Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

Service refers specifically to the hot air ballooning mentioned on this documentation and generally to the range of products Global Ballooning Australia, including accommodation and tours arranged by agreement.

Service Operator refers to Global Ballooning Australia or any independent contractor supplying/delivering the services to you under the your Agreement with Global Ballooning Australia.

2. Booking a flight

Global Ballooning Australia operates seven days a week, except on Christmas Day (25th December).

By proceeding with a booking, you agree to the terms and conditions provided during the booking process.

3. Liability

Global Ballooning Australia is not responsible for any direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages, including but not limited to lost or damaged property, lost profits or savings, or damages arising from disappointment.

Global Ballooning Australia may, at times, arrange for hot air balloon flights to be conducted under a ‘code-sharing’ agreement. This means another ballooning company may be subcontracted to deliver your flight. In such cases, Global Ballooning Australia assumes no liability for the services provided by the subcontracted company or for any loss, injury, or damage to individuals or property.

Global Ballooning Australia reserves the right to modify the details of products and flight locations when deemed necessary but guarantees that services provided will be of equivalent nature and value.

Please note that complimentary photos taken during the flight are not guaranteed. Occasionally, technical issues may arise with the GoPro camera. As the camera is mounted on the side of the balloon and remains out of reach during the flight, these issues cannot always be resolved immediately.

4. Rebooking Your Flight OR Receiving a Refund

In the event of a flight cancellation due to inclement weather, passengers are required to contact Global Ballooning Australia promptly to arrange a rebooking or request a refund. Payments for canceled flights will be held as credit and applied to the rebooking. Rebookings must be completed within 12 months from the date of the initial cancellation and are subject to availability. The validity period will be specified on your Booking Confirmation.

Refunds are subject to a $25 administrative fee per transaction. Bookings that remain on the system for more than six months will not be eligible for a refund.

5. Alterations, Cancellations & 3rd party Providers

In the event you need to reschedule or cancel your booking, the following conditions apply:

• More than 7 days before your flight: Changes and alterations can be made free of charge. Refunds will be subject to a $25 administrative fee.

• Between 7 days and 48 hours before your flight: A $50 per person cancellation or alteration fee will apply. Rescheduled weekday flights must be rebooked for a weekday (excluding public holidays). Refunds will also incur a $25 administrative fee.

• Within 48 hours of your flight: No changes or rescheduling are permitted. Passengers are encouraged to secure their own insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances, including illness. Flights will not be refunded or rescheduled for cancellations or no-shows on the morning of the scheduled flight.

Please note that all cancellation fees are non-refundable.

Third Party Bookings

For bookings made via a third-party agent, passengers must accept and adhere to the agent’s terms and conditions.

For bookings made via RedBalloon (RB): Once a voucher has been redeemed with Global Ballooning Australia, refunds, credits, or exchanges are not permitted. The voucher remains valid for 12 months from the date of the initial cancellation. This policy is detailed in the Important Information section of the selected product on the RedBalloon website.

Accommodation and Tour Packages are non-refundable. If a flight is cancelled due to inclement weather, this policy does not extend to any affiliated partners included in the package. Failure to attend your scheduled accommodation or tour will result in the forfeiture of the booking.

Group Bookings, Proposals, Private Flights OR Customised Events/Packages are subject to separate cancellation, alteration, and refund policies. These specific terms and conditions will be provided to you or your agent via email prior to booking and will detail the documentation for group bookings. Please note that the terms and conditions outlined in your Booking Confirmation may take precedence over these specific terms.

Failure to attend your flight will result in the forfeiture of your booking. You may transfer your booking to someone else by notifying us of the replacement person’s name prior to the flight.

6. Gift Vouchers/Cards

Gift vouchers / gift cards are only valid when fully paid for by the purchaser or distributor.

Once the gift voucher/ gift card has been redeemed (i.e., a flight date has been booked), all terms relating to alterations and cancellations (see Section 5) apply, though the value remains non-refundable.

Global Ballooning Australia will honour the value (amount paid) of the voucher for the validity specified at the time of purchase. The voucher may be used as credit toward any Global Ballooning Australia flight experience or package as displayed on the voucher.

In the event that we no longer operate flights in a particular location, the voucher can be used as credit for any available flight experience on the Global Ballooning Australia website.

Please note: Vouchers are transferable but non-refundable (they cannot be redeemed for cash or refunded, in whole or in part). If transferred, the voucher remains valid only for the period indicated.

Always verify the validity of your voucher, as the expiry date and terms may be subject to change, especially when applied to discounted bookings, donations, secondhand vouchers, monetary gift vouchers, or as part of a loyalty program.

7. Discounted – Bookings, Gift Vouchers and Gift Cards

Discounts or special offers are only applicable to the full recommended retail price and are valid for a strict 12-month period, unless otherwise stated. These offers cannot be combined with any existing discounts or seasonal promotions. Discounts or coupons must be presented at the time of booking. No refunds will be issued if a discount or coupon is provided after the booking is made.

Bookings or gift vouchers purchased using a discount or special offer are strictly non-refundable. However, they are transferable to other individuals and are valid only for the period specified on the voucher. All terms related to alterations and cancellations (see Section 5) apply, but the value of the booking or voucher remains non-refundable.

