Travel Guidelines, Terms and Conditions

FIXED FLIGHT TIMINGS - This is a Daily Fixed Departure Helicopter tour, and all departure timings of each destination is fixed. Therefore, passengers must ensure they report as per the scheduled ETDs on each day of the tour, other-wise they will be considered NO SHOW.

COVID TRAVEL GUIDELINES - COVID protocols shall be adhered by the passengers and Helicopter Company as per the effective mandate of the government. Without adhering to the government guidelines, boarding can be denied to the passengers without refund.

HELICOPTER WEIGHT LIMITATION - Maximum weight capacity of the helicopter is 450 kg (excluding baggage weight). Passengers are taken on board depending up on the load and temperature conditions. Pilots call will be final. Total weight of all passengers on board must be within this limit. Hence, passengers are required to provide us their exact weights at the time of booking.

PASSENGER WEIGHTS - Passengers have to submit their correct weights at the time of booking. If any change in weight found at the time of their travel from the submitted weights, which would exceed our aircraft’s weight carrying capacity of 450 kg, passenger(s) would be deboarded & cancelled for the Heli-tour without any refund.

OVERWEIGHT CHARGES : ON PER SEAT BASIS ONLY - Overweight charges are applicable @ INR 2000/kg. This will be chargeable to passengers weighing above 75 kg. But excess weight (not exceeding helicopter’s -total weight limitation) will only be calculated on the total excess weight above the total permissible weight of all the group members combined, i.e., permissible weight = 75 Kg x (No. of pax).

Furthermore, any discrepancy found in the weights of the passengers, which would be chargeable as per the overweight criteria, the same would be collected prior to boarding of flights.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE - Only one baggage weighing a maximum of 5 kgs is allowed per passenger. It Is not permitted to carry suitcases or any other luggage bags in the helicopter. Therefore, duffle bags are provided by our staff to all passengers on the day of arrival.

In view of our helicopters’ limited weight carrying capacity, we reserve the right to shuffle passengers between helicopters to manage the right weight for safe flying in the hills. Therefore, passengers travelling together may not be accommodated in same helicopter flight.

ARRIVAL DATE - Our Chardham 4N5D Heli-tours are booked departure date wise. However, passengers have to arrive Dehradun one day prior to the departure date. Dehradun complimentary night stay which is provided on the arrival date makes our package a 5Night/6Days tour. The actual flying commences from day 02 of the tour.

SEATING CAPACITY - The maximum seating capacity for our helicopters is 06 passengers + 01 Crew.

INFANTS - Infant below 2 years or 12kg are accommodated free of charge. For verification of age the child, ID proof/birth certificate of the child will be checked.

BAD WEATHER & FORCE MAJEURE DISCLAIMER

Flying in hills is subject to bad weather, and many Force Majeure factors like delayed Air Traffic Clearances / Permissions, VVIP movements, valley flying by Indian Air Force (NOTAM), sudden occurrence of technical snag in aircraft, illness of flying crew or late reporting of the passengers at the helipads, among others. Therefore, passengers must be prepared to face any eventuality and inconvenience in case of such scenarios.

HOTELS Details

• SERSI : Sersi Heights, or similar (AP basis - all meals)
• BADRINATH: Hotel KD Niwas/Amritara/Lords Place or similar (ap basis - all meals)

- Hotels & rooms are subject to sudden changes.
- Rooms are booked on double or triple sharing basis only.
- For a separate single occupancy room, it will be extra chargeable @ INR 30,000/person (tax inclusive).
- Hotels at all the Dhams are non-star category. However, we have carefully selected the most comfortable & best rated properties for our Heli-tours.

We strongly advise our passengers to keep one additional day at hand, over & above the 2N3D period, to avoid inconvenience in case passengers get stuck at any of the destinations due to bad weather or force majeure scenarios.

Other Terms and Guidelines

• Airport transfers will be provided only on the arrival day at Dehradun, and on the last day, i.e., 6th day of the tour.
• Any donations, tips, pitthu, palki/pony and porter charges shall be borne by the passengers.
• AADHAR Card copies are to be shared by all Indian passengers, & passport in case of foreign nationals.
• Helicopter Company has its own crew at all the Dhams. For any guidance or assistance, passengers are free to reach out to them.
• Network connectivity at Harsil & Badrinath is very poor. BSNL & Jio are the main telecom services, that work in these regions mostly, but not always. However, our staff shall be with the passengers for assistance at all times.
• All temples in Chardham sector are located at high altitude, therefore passengers are advised to carry medication during travel. Also, they are advised to carry heavy woollen clothing with them, because during evenings & nights, the temperature can drop drastically.
• MEDICAL EMERGENCIES - We will not be liable for any medical emergency on the ground to the passengers. Therefore, in your own interest, passengers are hereby advised to kindly consult a doctor and get medical check-up done before commencing the yatra. Medical check-up is mainly required if a passenger has any medical ailment or condition.
• CARRIAGE BY AIR ACT, 1972 - The carriage is subject to Helicopter Company regulations relating to the conditions of Non-International Carriage (Passenger and Baggage) framed in accordance with The Carriage by Air Act, 1972 and Notification regarding application of the carriage which is non-international. The liability of the company for damage sustained in the event of the death or wounding of a passenger or any other bodily injury suffered by passenger or by his registered baggage during the course of carriage by air will be governed by the provisions of sections 4,5,6 and the rules contained in the second Schedule of Carriage by Air Act 1972 with certain exceptions, adaptations, modifications, etc as notified in the Govt. of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation Notification and as amended from time to time.
• Helicopter Company reserves the right to cancel passengers, who are unruly, abusive, intoxicated, sick, mentally unfit or anyone else whom we deem to be unsafe to fly. No refund shall be done to such passenger(s).

