Safety rules

1.1. Used symbols and terms:

“Agreement” means an arrangement between you and us, which is active from the moment we sell the tickets on our website and you buy them;

“Tickets” means one or more tickets that are ordered and bought on our website www.gaisabaloni.lv;

“Gift card” means one specially prepared Ticket, which can be used only by as many people as are shown on the Gift card. All people mentioned on the Gift card are taking the flight at the same time.

“We”, “operator” or “ours” means SIA Eluas in this agreement acts as GaisaBaloni.lv, a company registered in the Republic of Latvia (registration number 41203040488) and registered in Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of Latvia as a declared organization that is legally allowed to take flights with passengers.

“Contracted operator” means our chosen pilot or hot air balloon team which is taking the flight in our name. According to operational requirements, there are situations when the service is performed by another certified hot air balloon pilot or flight operator. We confirm that every pilot or operator which we contract will have complete insurance as it is required by Latvian legislation and aviation rules and we have carefully selected this person so that our provided services would satisfy our high standards for customer service and safety standards.

“Partner” is a physical or legal person to whom we have entrusted the rights to sell Tickets or Gift cards of our services.

You or “yours” means the person who through our webpage has bought a Ticket or Gift card for a flight with a hot air balloon or a person to whom you are giving a previously bought Ticket or Gift card for a hot air balloon ride.

1.2. Every Ticket allows joining a ride in a hot air balloon for one person. A gift card allows joining a hot air balloon ride for as many persons as is mentioned on the Gift card.

1.3. You have to be at least 18 years old to buy a Ticket or a Gift card on our website;

1.4. We are reserving the rights to make changes to the webpage, change its content and offers, and cancel Tickets and Gift cards.

1.5. We can change these Service Providing rules and Ticket and Gift card prices. The base of this Agreement and reception of services will be the rules that were in force at the moment of buying Tickets or Gift cards.

1.6. If you are not buying it for private use, you confirm that you have the right to submit and register the purchase on the company name on which the Ticket or Gift card was bought.

1.7. We offer the delivery of Tickets and Gift cards only in the territory of Latvia. In other cases, the Ticket or Gift card is delivered electronically.

2.1. You have to make sure that all the information you are giving to us is complete and true, your contact information is correct and is yours as well as your phone number and e-mail address. You also agree to inform us about any changes in this information.

2.2. We commit to ensuring buyer and passenger data registry and safekeeping according to General Data Protection Regulation, abiding by legality and integrity principles. Buying Tickets or Gift cards we will ask you to tell us your name, surname, phone number, and e-mail address. Registering the user of a Ticket or Gift card we will ask for their name, surname, phone number, e-mail address, age, and weight. The usage of this data is within the company to identify the purchase or completion of services.

2.3. You are responsible for the protection of your login information, username, and password if those are created. If you have any suspicions that your account is being used by other parties, you have to contact us immediately.

2.4. Every order that is done on our website to acquire Tickets or Gift cards is considered your wish to get these services from us. We can send you an e-mail to the e-mail address you have provided in the purchase confirming your offer and information for the purchase. Although this e-mail is not considered a confirmation of your order.

3.1. If it is not indicated separately the expiration date of Tickets and Gift cards is 12 (twelve) months from the date of purchase. If the Ticket or Gift card is not used during this time, the holder of the Ticket or Gift card loses the right to use it for a hot air balloon ride.

3.2. Ticket or Gift card is valid only to the person or persons that are registered in our flight reservation system on our website or whose data change we have confirmed.

3.3. This Agreement comes into force from the moment of the purchase with you but you can give the Ticket or Gift card to others (according to the rules of this agreement) if you inform us in written form and provide us with this person’s name and contact information. These rules and regulations will still be taken into account and “you” in these rules and regulations will relate to this person.

4.1. Price of the service. The price is only for the service of a flight with a hot air balloon from the airfield of take-off to the place of landing and following passenger transportation from the place of landing back to the place of take-off, previously agreed meeting place, or the closest transportation station. Ticket price may contain other fees for land transportation for example passengers’ transportation to the take off or pick up at the hotel which would be shown separately on the purchase document and accordingly is shown on the said Ticket or Gift card.

4.2. Service package. In one flight there may be different rules and values for Ticket or Gift card passengers each of them has a service value that was on the Ticket or Gift card at the time of purchase.

