These terms and conditions do not affect your statutory rights. If you do not agree to be bound by these terms and conditions you must contact us within fourteen days of receipt of this information.
Voucher Purchase:
1. All purchases of a voucher must be made on our standard booking form.
2. Vouchers may be purchased by telephone if payment is made by credit card but you must send us a completed booking form as soon as possible.
3. This contract is made with you but you can give the flight experience (on the terms of this Contract) to someone else provided you inform us of their names and weights. These Terms and Conditions will refer to that person.
4. It is our intention that all the terms of the Contract between us are contained in these Terms and Conditions and in the brochures and associated documents (if any) issued by us. If you wish to rely upon any variation in these terms you should ensure that the variations are agreed in writing by us when the completed booking form is returned. If you purchase a voucher through a booking agent or a hotel you should agree any variation in these terms with us and not the booking agent or the hotel.
Our obligations to you:
1. The voucher will entitle you to participate in a hot air balloon flight experience at a date, to be arranged, within 12 months of it's purchase including
The preparation and inflation of the balloon for flight
A flight in a hot air balloon
A bubbly celebration after the flight and a commemorative certificate signed by the pilot
2. The voucher is not redeemable for cash. As an alternative to a hot air balloon flight experience as defined in paragraph 1 above, you may choose Balloon School (International) ltd merchandise including carriage to the face value of the voucher provided that you have not booked or attempted to book a flight.
3. Hot Air balloon flights are completely dependant upon weather and weight loading, which is regulated by the Air Navigation Order. It may be necessary to postpone a flight at any time if in our judgment the conditions or weight loadings are not safe or if, for any other reason, the flight would not be permitted under the Air Navigation Order. We will give you as much warning as operational procedures allow of any postponement but in order to ensure your safety we reserve the right to postpone a flight at any time up to the moment of launch.
a. All balloons are weight loaded and it is very important for accurate weights, especially in the summer months when the temperature is in excess of 20 degrees. If you are 17 stone or over you must take your balloon flight in the morning when it's cooler, or pay 50% surcharge. The warmer it is the less weight the balloon can lift 17 stone or more we would need to fly one less passenger in the basket to compensate.
b. Please note the following: Passengers cancelling at the last minute can jeopardize the whole flight by making the loading too light for the balloon to fly within its safety margins. Failure to turn up for your flight when confirmed has the potential to cause immense disappointment to others and you would therefore loose your voucher. We do need 48 hrs cancellation notices to either attempt to fill the space or schedule a smaller balloon if available.
4. It is intended that the balloon will be in the air for approximately 1 hour but the pilot has ultimate responsibility for deciding the duration and conduct of any flight and the appropriate time and place of any landing. We cannot guarantee that a flight will follow any particular direction.
5. If we have to postpone your flight on eight or more occasions and your voucher is then valid for a period of less than two months we will extend the validity period of your voucher to include the next three months of the main flying season , which is April to October inclusive. If this extends the validity of the voucher into the main flying season of the next year, the voucher will also be valid for the intervening months.
6. We will make you a refund less our reasonable administration costs (Clause 9) in the following circumstances; if you (the passenger) die or it is certified by a doctor that there is no possibility that you will be or were medically fit to fly (other than by reason of pregnancy) during the validity period of your voucherif we have agreed in writing at the time of the voucher purchase that the flight must be taken on a specific date or within a specific period of time not more than one month and we are unable to fly at that time.
7. If you are unable to fly during the validity period of your voucher because you are pregnant we will extend the validity period by nine months.
8. Refunds in any other circumstances are at our discretion.
9. Our administration costs 30 per cent of the voucher price.
10. Merchandise and Memorabilia pack:
You may, if you wish, instead of participating in a flight under Paragraph 1 “Our obligations to you” and provided that you have not booked or attempted to book a flight, choose to receive our merchandise pack, which comprises the following branded merchandise to the face value of your voucher: Solid Pewter balloon with engraving of your choice, pens, key rings a large selection of clothing, sweatshirts, polo shirts, rugby shirts, t-shirts, fleeces and suede caps. Union Jack balloon cufflinks, balloon pins, a book on ballooning. If you do decide to receive the merchandise pack, we will pay for the carriage to an address of your choice within the United Kingdom.
If you do decide to receive the merchandise pack, you must notify us of that by telephone or in writing within a 3 month period from date of issue of the face value voucher. We will use our reasonable endeavors to post it to you within 28 days after the date on which we receive your notification that you wish to receive a merchandise pack.
