Refund, Rescheduling and Booking Policy
The full terms that apply to discovery flights, lessons and gift certificates booked with us, written plainly so there is nothing to discover on the day of your flight.
Why a flight booking works differently
When you book a discovery flight you are not buying a seat on a scheduled service. You are reserving a specific aircraft, a specific instructor and a specific slot on a busy airfield, and all three are held out of the diary for you alone. If that slot goes unused an hour before it starts, nobody else can take it. That is the reason our cancellation terms are firmer than a retail purchase.
In exchange, we try to be genuinely flexible on the things you cannot control. Weather in the Valley changes, aircraft occasionally go unserviceable, and life gets in the way. If we cancel for any reason, you are rescheduled at no cost and nothing is forfeited. If you need to move a booking and you tell us in reasonable time, that is also free. The only charges that exist are for very late changes and for slots that are simply not used.
Everything below applies to Discovery Flights, dual flight lessons, introductory flights, simulator sessions and gift certificates. Prices and availability are subject to change without notice, though a certificate or booking already paid for is honoured at the price you paid. If any of it is unclear, phone (818) 290-8249 between 9 AM and 9 PM and ask before you buy. We would far rather explain a term in advance than argue about it later.
This policy was last updated in April 2023. Anything not covered here is dealt with case by case and in your favor where we reasonably can. Reaching us is straightforward: email alex@laflightschool.com or call the office. Refund and rescheduling requests should go in writing so there is a record of the date and time you sent them.
What applies to each thing you can book
The terms differ slightly between products, so here is each one with its price and its rules.
Standard Private Pilot
The full FAA Private Pilot Certificate. Where most students start.
Learn morePremium Private Pilot
The widest margin of hours for students who want no surprises.
Learn moreInstrument Rating
The rating that makes a license useful in Southern California weather.
Learn moreTry it first — a discovery flight from Van Nuys
You fly the aircraft from the left seat with an instructor beside you. The time is loggable and counts toward a certificate.
Luxury Cirrus For Two
The SR22 Turbo, glass cockpit. 90 min $549, 120 min $699.
Learn moreRedbird Simulator Session
FAA-approved full-motion MCX, on the field at Van Nuys.
Learn moreHow to change or cancel a booking
Send the request in writing to alex@laflightschool.com, giving the name on the booking, the date and time of the flight and the new dates that would work. Do this at least 48 hours before your reservation and there is no charge at all. Inside 48 hours a $50 rebooking fee applies, because at that point the aircraft and instructor have already been taken out of the diary and are unlikely to be filled. Phoning (818) 290-8249 also works, but follow it up in writing.
If we are the ones canceling, you owe nothing and nothing is lost. Adverse weather and mechanical issues are the usual causes, and we reserve the right to reschedule to a later date or adjust the route for safety. Marine layer and wind at Van Nuys can change inside an hour, so occasionally the call is made shortly before your slot. You will be offered the next available time that suits you.
Refunds, where one is due, are processed to the original payment method and normally land within 10 business days. Banks and card issuers add their own processing time on top. If more than 15 business days have passed since we approved a refund and nothing has appeared, email alex@laflightschool.com with the booking details and we will chase it. For merchandise shipped into the European Union, a 14-day cancellation right applies, with the item returned unused and in its original packaging.
The reasoning behind each rule
Why flights are non-refundable
Discovery Flights, dual lessons, introductory flights and gift certificates are non-refundable once purchased. A booked slot removes an aircraft and an instructor from availability for everyone else, and it cannot be resold at short notice. The trade-off is that rescheduling is generous: with 48 hours notice you can move a flight as often as you reasonably need to.
Why 30 minutes late counts as a no-show
A discovery flight includes a ground briefing before you get near the aircraft, and the slot behind yours belongs to someone else. Arriving half an hour late means the flight can no longer be flown properly inside the time booked. Flights in that position are marked completed and charged in full, so allow for traffic on Balboa Blvd and Sherman Way.
Why we may refuse a flight
We reserve the right to refuse service, and the reasons are all safety ones: intoxication, impairment, or any other indication that a passenger is unfit to fly. Passengers may be subject to a safety search before boarding. Where service is refused on those grounds the flight may still be charged, since the slot has been used up either way.
