Ski Plane Questions And Answers At Mount Cook
Answers to the questions that come up before booking a flight over Aoraki / Mount Cook, from how booking works to what happens when the weather turns.
Booking And Payment
How Do I Book A Flight?
Every flight card has a Check availability button. It opens the booking page run by the booking platform, where you pick a date and pay. Mount Cook Ski Plane has no checkout of its own.
Can This Site Change Or Cancel My Booking?
No. The site compares flights; it holds no bookings and takes no payments. Changes, cancellations and refunds are handled through the booking platform you paid.
Are The Flights Run By This Site?
No. This site runs none of the flights and is owned by no operator. Each flight is flown by the operator named in your booking email.
Who Do I Contact On The Day?
The operator on your booking email, for check-in times and weather calls. Arrive by the check-in time in your booking email. Alpine weather changes fast and a cancellation call can come from early morning up to about 10 minutes before departure.
Prices And Cancellation
Are Prices Per Person?
Yes. All 31 flights on the site are priced per person, and the prices shown are from-prices in USD.
Can I Cancel For Free?
Every one of the 31 flights states free cancellation. The cut-off differs between flights, so read the cut-off stated on the live booking page before you pay.
What Do Flights Cost?
Per-person from-prices run from $194 for the 25-Minute Flight, Alpine Landing to $687.27 for the Small Group Tour and Heli Hike. The median across the 31 flights is $397.02.
Do Prices Change?
Yes. Prices move with season and demand, so treat the figures here as a guide and the booking page as the authority at the moment you book.
Choosing A Flight
What Kinds Of Flight Are Compared?
Six categories: Ski Plane And Combo Flights (4 tours), Helicopter Alpine Landings (5), Grand Circle And Glacier Highlights (6), Tasman Glacier Heli-Hikes (2), Fox And Franz Josef To Mount Cook (9) and Flights From Queenstown And Tekapo (5).
Ski Plane Or Helicopter?
A ski plane lands on skis on the glacier snowfield; the Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo packs both aircraft into one 45-minute trip with 10 to 15 minutes on snow. Helicopter flights land on snow or alpine terrain depending on the tour. Note that an alpine landing may have no snow roughly December to March, so never count on snow from an alpine landing in those months.
Can I Fly To Mount Cook From The West Coast?
Yes. Nine flights depart Franz Josef or Fox Glacier, from $243.67 for Franz Josef to Tasman, 30 Minutes to $508.35 for 4 Glaciers, 2 Snow Landings. The most-reviewed flight on the whole site is in this group: Two Glaciers Flight, 35 Minutes, rated 4.9 across 545 reviews from $274.
What If The Weather Is Bad?
Flights are weather-dependent and the pilot chooses the exact landing spot on the day. Operator-cancelled flights give a full refund or a new time, which is why it pays to book early in your stay rather than on your last day.
What Does A Heli-Hike Involve?
The two Tasman Glacier heli-hikes, both from $552, fly you onto the glacier and give up to 2 hours on the ice with a guide, boots, crampons and gear supplied. Whether hotel pickup is included is not mentioned; check the booking page.