Our Heli-Tours are not available for the following VIP’s:

- Speaker Lok Sabha
- Dy. Chairperson Rajya Sabha
- Central Ministers of Cabinet Rank
- C J I Supreme Court
- Governors of State
- Chief Ministers of State
- State Ministers of Cabinet Rank
- SPG Protectees – Z category only.

RESCHEDULING OF BOOKING

Rescheduling your booking to any future or prior travel date, will be done subject to availability, and on payment of 10% of the total tour cost. This will be permitted only if informed at least 07 days before arrival date.

In case rescheduling is requested less than 07 days prior to the travel date, then the booking would be treated as cancelled, & a fresh booking will be given subject to availability, after the levy of applicable cancellation charges.

PAYMENT TERMS

The booking has to be done in advance with a deposit of 50% of the total amount. Balance payment has to be deposited 14 days prior to the date of arrival at Dehradun. Passengers will not be permitted to board or commence the tour, unless full & final payment of the tour has been done.

FORCE MAJEURE & BAD WEATHER REFUNDS:

Tour Cost: 25% of total tour cost for each unutilized travel sector (Dham), minus INR 15,000 per person toward the flight preparation & ground arrangement charges.

Additional Services: Deduction of any additional services provided at any of the Dhams during the tour of the passengers will be deducted over & above the refundable Tour Cost. Refund against any unutilized service will not be calculated separately and added to the refundable- amount.

COVID-19 Case, or any National/State Emergency:

In case passengers test COVID positive before the travel, or the Yatra gets called-off by the government, or any National or State emergency is imposed, there will be no refunds applicable.

However, passengers will be provided a Credit Voucher by Helicopter Company against the advance paid, which will be valid for one year. It can be utilised against any of our helicopter tours or charter services (for the full amount of the credit voucher), by the passengers or any of their friends/relatives.

BAD WEATHER & FORCE MAJEURE POLICIES:

• Where bad weather, technical snags or any force majeure reason beyond Helicopter Company control results in the cancellation of your flight being delayed or cancelled, Helicopter Company will not be liable in any way for the cancelled or delayed flight. However, refund will be given to clients as per our refunds policy. Any kind of inconvenience caused because of cancellation of flights is beyond the control of the operator. No compensation or reimbursement for accommodation, transportation, meals or any other extra travel expenses done by the passengers shall be offered in the event of cancellation of a flight.
  
  
• In case tour departure does not take place from Dehradun on Day One due to above reasons, tour will be considered as cancelled and full refund as per our policies will be made. However, in case the passengers would like to consider taking the tour on the next available date, a fresh booking can be made for the same. Our team will propose the available options to the passengers.
  
  The balance/unutilized amount against previous booking can be adjusted against the fresh booking. And any extra costs that would be accruing, will have to be borne by the passengers.
  
  In case the tour departs from Dehradun as per schedule but gets disrupted, while the tour is ongoing, our team will propose the possible revised itinerary within the scheduled package days, but without any extension of days.
  
  
• Any extension, proposed by the passengers, in the package will only be considered at an extra cost and subject to operational viability.
  
  
• In case for 05 straight days flying does not take place, full refund as per our policies will be made to the passengers.
  
  
• New Chardham passenger(s) scheduled for departure from Dehradun on any respective travel date shall be our top priority, over the back-log passenger(s) of previous days(s).
  
  
• Additional night halt charges will be payable by the passengers to hotels on direct payment basis, when they get stuck for additional nights due to bad weather/force majeure reasons.
  
  
• Helicopter may not fly to Harsil/Jhalla, in case of turbulent wind conditions – which is often in the Harsil valley after 1200 Hrs.
  
  
• If any passenger(s) require ferry flights to be operated for them in emergency, cost for the same will be charged to the party @ INR 125,000/hr plus GST.
  
  
• While the tour is ongoing, if any group demands to cancel their tour mid-way, the arrangement of transportation will be done by Helicopter Company , however, cost for the same will be borne by the passengers on direct payment basis.
  
  
• Any increase in government levies or taxes, after the confirmation of booking, will be extra chargeable to the passengers. Payment against the same will have to be made before the commencement of tour.

DISPUTES

Disputes as to legality, interpretation, application or performance of service or any of its terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of Uttarakhand Jurisdiction.

Bookings will be taken, considering there is acceptance of the above-mentioned terms & conditions by the party.