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 (less than) 48-hours of the tour departure time, are not refundable and will be charged in full unless we are successfully able to re-book the seats. If for any reason a flight is canceled by Island Helicopters Kauai (Island Helicopters) due to the weather or maintenance, your ticket will be fully refunded or you may choose to re-schedule your tour plans. If your accommodations are located on the North Shore of Kauai, it is highly recommended that you allow extra time for your commute to the Lihue Heliport. If you do not show up for, or miss your scheduled tour departure, you will be charged in full for your tour. All flights are confirmed to depart unless you hear otherwise from an Island Helicopters 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. Once a passenger has checked in, should they decide not to take the tour, no refund will be given. Island Helicopters is not responsible and will not refund any passenger who experiences airsickness.
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 substantial 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. Please call us directly for pricing and availability. All reservations require a valid credit or debit card to hold your booking. For U.S. domestic customers booking directly with Island Helicopters, 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 and all those who are camping while on Kauai, you will be charged in full at the time of booking at the credit card pricing. For groups larger than six (6) passengers, we do require a 50% deposit which will be charged to the credit card submitted on the reservation request. After submitting your reservation request, one of our agents will contact you by email within 24-hours to confirm your reservation. If you have not received a confirmation by email within 24-hours of submission, please call us for information about your reservation. For reservation requests to fly within 48-hours, your reservation will not be confirmed until we have spoken with you personally. Due to volatility in the jet fuel market, flights that are 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 all of our competitors.
WEIGHT AND SEATING GUIDELINES
If there is a discrepancy in the 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 a tour), and an approved Weight and Balance may not be reached, Island Helicopters has the right to deny a passenger boarding yet they will still be responsible for the cost of their unoccupied seat. Any passenger over 240 lbs. may be required to purchase a Comfort Seat (additional seat). For parties of two traveling together, that do not exceed 240 lbs. individually, but have combined weights exceeding 420 lbs., may be required to purchase a Comfort Seat. Additionally, any two passengers traveling together with combined weights exceeding 530 lbs. may be required to purchase an additional two Comfort Seats (four seats total). A Comfort Seat CANNOT be added at flight time.
It is imperative that the passenger weights 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). Island Helicopters’ 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 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 under two (2) years of age on the scheduled tour date, not occupying a seat, may be carried free of charge when traveling with an adult. Although the purchase of a seat is not required for the infant, you will need to let Island Helicopters 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, Island Helicopters is unable to accommodate more than one lap child (under 24 months old) per tour. Children age 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 gasses, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, poisons, corrosives, radioactive materials, guns and ammunition. We do not allow tablets/large iPads, tripods, selfie-sticks (or any type of handle attached to a camera/video device) and large cameras with extended lens to be used during the flight. Drones are not allowed at Manawaiopuna (Jurassic) Falls. We are not able to accommodate walkers, wheelchairs and 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 at the falls is permissible for personal use only and is not allowed for commercial purposes unless otherwise pre-arranged, in writing, through Island Helicopters.
CUSTOMER CONDUCT
No one is allowed, at any time, to interfere with the duties of ground personnel or the pilot, and that such behavior is cause for being denied boarding for your tour. Intoxicated customers are not allowed on the helicopter. 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 small footbridge, in order to reach the base of Manawaiopuna Falls.
This document was last updated on March 20, 2023.