Advice for Students Flying Home at Breaks

Travel Arrangements—Holidays and Beginning/End of School Year
Students are expected to obtain transportation, particularly flight reservations, within the limits set by BJU for the Thanksgiving holiday break, Christmas holidays and end of the school year. We expect students to return to Greenville by the deadline at the end of the holidays. Students may not come in later than the designated time.

Be cautious when purchasing airline tickets through an online agency (e.g., priceline.com). These agencies often dictate the time of departure, which may conflict with a required class or Christmas Chapel. If using one of these services, plan on departing the next day if you cannot guarantee a flight that leaves after all required events.

Thanksgiving Break 2008
Thanksgiving break begins Wednesday, Nov. 26, and ends at 10 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. University activities/classes officially end at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. While Wednesday is the official travel day for the break, students may leave following their last class on Tuesday. Students who plan to carpool should not plan to leave until each person in the group has finished his last class. No one will be permitted to leave early, and faculty members have been instructed to not cancel classes or permit students to change sections of a class in order to leave early. Classes resume Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Because this is the most heavily traveled time of the year, flight reservations should be made in September or early October at the latest. No one will be permitted to take earlier reservations because they failed to make reservations early enough and the flights available within the proper dates were already filled. Flight reservations should be planned for Wednesday, Nov. 21, or at least two hours after your last class on Tuesday because of security delays at the Greenville/Spartanburg airport.

Christmas Holidays & Beginning of II Semester 2008-2009
Christmas break begins at noon Thursday, Dec. 18. Students should return by 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13. For Thursday, Dec. 18, students should not plan flight reservations before 1 p.m. because of security delays at the airport. Classes begin Thursday, Jan. 15.

End of School Year 2008-2009 (II Semester)
All students will attend the Commencement Activities, Wednesday through Saturday, May 6-9. The school year ends at the conclusion of Commencement on Saturday, May 9. For Saturday, May 9, students should not plan flight reservations before 1 p.m. because of security delays at the airport.

Beginning of School Year 2009-2010 (I Semester)
All students return and check-in Friday-Sunday, Aug. 28-30 during posted check-in hours. Classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 2.