Frequently Asked Questions

Joining a tour conducted by a professional tour operator offers convenience, reputation and peace-of-mind, so the focus can be on enjoying yourself and cheering on your team. Since 1964, Conlin Athletic Tours has taken over 100,000 fans to almost every bowl game. That means we know all the best airlines, hotels, event sites, and activities to make your tour experience the most enjoyable and memorable possible.

In joining the Official Tour, you can be assured of a quality travel experience with a tour operator that has been researched and endorsed by the University and the Alumni Association. This means a worry-free experience for all travelers knowing that every aspect of the tour is being carried out by a professional and experienced tour operator.

People often assume that organized tours are more expensive; this is not always true. Tours offer an inclusive program with multiple features, such as transfers, the official tailgate party, souvenirs, receptions, gratuities, taxes, staffing, and quality organization of all tour aspects. Organized transfers alone, between events, make your investment worthwhile. No need to search for parking in remote areas or having to depend upon public transportation. Inclusive tours offer a great buy due to large group discount pricing. And, don’t forget the fun and memories that go along with sharing your tour experience with other alumni and loyal fans!

One of the primary reasons we were selected as the Official Tour Operator is our dedication to providing travelers with the best tour experience for the money. We work with vendors year-round to maintain relationships that make the difference between receiving the best price and quality for our travelers and simply reserving whatever hotels and flights are available. Upon close comparison, you will find that our tours offer more of the inclusions that are important and desirable to our travelers, including staying at the team hotel, welcome reception, souvenir, New Year’s Eve party (if appropriate), pre-game tailgate, transfers, all taxes, and gratuities, as well as interesting optional tours.

For many travelers, a professionally escorted tour is the best way to experience a unique and exciting event such as a bowl game. A properly planned tour will provide the details, assurances, and framework necessary to allow the tour participant to maximize enjoyment of the overall experience. With the right combination of included items and free time, most people find a tour to be the best way to attend a game. However, tours are not for everyone. Although we care about each individual participant, we also care for the group as a whole. If your schedule deems it necessary to deviate from the group, then you may want to consider traveling independently.

All items listed under the Included Features section of the tour are included in the tour price. Optional tours, transportation between your home and the airport, and any items of a personal nature, such as in-room charges and laundry, are not included in the tour. Conlin Athletic Tours reserves the right to substitute hotels of similar quality and other included features when necessary.

A Land-Only Tour begins upon arrival at the tour hotel. Because tour participants live all over the world, and many wish to use frequent flyer miles or cash-in rewards, departing from the university’s home airport is not convenient for everyone. Land-Only participants take care of their own transportation to the tour city and hotel. Upon check-in at the hotel, they are officially on the tour, along with the Air/Land Tour participants. Subsequently, on departure day, Land-Only participants are again responsible to arrange for return transportation home. Conlin Athletic Tours can arrange airline reservations for Land-Only participants upon request.

Participants ages 2-17 are defined as “children.” Children must share a room with at least one adult. Two adults rooming with two children would pay the double rate for the adults and the child’s price for the children. One adult sharing with one or more children would pay the single adult rate and the child’s price for the children.

Any child under 2 years of age is defined as an “infant.” There is no charge for infants on the tour. Under these terms, they cannot occupy a seat on the plane, or any other form of conveyance—they must be held on the lap of an adult. A game ticket is required for a child of any age.

We will make every attempt to accommodate special requests; however, please understand, they cannot be guaranteed.

Every effort will be made to accommodate room-type requests; however, they cannot be guaranteed. Hotels have a limited number of double-bedded rooms.

Flight times will vary from early morning to late evening departures. Because of circumstances beyond our control and the number of chartered aircraft utilized, some departure times may be inconvenient; however, every effort will be made to provide the best scheduling possible.

Again, we work very hard to accommodate any specific hotel request; however, we reserve the right to substitute similar-type properties if the situation warrants. Just a reminder: all of our hotels are Official Tour Hotels and are the best tour hotels available.

Point programs vary throughout the hotel industry. It is best to research your program for complete information.

Unfortunately, you cannot. While we often use the same aircraft of major carriers, charter flights are considered separate from regular scheduled flights.

Check-in time usually begins at 3 p.m.

This can be requested, but not guaranteed.

This is one of the most common questions on the tour. Corporate sponsors and television companies are in possession of the majority of the “good” tickets. Conlin Athletic Tours receives game tickets from the university’s athletic department.

If not included in the tour, game tickets may be secured directly through the university’s athletic department.

After you complete your online reservation, you will receive an automated e-mail acknowledgement within 20 minutes. If you do not receive this, please contact the Bowl Tour Hotline.

If you make a mistake, you may simply close the browser window and re-register. If you need to amend an existing reservation, simply call us and we will be happy to assist you.

Because we deal with hotels on a group level, name manifests are not entered into the hotel reservations system until approximately one week prior to arrival. Your confirmation from Conlin Athletic Tours assures that your reservation has been processed.

Please advise us of any deviations at time of booking.

Reservations can be made for multiple passengers under one form of payment. Additional reservations can be made by listing other group members in the “Traveling with” box on the tour registration form.

All cancellations must be received in writing—by fax, e-mail, or standard mail—to Conlin Athletic Tours. Cancellation deadlines vary by tour and can be found in the Terms & Conditions on the Tour Application form or on the bowl tour website. We highly recommend purchasing cancellation insurance.

The credit card companies require billing addresses for authorization.

Our website is protected by VeriSign and is encrypted with the latest encryption technology.

We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Sometimes there is a lot of excitement in the home city and many people are calling for tour information. Please be assured that your call will be answered in the order in which it was received and messages will be returned promptly. Reservations can be made online or through a faxed registration form.