4.3. Rates. Prices are calculated according to our rates that are valid on the day of purchase of the Ticket or Gift card for the corresponding flight. If you want to change the flight (for example place of flight or date or number of passengers) you might have to pay extra fees.

4.4. The standard price is calculated taking into consideration a person’s weight until 100 kg therefore for persons who weigh more than 101 kg there is an additional fee for a flight.

4.5. Currency. Ticket or Gift card purchases, taxes, and fees have to be paid in Euros if we have not agreed upon it differently. In case there is a situation when money should be returned then we will return money in Euros.

5.1. The passenger registers for flight reservations online on our webpage filling out the required information at least 48 (forty-eight) hours before the flight. Operators can register a passenger by calling, sending an e-mail, or through an online chatting option. When your reservation is confirmed, the Operator will assign you a reservation confirmation number. Your reservation is not confirmed if you have no confirmation number. For reservations that do not have a 20% deposit payment (7.5. article) 48 (forty-eight) hours before the flight, the operator will cancel.

5.2. Passengers when registering the reservation for the flight will receive an e-mail with a link for reservation data confirmation. This e-mail should be confidential and should be not shown or resent to others. You will be responsible for all the actions and orders that are being done using this link in the e-mail. If you know or think that somebody else knows this link from the e-mail you have to let us know immediately by calling +371 25905509 or via e-mail lido@gaisabaloni.lv.

5.3. If the passenger wants to receive the flight service he has to register the Ticket or Gift card for a flight at least 14 (fourteen) days before the Ticket or Gift card expiry date or else you will not have any rights to participate in a flight.

5.4. Your reserved flight will take place in our previously selected take-off airfield that is mentioned in the e-mail or on our website but we have the right to change the reserved take-off place, time, and date without a warning. The pilot decides the place of take-off and landing, duration of the flight, and course, taking into consideration the weather on the day of the flight, safety measures, and legislative requirements.

5.5. For Tickets and/or Gift cards sold on our website whose Tickets and/or Gift cards ID starts with the symbol ‘GB‘ we will try to adjust the flight to the chosen dates of flight. But the reservations will depend on several circumstances like other passengers wishing to fly at the same time, and the weather on the flight day hence we can change these reservations without any additional responsibility and requirements from you.

5.6. With Gift cards that are sold by Partner (for example Dāvanu serviss, Dāvanu sala u.c.) or Tickets and/ or Gift cards that are bought on our website and their ID starts with the symbol ‘EB‘ cannot choose a specific time and place except if it mentioned on the Gift card. When registering for a flight there can be offered additional services for an additional fee including the desirable date of flight and/ or place.

5.7. Arriving for a flight You have to take the Ticket and/ or Gift card with you and give it to the pilot. Otherwise, the flight for you is not guaranteed and You have no more rights to make a new reservation.

6.1. Declared changes of passengers. Changes that are made more than 48 (forty-eight) hours before the flight (earlier than at 04:00, 2 days before the flight as registered in the Operators system audit) can be done without any fines. Your reservation changes that are done less than 48 hours before the planned flight will cost 30 EUR per person. This reservation change fee has to be paid right after the changes and directly to us not to Partner where the tickets were bought from.

6.2. In cases when changes in the reservation are made for a group with 8 or more people, changes without fines can be made not later than 5 (five) days before the flight.

6.3. You agree to make one reservation and edit it using the same persons’ contact details. We will answer only the mentioned person on the contact details provided and who is registered as a contact person for the reservation.

6.4. If during the validity period of the Ticket or Gift card, you are unable to take part in the flight because of pregnancy we will prolong the expiration date for 9 months after the Tickets or Gift cards expiration date with a condition that you will let us know before the expiry date of your ordered services in written form through the e-mail lido@gaisabaloni.lv lido@gaisabaloni.lv and send us a copy of valid medical reference that confirms your pregnancy.

