Looking for a quick answer? Check out our FAQs below.
We can carry up to 6 passengers (weight dependent) plus the pilot in our AS350 Squirrel helicopters.
Unless you book all 6 seats on a helicopter it is likely you will share your flight with others.
We need a minimum of 3 paying customers for a flight to confirm its departure.
To find out this information please visit our Prices page.
Our flights typically depart between the hours of 8am and 5pm.
Please note: these times are weather and season dependent and may be subject to change. Please check availability on our specific product pages.
Unfortunately, you cannot choose your own seat as we need to allocate this according to specific weight and balance regulations.
Seating arrangements will be assigned to you at time of check-in.
In order to make a booking online, you will need a Visa, Mastercard or Amex.
All major credit cards are accepted at our bases including Amex and Diners. Cash (NZD) and eftpos are also accepted along with WeChat Pay and Alipay.
Please note: No cheques, foreign currency or bank transfers will be accepted. Payment is taken during check-in.
If you are looking at booking between November and March we would suggest booking a month in advance as this is our busiest time of the year. For all other times of the year, we would suggest booking at least two weeks ahead.
If you are planning to spend a few nights in the Aoraki / Mount Cook village, Fox or Franz Josef townships, we recommend booking for the first day of your stay. This gives you the opportunity to reschedule your flight if we experience bad weather and have to cancel your booking.
Within 24 hours of flying we do not take online bookings, please call us directly to check availability or alternatively come and visit us at our offices in Aoraki / Mount Cook, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier.
Check-in is 30 minutes before departure.
We have helicopter bases in both, Aoraki / Mount Cook, Fox Glacier and Franz Josef townships. You will need to know which base your flight departs from and then meet us there.
Visit our Contact Us page for our exact locations.
Our bases are easily located on the main street of both townships in Fox Glacier and Franz Josef. In Aoraki / Mount Cook village we are located at 81 Bowen Drive, walkable with the village.
Visit our Contact Us page for our exact locations.
There is a paid parking lot across from the Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter building, additionally, there is also a parking lot across the road from Fox Glacier Helicopter building. We have parking available close to our base in Aoraki / Mount Cook Village.
Please note: In summer there is limited parking and if you ask your accommodation to leave your car with them they will usually happily oblige.
From Fox Glacier and Franz Josef our scenic flight experiences range from 20 – 40 mins. All flights include one snow landing (weather dependent).
From Aoraki / Mount Cook our scenic flights range from 20-50 mins. All flights include either an alpine or snow landing (weather dependent).
Yes, all flights are weather dependent and a final weather call will be made for each flight 30 minutes before departure (at the check-in time).
Please note: weather can change rapidly on any given day and can often require some rescheduling.
Unfortunately, due to the ever changing weather, we can never 100% guarantee a landing.
We try our best to get a landing and we will inform you at the time of check-in if there is a chance it may not happen.
Depending on your trip and weather conditions permitting, typically your snow or glacier landing will last around 6-8 minutes which is plenty of time to snap a few photos!
We try our best to accommodate these requests however we cannot guarantee it as it is not always feasible.
Yes, but we need to be informed prior to the flight.
AS350 Squirrels, 6 Seaters.
You may cancel or change your booking up to 24 hours before your flight without incurring any cost.
Any changes/ cancellations made within 24 hours of your flight time will incur a 100% charge.
If a flight is cancelled after payment has been taken you can either select to reschedule the flight for another time/ day or alternatively we can refund your flight in full to your credit card.
Please note: If you have booked through a third party you will need to go through them directly in order to receive your refund.
Should you fail to check-in on time, or notify us of changes less than 24-hours prior to departure, your credit card will be charged with the total amount of the booked activity.
If you cannot travel because you are directly impacted by Covid-19 you will be offered the option to reschedule your booking or receive a full refund.
If we are required to move alert levels and reduce capacity or stop operating, you will be contacted by our team to organise a reschedule or refund.
Yes, our overall helicopter weight cannot exceed 487kg.
We do not have a maximum weight for an individual person.
Please see above for total helicopter weights.
No minimum age, please see our Prices page for child and adult rates.
Please note: Each child or infant must be accompanied by a paying adult.
We sure do!
Child pricing is 70% of the adult retail. A child is 4 - 14 yrs
Infant pricing is 50% of the adult retail. An infant is 0 - 3 yrs.
Child pricing is 70% of the adult retail. A child is 4 - 14 yrs
Infant pricing is 50% of the adult retail. An infant is 0 - 3 yrs.
Franz Josef Glacier reveals a steeper landscape whilst the Fox Glacier is bigger and 2km longer.
Flights from both locations include snow landings.
Check out our Locations page to help you choose.
Please note: Our base at Fox has an additional flight option that covers Fox Glacier and Mt Cook exclusively.
Yes, the glaciers are there all year round.
We recommend you bring along warm clothes, sunglasses, sturdy footwear, your camera and a sense of adventure!
The temperature on the glaciers is typically a little cooler than the townships you depart from.
Please note: We do not provide any clothing for you to borrow or rent so please dress appropriately.
For safety reasons, we do not allow selfie sticks, drones, flammable liquids, lighters, iPads/ tablets and bags of any description on any of our flights.
We do not offer pickups, you will need to make your own way to our helicopter bases.
If you are staying in the town you are flying from, the base will be no longer than a 10-minute walk from where you are staying.
For groups bigger than 10 please contact us by email to discuss options.
Please contact us directly for price information regarding chartered flights.
We fly all year round, weather permitting.
Please note: On Christmas, we only operate for half the day (9 am - 12 pm). To book for this day please contact us directly as our website will show no availability.
Summer is our busiest time of the year, however, it all depends on the weather for your chosen day as we certainly see our fair share of rain on the West Coast!
We always recommend booking on an early flight as if you get rescheduled due to weather there is more chance for you to fly on your selected day.
We do not offer a heli-hike product ourselves, however, we do highly recommend our friends at The Helicopter Line who offer both a Franz Josef Glacier and Tasman Glacier heli-hike experience.
We recommend a minimum of 2 days as our flights are based on flyable weather and the West Coast is known for very changeable conditions.
Yes, this is possible but you will need to give us two weeks notice in order to get specific gear and pilots ready.
Please Contact Us directly to find out more information.
We do not have any restrictions but if you are concerned, we would recommend talking to your local GP.
Depending on your level of mobility, we will try our best to get you into the helicopter. However, you may have to stay in the helicopter during our snow or glacier landing due to limited assistance available on the glaciers.
Please contact us prior to booking and we will do our best to accommodate you.
We don't have any health restrictions. However, if you are concerned then we advise you check with your doctor or local GP.
Feel free to contact us directly if you would like to discuss.
If you suffer from motion sickness we would suggest consulting your pharmacist and ensure any recommended medication is taken before your flight.
As a precaution, sick bags are carried in all our helicopters.
Any accidents are covered by ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) whilst you are in NZ.
Your travel insurance provider should be able to help with any additional insurances you require.