feedback we receive from our past travelers as well as current trends in the industry.

Dates, itineraries, program details, and costs (per person, double occupancy) are subject to change and revision. Please check each trip brochure for details. Every effort will be made to carry out the program as planned.

The number of Flying Jayhawks on a trip can range from six to 50, but is typically somewhere in between. Some travel programs also include groups from other colleges and universities.

Unless otherwise indicated, tours include pre-trip information, first-class cruise/river ships, trains, hotels (or best available in remote areas), transfers and luggage handling, services of experienced tour directors, local guides and academic lecturers; some meals and sightseeing, and a name badge. Specific included features are noted in individual tour brochures.

Airline class and hotel room upgrades, domestic air transportation, deviations from the published itinerary, passport and visa fees, pre and post-program extensions, optional excursions, airport, departure and/or port taxes, travel insurance, laundry and dry cleaning, wines, liquors, mineral waters and meals not specifically noted, and items of a strictly personal nature. Please refer to individual tour brochures for specific exclusions.

Should airfare be included in the total cost of the tour, you may remove this component. If you prefer to make your own air arrangements to the destination city, our tour operators will give you a land only price (discount). If you do choose to make your own air arrangements, you will be responsible for arranging your ground transportation from the airport to the hotel/ship when you arrive in the destination city.

Trip pricing is always based on two people sharing the cost of the hotel room or ship cabin. If you are traveling alone and do not wish to be matched with a roommate, you will incur an additional charge. Please note that the single supplement for a cruise is generally much higher than a land trip since a substantial portion of the total trip cost is the ship cabin. All programs offer only a limited number of single rooms.

To enjoy the alumni group travel experience, participants must be in good physical and mental health and be able to keep pace with the group. Any physical constraints must be reported at the time of registration. Participants who require extraordinary assistance must be accompanied by a helper who is capable of and totally responsible for providing the required assistance. Look for the “What to Expect” section in the tour brochures for more information on the rigors of individual tours. Most of the tours involve some element of walking, high altitudes, etc.

The right is retained by the tour operator to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of the tour who is unfit for travel or whose physical or mental condition may constitute a danger to themselves or to others on the trip.

The Flying Jayhawks Program accepts reservations by mail or fax, using the specific trip brochure’s reservation form. If using a credit card for the deposit, we also accept reservations by phone. It is perfectly acceptable to send in a deposit for a trip whose brochure has not been printed.

Most tour operators charge a nominal cancellation fee from the time of deposit to cover expenses incurred in processing a new reservation and mailing out preliminary trip information. As the departure date gets closer, the tour supplier has made more financial commitments to their vendors (airlines, hotel, and ground transportation) and accordingly, cancellation fees become more substantial. Our many travel operators have different policies governing cancellations, and thus we suggest that you discuss cancellation fees with them prior to making your trip deposit. Please also read the cancellation clauses on each brochure.

We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance that covers trip cancellation/interruption, and/or baggage loss or damage, emergency evacuation, and accidents incurred while traveling. We will send insurance information with each of our confirmation letters. Pay close attention to stipulations about insuring a pre-existing condition within 7-15 days of initial trip deposit payment. Options for insurance purchase include travel insurance through USI Travel Insurance Services, the preferred vendor of the KU Alumni Association.

You are free to make travel insurance arrangements with another insurance company of your choice.

You may choose to forego purchasing travel insurance coverage, but must sign a waiver stating that you are choosing this option