7.1. Declared cancellations of passengers. Cancellation of participation in the flight that is made more than 72 (seventy-two) hours before the flight (earlier than at 04:00, 3 days before the planned flight that is registered in the audit system of the Operator) can be made without fines and the owner of Ticket or Gift card can apply for a new flight time. Cancellation that is made less than 72 hours before the journey will have a whole 100% cancellation fee and in the eyes of the Operator, the Ticket or Gift card will be considered as used. The operator has the right to keep all the down payments up until the cancellation fee amount and for all the sums that were not paid until then there will be invoices issued. In this case, you can reassign the journey to another day for a fee of 30 EUR per person that has to be paid on the day of the reservation directly to us, not to your travel agent or Pertner from whom you bought the Ticket or gift card.

7.2. In cases when the flight cancellation is for a group of 8 or more people, without a fine it can be done not later than 5 (five) days before the flight. In case when the term is shorter than 5 days the Operator has all the rights to keep all down payments cancellation fees including and for all the unpaid sums there will be an invoice issued.

7.3. Cancellation due to weather conditions. In case when the flight is canceled by the Operator due to bad weather conditions holder of the Ticket and/ or Gift card has the right to apply to the closest possible time of flight and get the services in full amount. In case if Ticket or Gift card expiration date is less than 2 (two) weeks the Operator decides whether to extend the Ticket or Gift card due date for 2 (two) calendar months. If the client has made a reservation with the help of an agent (Partner) and the flight has been canceled due to bad weather conditions all reimbursements for Tickets and Gift cards should be received directly from the Partner (reservation agent). The passengers must contact the reservation agent on their own accord and he can keep the reservation fee that is smaller or equal to 100% of the price.

7.4. Reservations of contest winners. Please take into account that if the client received the price through any third parties the same rules apply to this Ticket that are valid and seen on our reservation system on our webpage. We do not take any responsibility or requirements or promises about the flight that the third party has mentioned. Tickets of contest winners can not be returned, can not be given to others and their expiration date can not be extended.

7.5. Reservation deposit. To make a reservation for a specific flight the passenger has to buy a Ticket and make a down payment for 20% of the Tickets full value. In this case, the passenger pays the Ticket in full before receiving the flight service. And about the reimbursement of the deposit the previously mentioned cancellation rules apply.

7.6. Returning Tickets and Gift cards. We ensure the reimbursement of the full amount of Tickets or Gift card value to the buyer according to the legislation of the Republic of Latvia. In other cases, the Ticket or Gift card can not be reimbursed in cash.

8.1. We will deliver your Ticket and/or Gift card to the delivery address that is mentioned in your purchase. The expected time of delivery is shown in working days and we deliver with the help of parcel machines. We will send out Tickets and/or Gift cards on the day of the purchase and put in all the effort needed to deliver your order according to expected delivery times but we will not be held responsible for losses that might have happened to you due to delays of delivery services and you will have no rights to break the Contract due to any reasonable or unavoidable causes.

8.2. You will be responsible for losing, destroying, or ruining purchase objects (Tickets and/or Gift cards) when they reach your previously mentioned place of delivery.

8.3. In 5 days from the moment of payment you have to contact us in written form through e-mail: lido@gaisabaloni.lv and let us know about all the possible demands relating to the delivered Ticket and/or Gift card, the lack of delivery, wrong quantity or any damages to it. After the 5 days have passed we will consider that the Ticket and/or Gift card was delivered in the amount and quality we have sent it out.

9.1. Flight with a hot air balloon is an outdoor activity using fields that on the take-off and landing might be uneven or overgrown. We suggest that you dress like going on an easy walk through forest trails and wear closed shoes with no heels. Even though the flight is easy and smooth the landing might be rocky and sometimes the basket can fall on the side and passengers might be in a horizontal position. Please ask the flight team if you have any doubts about landing and ask them to demonstrate how that might happen.

9.2. We fly every day when the weather allows it (considering weather conditions and the weight of passengers) except on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and during other events, for example on the day of the hot air balloon festival. We reserve the right to change the flight and choose the availability on each date. We kindly ask the passengers to contact the Operator a day before to get a confirmation about whether their flight will happen as well as the passenger must ensure that there is a possibility to contact them on the phone at all times.

9.3. If it is not specifically required we do the flights with hot air balloons in groups from 4 to 8 passengers. If the Ticket or Gift card mentions that it is a private flight then we perform the flight for the group that is mentioned on the Ticket or Gift card.

9.4. If the special rules do not state anything then your Ticket and/or Gift card gives you the rights to participate in a hot air balloon ride as mentioned below in the table including:

• Instructions of the pilot before the flight.