Why prices can change
All flights are subject to availability, and prices and schedules can change without prior notice as fuel, insurance and maintenance costs move. What does not change is a price you have already paid: a booking or gift certificate is honoured at its purchase value regardless of what the current rate is when it is redeemed.
Weather, aircraft and safety cancellations
Your safety and your experience come ahead of the schedule, every time. If wind, visibility, ceiling or a mechanical issue means a flight should not go, it does not go, and we reschedule at no cost to you. We also reserve the right to adjust the route for safety, which happens more often than a full cancellation: a coastal run may become a Valley and mountain route if the marine layer is sitting over Santa Monica Bay. The flight time you paid for is still flown.
Aircraft substitution works the same way. There are seven aircraft on our line plus the Redbird MCX simulator, so if the airframe you were booked into goes unserviceable we can usually offer another of the same class at the same price on the same day. If the substitute is a more expensive type there is no extra charge. If the only option is a cheaper type and you would rather not, we simply reschedule and no fee applies.
Who can fly, and what to bring
These requirements are set by safety and by federal identification rules, and they are not negotiable on the day.
Identification
US passengers aged 18 and over must present a valid federal or state-issued photo ID. Non-US passengers must present a valid foreign passport; a driving license from another country is not accepted.
Weight limits
Maximum combined passenger weight is 370 lb, and individual weight for a Discovery Flight must not exceed 180 lb. Weight confirmation may be requested on arrival, since it feeds directly into the aircraft weight and balance calculation.
Age and minors
Passengers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and children under 5 are not permitted on flights. Child seats cannot be accommodated because there is no safe way to fit one in a light aircraft cabin.
Liability release
Every passenger signs a liability release form before their flight, and a parent or guardian signs on behalf of a minor. It takes two minutes at the desk, and it is part of why we ask you to arrive ahead of your slot time.
Common questions
No. Discovery Flights, dual flight lessons, introductory flights and gift certificates are non-refundable once purchased. What you can do is reschedule, free of charge with at least 48 hours notice, and there is no limit on how many times you reasonably need to do that. If the date no longer works, move it rather than canceling.
We cancel or reschedule at no cost to you, and nothing is forfeited. The decision is made by the instructor on duty against real conditions rather than a forecast, so the call sometimes comes shortly before your slot. You will be offered the next time that suits you, and we will hold your original price.
The vendor you bought from, not us. Third-party sellers set their own refund terms and process their own payments, so we cannot refund a transaction we did not take. We will still honour the flight itself and reschedule it under our normal terms.
Unfortunately not. We are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged certificates or vouchers, nor for unauthorised use, and certificates are not replaced under any circumstances. Photograph the certificate when you receive it and keep the code somewhere safe. If it was emailed to you, the original message is usually recoverable from your archive.
Thirty minutes. Beyond that the flight is marked as completed and charged in full, because the briefing plus the flight will no longer fit inside your slot. If you are running late, call (818) 290-8249 straight away. Sometimes the schedule behind you allows a shortened flight, and we would rather try than write it off.
Refunds go back to the original payment method and are normally completed within 10 business days of approval. Your bank or card issuer then needs its own time to post the credit. If more than 15 business days have passed since approval and you still see nothing, email alex@laflightschool.com with the booking name and date and we will follow it up.
Yes, in most cases. Tell us the new passenger name in advance so we can prepare the paperwork and check the weight limits. The new passenger still needs valid photo identification and still signs the liability release. Transfers made inside 48 hours attract the $50 rebooking fee.
Yes. Dual flight lessons hold the same aircraft and instructor as any other booking, so the same notice period and the same $50 late rebooking fee apply. Enrolled students who need to move a lesson usually message their instructor directly, which is the quickest way to find a slot that works.
Questions about a booking you have made
Call (818) 290-8249 between 9 AM and 9 PM any day, or email alex@laflightschool.com with your booking name and date. We answer policy questions before you buy as readily as after.
Get the full training plan and price sheet
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