General sales conditions

1-Subject: The activity that you are going to enjoy is prepared by the Montgolfière & Châteaux company, represented by Lionel Druet. Any associated documents, such as descriptions, photos, advertising brochures, and all other types of information are provided for information only; the seller is not bound by them. The simple act of the client placing an order implies his or her definitive, irrevocable consent to the present conditions.
All the transport and other services provided by the Montgolfière & Châteaux company are regulated by:
– The rates, applicable on 15 June 2020.
– The general sales conditions and the application of the Warsaw Convention.
– The acceptance of the limitations specific to the organisation of a hot air balloon ride.

2-Offer validity: Our offers are subject to availability at the time when the order is placed. The passengers hereby declare that they know and agree to the general sales conditions.

3-Contract formation: Montgolfière & Châteaux commits to an order upon reception of the deposit cheque, or of the full amount in the case of a gift certificate. When the order is placed, the client receives the gift certificate by postal mail or receives an email that acknowledges the receipt and registration of the order.

4-Ticket content: An admission ticket includes reception, vehicle transport to the take-off site, the preparation and inflation of the balloon, the hot air balloon ride, a refreshment, return transport to the meeting point, and air transport civil responsibility insurance.

5-Ticket validity: Our gift certificates are valid for one year from the date they are issued. The ticket holder must make at least four flight attempts during the period of validity; otherwise the ticket will automatically expire at this date. If all of the four attempts are cancelled because of poor weather conditions, the validity of the ticket will be extended for one year at no extra cost. The client may purchase an extension of validity to add one year to the validity of a gift certificate, or to reactivate it if it has expired within the last six months. Any ticket holder who does not arrive at the meeting point at the scheduled time will not have the possibility of postponing or being refunded.

6-Rates: All our prices are expressed in euros, are applicable throughout the current year, and include the full activity, including the passenger’s air transport civil responsibility insurance.

7-Deposit: In order to be considered valid, any order must be accompanied by a deposit for half of the total value of the order. The balance must be settled on the day of the flight. A reservation for which a deposit has been made is valid for as long as the the deposit cheque is valid if the service cannot be provided on the scheduled date for meteorological reasons. If it is impossible to postpone the service, the reservation is cancelled, and the deposit is refunded at no extra charge.

8-Payment methods: All payments must be made in €uros, either by certified or bank cheque drawn on a French bank, bank transfer, or cash on the day of the flight. Any cheque that has not been cashed is not considered a settled payment.

9-Cancellation: In keeping with the mail order regulations in force, you have a 14-day time limit from the date of your reservation during which you may cancel your order. After this time limit, no cancellation will be possible, and the ticket will be subject to the conditions of article 5.
A hot air balloon ride is entirely dependent on the weather, and only the pilot is qualified to make the decision whether to take off. Montgolfière & Châteaux reserves the right to cancel any flight because of poor meteorological conditions or any other case of force majeure, at any time leading up to take-off, if the safety conditions are insufficient.
Under no circumstances can Montgolfière & Châteaux be held liable for expenses incurred by the client in case of cancellation. Any ticket holder who does not arrive at the meeting point on time, or who cancels the flight within 48 hours of its scheduled time, will not be able to postpone; the deposit will be cashed and the balance must be paid.

10-Embarkation conditions: It is prohibited to embark upon a hot air balloon without a valid flight ticket. Handing the signed transport ticket to the pilot when boarding implies acceptance of the general sales conditions. The pilot is the only commander aboard and has authority over all the passengers. The pilot has the faculty of refusing embarkation – or of ordering the disembarkation – of any person among the passengers who might present a danger for the safety, salubrity or good order of the aircraft. The pilot cannot wait for tardy passengers.

11-Flight conditions: Since the flight is entirely dependent on meteorological conditions, we cannot guarantee any circuit or path. Each flight is conducted according to visual flight rules (VFR, as defined by the Civil Aviation Authority) and the landmarks indicated on our documents and on our website www.montgolfierechateaux.com are not binding.
The average duration of a hot air balloon ride is one hour. The pilot reserves the right to modify the duration, place of departure, meeting time, and all other factors concerning the flight.

12-Complaints: Any complaint relating to our services must be sent by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt, within an imperative time limit of 15 days, to the following address: Montgolfière & Châteaux – Lionel Druet -24220 –BEYNAC-ET-CAZENAC. After this time limit, no complaints can be taken into consideration.

13-Disputes: Any dispute, objection, failure to pay, or difficulty of any kind relating to our services is subject to the jurisdiction of the court of Sarlat-la-Canéda.

14-Insurance: Each passenger is insured by virtue of civil aviation responsibility. Any damage to passengers’ objects or clothing is not covered by our insurance; nor is suicide or voluntary injury. It is your responsibility to take out additional insurance if you consider it necessary.

15-Medical conditions: We are not qualified to decide whether you are in sufficiently good physical condition to ride in a hot air balloon. Passengers with a prosthesis or a physical handicap are required to inform the receptionist of this condition when reserving. Passengers with mobility problems who are unsure of their ability to perform the activity or who suffer from a specific medical problem should consult a doctor, and in this case present a medical certificate. Any person who reveals a medical problem at boarding time will not be admitted without a medical certificate of aptitude. Moreover, the ticket will not be postponed or refunded. It is necessary to be able to remain standing up for one hour, since the basket is not equipped with seats.
We do not admit pregnant women or anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol aboard out hot air balloons.

16-Age conditions: There is no upper age limit for a hot air balloon ride. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult, and no children under the age of 6 are admitted.

17-Dressing for the flight: Passengers must wear long trousers or jeans and closed shoes. High-heeled shoes, sandals, skirts and shorts are prohibited. It is recommended to bring a cap and to avoid synthetic textiles. For safety reasons, we do not accept bags aboard. Cameras and smartphones are authorised, with a wrist loop or other system that makes it impossible for the device to fall overboard.

18-Subcontracting: We reserve the right to call on a subcontractor to provide a flight on behalf of Montgolfière & Châteaux.