• An hour-long flight (+/- 10 minutes) taking into consideration the weather conditions and abiding by the regulations of legislation.

• Champagne after the flight.

• A personalized certificate of completion.

The duration of a flight depends on the weather conditions and safety measures during a flight. Only the pilot of the flight has the right to decide about the changes in the flight duration. The decision of the pilot applies to all passengers.

9.5. Owners of the tickets and gift cards that are bought on our webpage or through Partners who acquired additional services from us can apply for pick-up and drop-off from the passenger meeting point in the center of Riga. Whether such service for a passenger is applicable is mentioned on the Ticket and/or included in the reservation confirmation e-mail.

9.6. For an additional fee we offer pick-up and drop-off of passengers in specific places in Riga and its suburbs. About this additional service please contact our flight support team in direct massaging option on our website or via e-mail: lido@gaisabaloni.lv

10.1. It is the Civil Aviation Agency and Operators’ requirement that the passenger that is flying with us has to be able to get into the basket without any difficulties so that in the case of an accident the passengers would be able to get out of the basket themselves. The height of the basket is about 1,2 meters tall with two openings that the passenger can use as a ladder to get into the basket of the balloon. The team of the Operator will assess the passengers that are getting into the basket, but they are not allowed to actively help the passengers. The flight pilot will decide whether the passenger can get into the basket without any difficulties and therefore is allowed to participate in a flight with a hot air balloon.

10.2. Pregnant women. We will refuse the flight for women who are expecting a child.

10.3. Kids/ youth. The minimum age of a passenger is 6 years. We do not take kids and youth younger than 16 years without a parent on a flight. Such passengers should be accompanied by another passenger that is at least 18 years old.

10.4. Passengers with health issues. You have to reveal any medical or physical condition aspect that can affect your or other passengers’ safety. Passengers with health issues should consult a doctor about a flight with a hot air balloon and its effect on their health taking into account a rough landing or flight high in the mountains. Passengers with back problems or recent bone operations and/or passengers with heart problems should not fly. Every passenger has to be able to get in and out of the basket without any help to participate in the flight. Passengers with disability that are participating in the flight with hot air balloons are doing that at their own risk and the Operator does not take responsibility for losses caused or injuries.

10.5. The right to forbid participation in the flight. We have the right to refuse you to take on a flight using reasonable freedom of action and we decide that: a) such action is necessary due to safety measures; b) such action is necessary to abide by all applicable laws, rules, and regulations; c) your current state of being including substance use such as alcohol or drugs causes danger to yourself, other passengers or our team; d) you have obvious critical health problem; e) you have acted inadequately on the previous flight; f) you have not paid the whole price; g) if you are unable to keep yourself in the right landing position (with knees bent and hands on handles). We can ask you to issue us a certification from a doctor or a specialist that you are suited to participate in the flight.

10.6. We will refuse a flight for a person who has participated in diving under the sea on the previous day before the hot air balloon flight.

10.7. When registering for a flight you have to mention the weight (kg) of the passenger. In separate cases, we can demand an additional fee and special requirements for a passenger that weighs more than 110 kg.

10.8. All the personal belongings that the passenger takes on the flight are their responsibility. We highly recommend NOT to take valuables or passport or identification documents on the flight. Bags, backpacks, and other things can not be taken on the flight due to weight and safety measures. Small personal belongings (jackets, jumpers, clutches) can be left at the flight team’s vehicle and received after the flight. We recommend you get trip insurance or insurance against losses that might be caused because of theft or losses of personal belongings that are left outside of the flight basket because we will not take any responsibility for the safekeeping of the belongings.

11.1. Filming and photographing. As a part of your flight with a hot air balloon, we are taking photos and/or filming. By taking part in the flight you agree that all copyrights for pictures and/or videos belong to the Operator and you admit that we reserve all the rights to use those pictures and/or videos in any media channels and any other ways without payment or other benefits from us.

11.2. Insurance. Insurance about aviation risks in Latvia is regulated by aviation laws. Every airship and Operators responsibility is insured. The valid insurance certification for our airship YL-016 can be seen HERE.

11.3. Corrections. The operator reserves the right to make any changes to these rules and requirements at any given time. You are responsible for frequent reviewing of these rules.