8. Weather, Mechanical, Staffing, Safety & Other Conditions

Hot air ballooning is dependent on favourable weather conditions to ensure safety. Additionally, flights may be subject to mechanical performance or staffing availability. If Global Ballooning Australia deems conditions unsuitable or unsafe, flights may be cancelled. A flight may also be postponed if the minimum number of passengers is not met.

Melbourne flights do not always fly over the central business district (CBD). While our pilots will strive to fly as close to the CBD as possible, flight paths are determined by current meteorological conditions to ensure the safest flight possible.

In the event that a service is delayed, rescheduled, or canceled due to any of the above factors, Global Ballooning Australia will hold the payment as credit and offer alternative booking dates. Global Ballooning Australia will not be liable for any travel, accommodation, inconvenience, or other costs incurred or lost due to such cancellations. International, interstate, and regional visitors should be aware of the possibility of short-notice cancellations.

9. Re fly

In rare instances, the pilot in command may determine that a flight does not meet the expected quality, such as being shorter than usual or experiencing poor visibility. In such cases, the pilot may offer a complimentary refly. The refly must be taken midweek by the same passenger on the original flight and is non-transferable.

10. Release of images and photographs

Global Ballooning Australia may capture photographs or videos during the flight for promotional purposes and for distribution after the flight. By booking a flight, you authorise, and confirm on behalf of any accompanying passengers, minors, or unaccompanied minors, that Global Ballooning Australia may use any images taken during the flight for promotional or commercial purposes.

11. Your Responsibility

(a) You must fly within the validity period of your gift voucher/gift card or rebooking date. Therefore, it is advised not to wait until the last minute to make your booking. If weather conditions are unsuitable or availability is limited, you will need to try again. It is your responsibility to make every effort to book and fly before your voucher expires.

(b) It is your responsibility to ensure you have received your booking confirmation details. If you do not have this information prior to your flight date, please notify the Global Ballooning Australia office immediately. You are also required to follow the flight check-in procedure outlined in the booking confirmation email on the evening prior to your flight.

(c) For safety reasons, you agree to follow the instructions of the pilot and ground crew, comply with local codes of conduct, and act sensibly and responsibly at all times. You also agree to indemnify Global Ballooning Australia, its owners, officers, and employees from any losses or damages arising from your actions or those of your party. At no time should you or any member of your party be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, nor should you take medication that could impair your judgement.

(d) If you have a pre-existing medical condition that may be affected by the physical nature of hot air ballooning, you should consult with your medical practitioner before booking. You agree to indemnify Global Ballooning Australia, its owners, officers, and employees from any incidents related to your health occurring during or after the service.

(e) Personal belongings brought on board are at your own risk.

(f) Ballooning is an outdoor adventure activity, and Global Ballooning Australia cannot be held responsible for damage to clothing.

(g) For safety reasons, pregnant women in their third trimester are not permitted to fly. However, pregnant women in their first and second trimesters may fly. We strongly recommend consulting your doctor regarding any health risks or advice before flying. Additionally, the pilot reserves the right to refuse entry to any passenger if they believe it may compromise the safety of the flight or the passenger, particularly during challenging takeoffs or landings.

(h) Global Ballooning Australia allows the carriage of assistance dogs, but passengers intending to bring one must notify us in advance for assessment and approval by the pilot. The pilot in command has the authority to approve the presence of any animal on board, ensuring it does not compromise aviation safety. While the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 provides protections, CASA legislation grants Global Ballooning Australia the right to refuse the carriage of an assistance animal if it is reasonably believed to pose a safety risk.

(i) Minors must be accompanied by an adult until the age of 12. Parents or guardians of unaccompanied minors aged 13 to 17 must obtain approval from the Global Ballooning Reservations Team, who will also record this in the booking.

12. Google Analytics, Cookies & Applets

Global Ballooning Australia uses Google Analytics. Cookies provide you with a better experience. A cookie is used to collect anonymous traffic data and this aggregate, non-personal information is collated to assist in analysing the usage of the site.

Google Analytics features are based on Display Advertising (Remarketing and Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting). These features use first-party and third-party cookies to inform, optimise and serve ads based on your past visits to the Global Ballooning Australia site.

This allows Global Ballooning Australia to report on demographics for understanding the site’s audience and display ads that relate to products and services you have viewed on the Global Ballooning Australia site as you browse third party sites on the Google Display Network using Remarketing.

Visitors can opt out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting Google’s Ads Settings or by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt out page

Global Ballooning Australia Pty. Ltd. ABN 32 156 541 703. Terms and conditions subject to change without notice.

If you are concerned that we have not complied with your legal rights or applicable privacy laws, you may bring a complaint internally through our complaints process or you may decide to make a formal complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au) (which is the regulator responsible for privacy in Australia).

We will deal with complaints as follows:

Step 1: Let us know

• If you would like to make a complaint, you should let us know by contacting our General Manager (see below for contact details).

Step 2: Investigation of complaint

• Your complaint will be investigated by our General Manager.
• A response to your complaint will be provided in writing within a reasonable period.

Step 3: Contact OAIC

• We expect our procedures will deal fairly and promptly with your complaint. However, if you remain dissatisfied, you can also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as follows:
  Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
  1300 363 992
  www.oaic.gov.au
  Complaints must be made in writing:
  Director of Compliance
  Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
  GPO Box 5218
  Sydney NSW 2001

14. Contact us

If you have any questions or require further clarification regarding our Terms and Conditions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by clicking HERE.

The Global Ballooning team is here to assist you and ensure you have the best experience possible!