Traveling Bison FAQs
Who can travel with Traveling Bison?
The opportunity to travel with Traveling Bison and the OBU Alumni Association is open to all OBU alumni and friends.
Where can I get more detailed information about a certain trip?
Brochures or other available information may be requested from the OBU Alumni Association by emailing or calling our office. Brochures for each trip will be mailed by the tour operator approximately 6-9 months prior to departure, however, each tour operator makes their own decision on how many brochures to mail so not everyone in our travel pool receives every brochure. In most cases, there is no need to wait for a brochure to reserve space on a tour. Many tours fill quickly and we encourage you to call the tour operator to help you make your decision.
Do you offer specials or discounts?
Most of our travel partners offer special discounts throughout the year. In many cases, these special discounts are an EBD (Early Booking Discount) price. Book early to get the best price and to take advantage of special amenities (see each trip brochure for more details).
How do I register for a trip?
To register for the various travel opportunities listed on our website, please contact the respective tour operator for that program. Contact information for the tour operators will be outlined in individual trip brochures or you can call the OBU Alumni Association to get contact information.
What if I’m only booking for myself?
All trip pricing is based on double occupancy, or two people sharing a room or cabin, unless specified by the “no single supplement” text. Many of the trips offered will require a single supplement for those who wish to travel alone. On most tours, a limited number of single rooms are available.
May I arrange my own air travel?
To lock in low airfares, our tour operators have negotiated special rates with major airlines that may require you to take non-direct flights. Please feel free to discuss “land only” options with the tour operator should you desire a more direct flight or want to use frequent flyer miles. The OBU Alumni Association has no control over air travel and sometimes challenging airport infrastructures. Important to remember: If you book your own flights, you are responsible for making connections with the main group.
Will my tour include an OBU faculty or staff host?
A minimum number of participants is required to secure the services of an OBU host. We make every effort to send a host from OBU on as many departures as possible as we know this greatly enhances the travelers’ experience and makes the trip unique. If this is important to you in making your decision to travel with our program, please call us to confirm our faculty/staff hosted tours and for more information.
How many OBU alumni and friends should I expect to travel with?
While we are optimistic that all of our tours will receive high reservation numbers, there is no way to predict the response to a particular tour. Our group sizes could range from as small as two people to as large as 50. If it’s one of our OBU exclusive, faculty-led tours, the group size will be kept to a maximum size of 24. You can always call the OBU Alumni Association to check the status of a trip’s group size before or after you book a tour.
What happens if I need to cancel? Will I get a refund?
Tour participants are subject to cancellation penalties as outlined in the individual trip brochures. Cancellation penalties are structured to coincide with advance payments that our tour operators must make to their suppliers, and the penalties are strictly enforced due to these contractual commitments. Because our tour operators have different cancellation policies, please make sure that you understand all cancellation penalties prior to making your trip deposit. Each tour operator has a unique cancellation and refund policy. Please review each trip brochure carefully prior to reserving space on a tour. We also strongly encourage purchasing trip cancellation insurance.
Should I purchase travel insurance? If so, how soon do I need to enroll?
We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to ensure coverage in case of illness, injury, medical evacuation, delay or unforeseen emergency. We currently work with Meyer and Associates to offer comprehensive travel insurance policies. Find out more information.