Weather Cancellation & Refund Policy

In short: if the pilot cancels your flight because of the weather, you can fly with us on an alternative date, or an alternative location, at no extra cost, or receive a full refund of the flight price you paid. We do not charge any cancellation fee.

1. Why a flight may be cancelled

Every balloon flight depends on the weather at the moment of launch, and the final decision to fly rests with the pilot in command alone. Wind speed, wind direction, rain, low cloud and thunderstorm activity can change within minutes on the Serengeti plains. A flight that looks possible the evening before, or during the drive to the launch site, may still be called off on site.

When the pilot cancels for weather, it is a safety decision. It is not negotiable, it cannot be overruled by guests, guides or our office, and it is outside Flying Odyssey’s control. We would always rather lose a flight than take a risk with your safety.

2. What happens on the morning of a weather cancellation

Our ground team prepares every flight morning well before sunrise, and the pilot can only make the final call from live conditions at the launch site. On a typical morning:

  1. Our driver collects you from your camp or lodge in the dark and brings you to the launch site.
  2. At the launch site we serve tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and our operations team sets up mobile toilet tents and hand-washing facilities.
  3. The pilot assesses the live conditions. If it is unsafe to fly, the flight is cancelled at this point.
  4. Where possible, we still offer you the bush breakfast.
  5. We drive you to the Serengeti Visitor Information Centre, or as agreed with your guide, so you can continue your safari day.

If we can tell the evening before, or before the driver leaves for pickup, that flying will not be possible, we will let you or your guide know straight away.

3. Your options: fly another morning, or take a full refund

Fly again. You may fly with us on the next alternative date, or an alternative location at no extra cost, subject to seat availability and your remaining time in the Serengeti. If that flight is also cancelled for weather, the same choice applies again.

Full refund. If you cannot reschedule during your stay, we refund 100% of the flight price you paid. No cancellation fee is charged, even if you were collected, served refreshments or offered breakfast that morning.

Please tell our launch-site team or our office on the day which option you choose.

If you booked through a tour operator, travel agent or online platform, your refund is paid to them under our agreement, and they will pass it on to you under their own terms. Section 4 applies to guests who paid Flying Odyssey directly.

4. How and when your refund is paid

We send your refund within 7 working days of receiving your completed Refund Request Form. International bank transfers then usually take a further 7 working days to reach your account, depending on your bank and any intermediary banks.

  1. Card payments are refunded to the same card used to pay. This is the fastest and most reliable method.
  2. Bank transfer payments are refunded by international bank transfer (SWIFT) to the account named on your signed Refund Request Form. The form asks for the account holder’s full name, bank name and address, account number or IBAN, SWIFT/BIC code, and the currency of the account.
  3. Groups: refunds are paid to the person who made the payment. If a group wants the refund paid to one nominated member, every adult in the group signs the nomination on the Refund Request Form.
  4. Proof of payment: once the transfer is sent, we email you the bank’s SWIFT confirmation (MT103), showing the amount, date and receiving account. You can give this to your own bank to trace the funds.
  5. Bank details are your responsibility. We pay exactly to the details you give us. Our obligation to refund is fulfilled once our bank confirms the transfer was sent to those details. If the details are wrong or incomplete, any cost of recalling, tracing or re-sending the payment is deducted from the refund.
  6. Changes to bank details are accepted only in writing from the original requester’s email address, and only before we send the transfer. We may call you to confirm a change before acting on it.
  7. Bank charges: our bank’s sending charges are paid by Flying Odyssey. Charges from intermediary and receiving banks are deducted by those banks and are outside our control.
  8. Non-receipt: if your refund has not arrived 10 working days after you receive the SWIFT confirmation, email accounts@flyingodyssey.com with the confirmation attached. We will open a trace with our bank within 2 working days and keep you updated in writing.

Refunds are paid in US dollars unless agreed otherwise. We are not responsible for exchange-rate differences applied by your bank.

5. Other cancellations

This notice covers weather cancellations. Different terms apply in these cases: