A Heads Up on Helicopter Pricing This Summer

A heads up on helicopter pricing

We believe in being straight with our guests‚ so here’s an honest conversation about something that may affect pricing on our helicopter-assisted trips this season.

What’s Going On

Fuel costs have been anything but predictable lately. Like a lot of industries that run on aviation, we’re watching the market closely and navigating the uncertainty alongside the helicopter operator we partner with to deliver our Helicopter experiences on Matanuska Glacier.

Here’s the situation: Depending on where fuel prices land this summer, our helicopter operator may need to raise rates or implement a fuel surcharge. If that happens, we’d have no choice but to pass some or all of that cost along to guests booking helicopter trips with us.

To Be Clear, This May Not Happen

We want to be upfront: this is not a confirmed price increase As of now, our published rates stand as listed. We’re not raising prices preemptively, and we’re not interested in padding margins under the guise of operational costs.

But if fuel costs keep rising, a surcharge is a real possibility, and we’d rather give you a heads up now than surprise you with it later.  To be honest, if the cost of using the helicopter goes up too much we would not be able to afford to run the trip.  So, should a Surcharge become necessary, it would apply even if you have already booked your trip.

Which Trips Are Affected?

Any experience that involves helicopter transport to the glacier could be impacted.  Our ground-accessed trips, Ice Fall Trek, Advanced Trek, Ice Climbing, are not affected by aviation fuel costs and will remain at their current pricing regardless.

What We’re Doing About It

As summer approaches, we’ll be working closely with our helicopter partner to monitor fuel costs and their ongoing impact on our rates.  If fuel prices remain volatile during the summer and a surcharge is needed we will:

– Send a reminder email 10 days in advance to booked guests with a link to this page for updates.

– Post on this page the current sur charge with it’s “expiration date”.  We will commit to the posted surcharge within that expiration date so that you can know approximately what to expect.

– Should you decide that the sur charge will be too much for you, you may cancel your trip within the usual cancellation parameters for a refund.

Why Tell You Now?

Because you deserve to plan with accurate information. If you’re budgeting for a summer trip to Matanuska Glacier and a helicopter experience is on your list, it’s worth knowing this is on the horizon, even if it ultimately doesn’t materialize.

We’ve been operating on this glacier for over a 25 years. Our reputation is built on honest communication and delivering exactly what we promise. That doesn’t change when costs get uncomfortable to talk about.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  Email is always best and I will personally reply on this topic.

Don

Don Wray

Owner, MICA Guides