Policies

Pulseline Adventure Heli-Skiing Policies

2024 General Reservation Policies

A deposit of at least 50% of the total trip cost is required to reserve your trip when reserving before Jan. 15, 2024; if booking a trip after Jan. 15, 2024, then 100% of the trip cost is due to confirm your seat(s) on the helicopter and your hotel accommodations.
Full payment is required by Jan. 15, 2024. If full payment is not received by Jan. 15, 2024, Pulseline reserves the right to sell your seat(s) to another party (we'll contact you in advance to remind you that your full payment date is drawing near).
If you book with fewer than 4 people, other guests may reserve any open seats (we cannot hold seats without a deposit).
No guest may go heli-skiing if there is a balance due.
All guests must sign our Assumption of Risk Agreement and Release of Liability form before they may fly.
All guests must sign our Overage Billing Authorization Form and provide their credit card information before heli-skiing (see below) - this will be done during orientation in Valdez.
Due to the limited number of rooms available at the hotel, if booking single for a package that includes lodging, you must pay the single occupancy lodging upgrade for a single room; if you have an odd number of guests in your group, one person must upgrade to single occupancy lodging - or the cost of a single room may be split amongst everyone in the group.

Overage Billing Authorization Form

All guests must sign our Overage Billing Authorization Form before they may fly. This authorizes Pulseline to charge your credit card for overages/additional Hobbs hours in the event that you fly more than the Hobbs hours pre-purchased in your original package. This form will be signed by you during orientation on your arrival day in Valdez. Pulseline tracks daily Hobbs usage for all groups and will only fly extra Hobbs hours with your pre-approval.
>Additionally, we reserve the right to charge a fuel surcharge to your credit card if Jet A fuel prices exceed $7.00 per gallon.

Hobbs Overage

Hobbs overage is billed at $6,000 for the helicopter. In the case that not every guest wants additional skiing beyond their pre-paid Hobbs hours, the total cost will be divided by the number of guests in the aircraft. Payment for all overages in all cases is charged to your credit card on file with Pulseline within 24 hours of heli-skiing as per the Overage Billing Authorization Form detailed above
If you exceed any pre-paid Hobbs hours (with your approval in advance), you must pay for all overages at the rate described above. It is also your responsibility to know how many Hobbs hours you have remaining and to communicate your intentions with your guide or other Pulseline representative.

Refund & Credit Policy

The refund and cancellation policy applies for all situations - no exceptions!
At Pulseline Alaska we pride ourselves on providing the highest-qualified guides and pilots, and ensuring that multiple A-Star helicopters are available during our heli-skiing season so that our guests have the opportunity to ski in the Chugach Mountains. We’re a small guide owned and operated company and commit to these expenses many months in advance of the season, based upon our reservations and deposits each year.
We work hard to have everything prepared when you arrive to deliver the best possible heli-skiing and backcountry skiing experience when it’s “go time.” The things we cannot control are weather and snow conditions.
Due to the fact that we’ve already paid for most of the expenses in advance, there are no cash refunds for any reason.

Cancellations

Credit toward a future trip with Pulseline will be given for the full value of your deposit, if the cancellation is made (120) one hundred and twenty days or more before your scheduled arrival.
50% of your deposit will be credited toward a future trip with Pulseline if the cancellation is made (90) ninety days or more before your scheduled arrival.
No credit will be given for cancellations within 90 days of your scheduled arrival.
Pulseline may cancel, change, or re-schedule a trip without notice at any time, for any reason; your deposit may be credited for a future trip with Pulseline if this happens.
Pulseline retains the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time, for reasons including but not limited to: being a danger to yourself or others; causing a disturbance; failure to follow guide directions or company policies; poor fitness; being under the influence of alcohol/drugs; signs or symptoms of illness; or inadequate skiing/snowboarding ability - with no credit or refund.

“No Fly Day” Credit

If there are “no fly days” due to weather, high avalanche conditions, mechanical issues, or other factors that prevent you from using all of your pre-purchased flight time (“Hobbs hours”) included in your package during your reserved dates, you have two options:

Use 100% of your unused flight time during the remainder of the current season (if there are available seats with a suitable group)
Receive a credit for 50% of your unused flight time (@ $1,500/hour) to be applied towards a future Pulseline Alaska heli-skiing trip within two years - to use your credit, you must purchase a trip which is offered in that heli-season

There shall be no credit or refund for any lodging or food due to long-term commitments. We suggest that you purchase travel insurance soon after booking your trip (within 10 days after booking) to cover any unforeseen costs due to a trip cancellation.

No Guaranteed Runs & Overages

All of our heli-skiing & heli-assisted backcountry touring packages include a certain amount of included (i.e. pre-purchased) flight time (“Hobbs hours”). The Hobbs meter measures the actual flight time of the aircraft.
There is no guarantee on the number of runs or number of ski days for each hour of flight time.
While we target 18 runs per 4 hours of flight time on our heli-skiing packages, and three heli-drops on our heli-assisted backcountry packages, this is not guaranteed.
If you get less than this targeted number of runs or number of fly days, you will not get a credit or refund. Actual flight times can vary extensively depending on: where we’re operating in the Chugach Mountains, group weights, and other factors. For example, we may need to fly further from our base or remote fueling area(s) to find better snow or appropriate terrain given the conditions. Some days when we’re out heli-skiing, weather conditions can deteriorate, and we must exit the field early – other days we may be able to ski all day. In some situations, Lead Guides must spend more time searching for quality snow and appropriate terrain for everyone sharing the helicopter in our non-private “Freeskier” programs – these are just some examples of the dynamic conditions that we face any given day in Alaska that affect our daily number of runs.

