The following Terms and Conditions apply to all people in the booking party (the “Participants”). It is the responsibility of the individual requesting the reservation (the “Representative”), to communicate these Terms and Conditions to all Participants. If the Representative does not agree to be the designated responsible person, then they need to request that the other Participants submit a separate reservation.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
A 48-hour cancellation or change of tour notice is required for all helicopter tours and must be made in writing by email. A full refund will be issued if you cancel your reservation a minimum of 48 hours prior to your scheduled tour departure time. Cancellations or changes made within 48 hours of the scheduled tour departure time, as well as new reservations made within the 48-hour cancellation period, are subject to our 48-hour cancellation policy and are non-refundable. Guests who cancel within the 48-hour period remain responsible for the full cost of the tour. As a courtesy, our reservations team will attempt to locate other guests to fill the canceled seats; however, rebooking is not guaranteed. If we are successfully able to refill the seats, a refund will be issued less a $30.00 per-seat late cancellation fee.
If you do not show up for, or miss your scheduled tour departure, you will be charged in full for your seats. If a flight is canceled by Island Helicopters Kauai (“Company”) due to weather or maintenance, your ticket will be fully refunded or you may choose to re-schedule your tour. All prices are in United States Dollar (USD). If a refund is required, it will be issued in USD for the amount that it was originally processed for.
All flights are confirmed to depart unless you hear otherwise from a Company agent. Please note that flight routes and destinations may vary due to weather conditions. If you are scheduled on the Jurassic Falls Landing Adventure and the helicopter is unable to land at the Falls due to weather conditions in the valley, you will continue on the Grand Skies Island Tour. Upon returning from the tour, you will be refunded the difference in price. If weather conditions change while landed at the Falls, and your pilot deems it necessary to return to the heliport rather than continuing on with the aerial portion of the tour, you will be partially refunded upon returning to the heliport.
Once a passenger has checked in, should they decide not to take the tour, no refund will be given. Company is not responsible for, and will not refund, any passenger who experiences airsickness.
For passengers arriving to Kauai the same day as their tour, inter-island flights must be scheduled to arrive to the Lihue Airport at least two hours prior to your tour. Guests are solely responsible for confirming they are booking a tour on the correct island (Kauai). Missed tours due to booking the wrong island, airline delays, cancellations, or other travel disruptions are non-refundable and subject to full charges.
RESERVATION POLICIES
Tours are booked as a shared experience for six (6) passengers; however, we do offer both Private and Preferred Seating tours. Our protocol is to require parties of five (5) passengers to book a Private Tour. The cost of this Private Tour includes a discount on the 6th (unoccupied) seat. A Private Tour discounted rate is available for all flights with five (5) or fewer passengers wishing to fly with only their group members. Parties of four (4) needing a Comfort Seat (5th seat) are required to book a Private Tour. Provided there is not a weight issue for weight and balance purposes; all four (4) passengers will be seated on window seats.
All reservations require a valid, physical credit or debit card to hold your booking. For U.S. domestic customers booking directly with Company, your card will not be charged until your scheduled tour date, if you choose to pay by credit card. For those booking with outside agencies, international customers, those who are camping, as well as groups needing more than one helicopter to accommodate their party, you will be charged in full at the time of booking at the credit card pricing.
After submitting your reservation request, one of our agents will contact you by email within 48-hours to confirm your reservation. If you have not received a flight assignment by email within 48-hours of submission, please call us for information about your booking request. For reservation requests to fly within 48-hours, your reservation will not be confirmed until we have spoken with you personally. For these short-notice requests, we recommend that you submit a booking request online and then call us directly so that we can coordinate availability options with you.
Due to volatility in the parts and fuel markets, flights booked over six (6) weeks in advance are subject to any price changes. Rest assured, we always try to keep our prices as low as possible, especially when compared to other operators. If tour pricing should increase, guests will be notified in advance.
WEIGHT AND SEATING POLICIES
It is imperative that the passenger weights given at the time of booking a tour are as accurate as possible (and include clothing, shoes, and any carry-on items). Aircraft weight and balance is vital to the safety of every air tour and is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Company’s pilots approve the weight and center of gravity for each flight to ensure the correct stability and handling of the aircraft. Even if a passenger is well below the weight requirements, yet their actual weight at check-in is significantly more than their booking weight, this can affect the entire balance of the aircraft.
