At Compass Heli Tours, your safety and enjoyment is our top priority. We try to be flexible when it comes to accommodating your needs so that you will experience the best helicopter adventure possible. That being said, Mother Nature and other unforeseen circumstances can get in the way of that.
There is no local weather forecast for the locations we fly to. We use an aviation graphic area forecast model with a 12-hour outlook to get a general idea of current and forecast conditions. Mountain weather is unpredictable, so in the event of adverse weather conditions (poor visibility, high winds, heavy precipitation), we reserve the right to cancel the tour on short notice (less than 24 hours) for your safety and ours. We can’t fly in the clouds like commercial airlines. We need to have a visual reference to the terrain at all times.
Localized low cloud ceilings in the mountains may be encountered on an otherwise beautiful day in the city. These low clouds can result in delayed access or deny us access to some locations. Overcast days in the city can also mean low clouds in the mountains. Conversely, cloudy or foggy days in the city can also mean a blue sky in the mountains! In the end, we really don’t know what we will have for the weather in the mountains until we fly out there and have a look. You came all this way for an adventure, and we promise you’re going to have an amazing time, even if we don’t get to the location we intend to! If we are unable to access the tour location, you will have the option for a partial refund based on the number of people in the group and flight time accumulated, or a discount towards a future booking. The Astar helicopter flight time is $3300.00CAD+tax per flight hour whether it’s 1 person or 4 people in the group. Stand by time while waiting for the weather to improve is at the rate of $500.00CAD+tax per hour. If we have to cancel the trip on short notice, we will do our best to reschedule the helicopter adventure package, at no extra charge, to a time and date that is convenient for you, as long as it does not conflict with another flight. Alternatively, a credit or full refund will be issued. Please be advised we are not responsible for your travel expenses in the event of a cancellation.
Wildfire season typically peaks in August, which can mean widespread smoke across the entire province of British Columbia. Unfortunately, this can affect the views on your flight. If the smoke is really heavy, your flight may even be canceled. During periods of intense wildfire activity, the BC Forest Service can call upon every aircraft to fight fires. This can happen on very short notice and would result in a cancellation of your flight. A refund would be issued, however, we are not responsible for your travel expenses. If any other unforeseen circumstances result in a cancellation of your flight, you will be refunded in full, or rescheduled to a different date.
You may cancel your flight or change the trip date or time up to 14 days prior to the scheduled departure date and receive a credit or full refund minus a 10% cancellation fee. Please note that reservations made online incur a 6% processing fee and this is non refundable. On these bucket list adventures, it’s hard to fill seats on short notice. Cancellations made less than 14 days prior to scheduled flight time will be charged the full amount of the helicopter adventure package. For bookings made inside this 14-day window, payment is non-refundable unless we are unable to fly for reasons beyond the control of Compass Heli Tours (weather, wildfires, other natural disasters, disease outbreaks, mechanical issues, lack of aircraft availability, unforeseen circumstances, acts of God).
On the subject of COVID-19, Coronavirus, we urge you to be patient and check for travel advisories closer to your trip date. The above cancellation policy still applies so you do have up until 14 days prior to departure date to cancel your trip. We are not responsible for your travel expenses and suggest purchasing trip interruption insurance. If you wish to cancel your trip, we encourage you to reschedule for next year instead. Alternatively, we can issue you a 100% credit that does not expire. If you must cancel, please note that refunds will not be processed until 1-2 weeks prior to your trip date.
Customers who do not show up for the scheduled flight will be charged the full amount of the helicopter adventure package. Customers who do not show up on time for the scheduled flight will be considered a no-show after 60 minutes and charged the full amount of the helicopter adventure package. Customers who are less than 60 minutes late will have that time deducted from the overall duration of their trip if there is another scheduled flight after theirs.
This policy is subject to change without notice. If you have any questions or concerns about your trip, email info@compasshelitours.com