A helicopter flight over Franz Josef and Fox glaciers is definitely a not-to-be-missed life experience. We had fabulous weather, had a good look at the glaciers and did a snow landing for ten minutes at the top of one of the glaciers.....darn I can't remember which one. Couple of points - the young chap doing the safety briefing before we left had clearly done it hundreds of times before and it was all a bit of a yawn, so his presentation was very casual and superficial and for good measure interrupted by a phone call. He left the office and dashed away to the helicopter landing site, leaving his five elderly passengers to make their way by themselves through heavy traffic across a busy road. I think he could have been a bit more conscious of safety. Some companies ask their passengers to rotate seats between the first and second legs of the trip to give everybody a chance at a good view. This pilot didn't, with the result that the same thoughtless people occupied the seats with the best views on both legs. Considering the cost was a total of $500 per couple for twenty minutes in the air, pilots should absolutely insist on rotation. Maybe check with companies as to their policy about this before you book.
Sorry to hear you did not receive a window seat, we do encourage passengers to switch seats during the snow landing, however ultimately the pilots are responsible for the safety of each flight which includes the distribution of weight to safely balance the helicopter. Unfortunately changing seats isn’t always possible. We endeavor to provide customer service above what is expected and sorry if we have fallen short.
I hope you enjoyed the rest of your NZ experience.
From the Team at Glacier Helicopters
We took the trip up to the Fox Glacier with a snow landing. The trip was excellent and the pilot gave a good commentary about the glacier and the surrounding area.
The snow landing was great, with opportunities to take photos, etc. our 2 year old loved it as she had not experienced proper snow before.
Overall an excellent trip that I would recommend to take if you get the chance.
Hi There
We are Very glad you and your family enjoyed the flight & snow experience with us, touching snow for the first time in an incredible experience for young & old
Enjoy the rest of our time in New Zealand
From the Team at Glacier Helicopters
This was an amazing experience and something i will never forget.Visited Fox and Franz Josef Glacier and landed on Fox glacier on a perfect evening.The trip lasts about 25 minutes and costs 225$ (n.z) The whole experience felt really safe in the hands of our pilot and would recommend this company if you want to give it a go.
Thank you for the fantastic feedback, great to hear you had an amazing trip & enjoyed your Glacier experience.
From the team at Glacier Helicopters
It was absolutely fantastic. Both the flight and the snowlanding are amazing. With perfectly clear skies on a hot summer afternoon we flew up the Franz Jozef glacier to land on top of the glacier snow (neve) and fly down the Fox glacier. The most amazing way to experience this beautiful phenomena.
Thanks for the great review, we enjoy hearing positive feedback from satisfied customers.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your NZ experience as much.
From the Team at Glacier Helicopters
Booked online 3 weeks prior to arrival in Fox Glacier - speedy and prompt service. Called the day before as requested as we knew that poor weather would mean a cancellation - no problems, so we were excited and ready to go!. Arrived just before the allocated time slot to be told as there would be only two of us, the trip was cancelled and we'd have to wait an hour and go with the 'sister company' across the road. We didn't have an hour to 'hang around' and sadly the guy on reception couldn't have cared less. Poor customer service.
Will spend the $800 on something else.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review.
As part of our terms and conditions minimum passenger numbers apply for all flights, bookings are coordinated to achieve this where possible and unfortunately on some occasions flights do not have the minimum numbers & clients have to be rescheduled.
Our apologies for the customer service our staff member should have been more helpful with the matter, we have addressed it with our staff to ensure this doesn't happen in the future
We hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday in New Zealand.
From The Heli Base Manager at Glacier Helicopters