If there is a discrepancy in a passenger’s actual weight (all passengers will be discretely weighed on a calibrated scale at check-in) versus their stated weight (the weight given when booking), and an approved Weight and Balance may not be reached, Company has the right to deny a passenger boarding yet they will still be responsible for the cost of their unoccupied seat. Any passenger 240 lbs. and over is required to purchase an additional seat (“Comfort Seat”). For any two passengers in the same party, traveling together on the same flight, that may not exceed 240 lbs. individually, but have combined weights exceeding 420 lbs., is required to purchase a Comfort Seat. Additionally, any two (2) passengers traveling together with combined weights exceeding 530 lbs., is required to purchase an additional two (2) Comfort Seats (four seats total). A Comfort Seat CANNOT be added at flight time.
If you believe anyone in your booking party may need to update their stated weight, please contact our reservations office as soon as possible. If guests are on the island in the days prior to their tour, they are welcome to stop by our office and record their weight prior to their flight date. Passengers who want to be accommodated in specific seats within the aircraft should call us to inquire about the pricing for a Private Tour or our Preferred Seating option.
INFANT AND CHILD PASSENGERS
Children less than 24-months of age (“lap child”) on the scheduled tour date, not occupying a seat, may be carried free of charge when traveling with a paying adult. Although the purchase of a seat is not required for the lap child, you will need to let Company know at the time of booking your tour, what the child’s estimated weight on the date of the flight is, as well as their date of birth. Per liability and insurance guidelines, Company is unable to accommodate more than one (1) lap child per tour. If you have two (2) lap children in your booking party, a seat would need to be purchased for the second child, but they could still be held by an adult during the flight. Children aged 24-months and older are required to purchase a seat at the regular price.
ITEMS NOT PERMITTED AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
It is in violation of the federal laws governing air transit to bring aboard hazardous materials that include, but are not limited to: explosives, compressed gases, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, poisons, corrosives, radioactive materials, guns and ammunition. We do not allow tablets/iPads, tripods, selfie-sticks (or any type of handle attached to a camera/video device) or large cameras with extended lens, to be used during the flight. Drones are not allowed at Manawaiopuna Falls. We are not able to accommodate walkers, wheelchairs or animals of any kind (including service animals) onto the helicopter.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY
Island Helicopters is not responsible for the quality of personal photos and videos taken during your flight. Our tours are flightseeing excursions with photo opportunities. We kindly ask that customers be respectful of others in the helicopter and do not place their camera/device in the center of the window for the duration of the flight. For those on the Jurassic Falls Landing Adventure: Per the exclusive contract with the landowners of Manawaiopuna Falls, the taking of photos and videos while on the ground at the Falls is permissible for personal use only and is not allowed for commercial purposes unless otherwise prearranged, in writing, with Company.
CUSTOMER CONDUCT
No one is allowed, at any time, to interfere with the duties of ground personnel or the pilot, and such behavior is cause for being denied boarding for your tour. Intoxicated customers are not allowed on the helicopter, and will not be refunded. Smoking and vaping are not allowed within 25-feet of any public building in Hawaii, including Island Helicopters’ office. Also, in accordance with our exclusive permit, smoking and vaping are not allowed at Manawaiopuna Falls..
OTHER CONDITIONS
The Jurassic Falls Landing Adventure requires passengers to be able to walk unassisted, approximately 100 yards on an uneven, unpaved trail and also climb four steps up and down on a narrow, metal footbridge, in order to reach the base of Manawaiopuna Falls.
Due to liability, Island Helicopters’ staff is not permitted to lift or physically support passengers into and out of the aircraft beyond offering a steadying hand. The safety of our employees and our customers is paramount. Passengers with limitations requiring the support of others will need to be traveling with a companion that has the ability to attend to the passenger’s needs. Neither Company vehicles or aircraft are equipped with mechanical lifts.
This document was last updated on May 19, 2026.