(a) of any claim regarding the quantity or condition of goods comprised in the merchandise pack delivered or any damage to them as soon after delivery as possible.
(b) of any claim regarding any defect which should be apparent on reasonable inspection within 5 days of delivery.
11. We carry limited insurance cover against the risk of any injury to passengers and their belongings during the course of our flights in accordance with international agreements covering air transport. The level of cover varies from time to time as a result of currency fluctuations and you may not consider it adequate. We can provide further details upon request and if you do not consider the amount of insurance cover would be adequate to compensate you for any loss whether for death personal injury or damage to your belongings you should take out your own additional cover. We will not be liable for any loss or damage to equipment and effects brought with you on the flight nor for death or personal injury above the level of our insurance cover unless it has been caused by our recklessness.
12. It is essential that all passengers telephone our weather line and flight confirmation line prior to your flight as per times on your e-mailed confirmation sheet, so that you do not incur any undue expense, by arriving at the launch site only to find the flight cancelled. Many times it is a beautiful warm sunny day but the wind is beyond our safe flight limitations.
13. We cannot supervise vehicles parked at the meeting point for a flight and vehicles and their contents are left at your risk and no liability is accepted for any loss or damage to your vehicle or contents unless it is due to our negligence.
Your obligations to us
1. Your voucher is valid for a period of 12 months from the date upon which it was bought. If your flight is not taken within that time you will lose the right to participate in a flight unless you have booked flights on eight occasions during the main flying season which have had to be postponed or the validity period of the voucher has been extended for some other reason under these terms and conditions.
2. You should make a first booking for a date within 3 to 4 months of the purchase date for the main flying season. If you do not do so and do not take your flight within the validity period the voucher will expire at the end of its validity period and you will lose the right to a flight. We will not make any refund in these circumstances.
3. Payment must be made in full when the voucher is purchased .
4. You must telephone to check that the flight has not been affected by adverse weather conditions in accordance with our instructions.
5. You may postpone your flight up to 36 hours before the meeting time for the flight which you have booked if your flight has been booked between Tuesday and Saturday inclusive, up to 72 hours before the meeting time for the flight if you have booked for a Sunday or Monday provided that at the time you do so you reschedule your flight for a mutually convenient date within one month of the postponed flight.
6. If you do not give notice of postponement in accordance with paragraph 5 above or do not attend in time to take part in your booked flight, you will not be entitled to a re-scheduled flight nor to any refund. We will how ever make a refund less reasonable administration costs in the following circumstances; - if you (the passenger) die or it is certified by a doctor that there is no possibility that you will be or were medically fit to fly ( other than by reason of pregnancy) during the validity period of your voucher- if we have agreed in writing at the time of the voucher purchase that the flight must be taken on a specific date or within a specific period of time not more than one month and we are unable to fly at that time.
7. We are not qualified to express an opinion confirming that you are fit to fly and you must ensure that you are fit to fly. You must not fly if you are suffering from any serious medical condition, or have recently undergone surgery unless you have a certificate of your fitness to fly from your doctor. You must not fly if you are pregnant or under the influence of drink or drugs. You will be required to sign a medical waver prior to your flight.
8. Our paramount consideration is your safety and the safety of others participating in the flight and you must obey all requests and instructions issued by any of our representatives and take particular care to abide by any safety instructions given. The pilot has complete discretion as to whether to allow you to take part in the flight and will refuse to allow you to do so if in his opinion you would be a risk to the balloon to other passengers or to yourself.
9. We will not fly children under the age of 7 years. A child under the age of 16 years will only be flown if accompanied by a responsible adult.
10. You should wear such appropriate clothing as is advised to you in advance of the flight and as further detailed in our brochure.
11. You must arrange your own return transport from the landing site. Land Rovers are only available for picking up crew and balloon.
12 Please be advised you will be asked to sign a health statement and waiver in the launch field prior to your flight.
13. The Flight Provider does not except liability for any costs or expenses or damages consequential or otherwise the Buyer or the Voucher Holder has or may incur if the Flight Provider has postponed or cancelled even in the launch field for any reason.
On occasions you may be required to move launch sites on the day of your flight, this move will only be due to adverse wind directions, and passenger loading so as to achieve the flight safely and within the rules of Air Law.