Our guides are some of the best in the industry, and all of them love to ski and ride – so we’re all working towards the same goal – but the reality is that some days and weeks we get more runs than the target, and other weeks we get less – for reasons we can’t control. In helicopter skiing, the main costs are helicopter-related expenses – and our expenses are based upon our Hobbs hours – not the number of runs. As a result, this is the same way we charge clients. Therefore, there are absolutely no credits or refunds if you don’t ski the number of runs we try to target for your trip.
As noted elsewhere, if you fly more than your pre-purchased flight time in your package, you’re responsible for paying all of your overage fees for such flights.

No Other Credits or Refunds

There are NO refunds or credits for any other reason, except as specifically set forth above, including but not limited to: injury, illness, poor fitness, inadequate ability, fear, dissatisfaction with terrain/run selection or number of runs skied, natural disasters, customs & immigration issues, travel delays or cancellations to Alaska, or other travel restrictions.

Injury or Illness During Your Trip

A seat in the helicopter has been reserved for your trip, and we’re often sold out far in advance. There are no refunds or credits issued for injury or illness. If you’re injured or become ill in the field, you’re responsible for all related helicopter flight time required for your evacuation. You’re also responsible for the total flight time that your group has used for the day and for each day during the remainder of your package, even if you aren’t available or able to fly.
If you opt out of skiing/snowboarding for a day or any portion of a day (but your group flies or continues to fly) before your package flight time is used, you’re responsible for the flight time used that day. If you decide to end your trip early, for any reason, before your package flight time is used, you’re responsible for the remaining flight time and won’t receive a refund or credit.
Occasionally, we have guests who want to end their heli-skiing day early, or sit out a day due to fatigue/soreness from consecutive days or for other reasons (e.g. work conference calls). However, weather primarily dictates when we go heli-skiing. If it's flyable, we go heli-skiing, and we assume that you are as well. You’re responsible for the hours flown by your group during any reserved day, should you choose to take a rest day or leave the field early for any reason, when we’re able to fly.
Your helicopter flight time isn’t transferable.

Helicopter Weight Limitations/Restrictions

Due to the weight limitations of helicopters and unique operational circumstances related to flight operations in the Chugach Mountains, it may be necessary to split groups up if needed to meet the weight requirements of the helicopter operator. Please note that we strive to keep your group together, but it may not always be possible and is not guaranteed, and we appreciate your understanding.

Trip Insurance

We recommend that you purchase third-party trip insurance at the time of your booking. We don't recommend any particular insurance provider. It’s your responsibility to research insurance providers and their policies. Pulseline is not a licensed insurance agent and cannot answer questions about any proposed or existing insurance policy plans, coverages, benefits, exclusions, or conditions. We don't guarantee that the trip insurance you may purchase will reimburse any of the costs associated with your heli-skiing trip, and Pulseline isn't responsible for any denied claims for any reason whatsoever (though we're happy to provide requested documentation as needed at your request).

Daily "Walk-On" Heli-Skiing (pertains to "Freeskier" groups only)

We don’t offer single day heli-skiing reservations in advance, since each day is already reserved by multi-day package guests. Occasionally, we have a seat open and offer walk-on heli-skiing for $1,800 per person, per day if there are already other groups in the field that day. Contact us to be added to our walk-on list.
If there are no other groups in the field, a 1.5-hour minimum will be required to meet our daily aircraft minimums, billed at $7,200/Hobbs hour for the helicopter. This hourly rate will be split by up to four guests (fewer guests will still be required to split the $7,200/Hobbs hourly rate).
Payments for minimums are due in full before you may fly, and all guests must sign our Overage Billing Authorization Form as detailed above.
Payments for any & all overages (time flown over the pre-paid minimums) will be charged to the credit card on file within 24 hours of heli-skiing as per the Overage Billing Authorization Form.

Early departure from the field

If you have to be flown out of the field early, for any reason, including but not limited to: fear, fatigue, inadequate ability, injury, illness, flight reservation, work conference calls, dissatisfaction with our services, etc., you alone will be responsible to pay for all related Hobbs hours to evacuate you including for the helicopter to fly back into the field for the remaining group(s) to continue their day. This additional flight time will be considered a personal overage, and you will automatically be charged for that round-trip flight according to our Overage Billing Authorization Form.
Payments for any & all overages (time flown over the prepaid minimums) will be charged to the credit card on file as per the Overage Billing Authorization Form. As stated above, you will need to sign this form prior to flying (this form will be provided to you upon arrival in Valdez).

Lost/Stolen Baggage or Personal Belongings

Pulseline Adventure is not responsible for keeping track of your baggage or personal belongings or for the loss/theft of any of your baggage or personal belongings during your trip with Pulseline. If anything is left behind, you're responsible for all shipping charges to return your items.

Symptoms of Illness

If you exhibit any signs/symptoms of illness including fever, nausea, coughing, aches/chills, respiratory distress, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, headache, etc., please note that you'll not be allowed to fly in consideration of others. Thanks for understanding.