What does UKFlightExperiences do? How does the booking process work?
UKFlightExperiences (called 'UKFE' from now on) is a service which matches passengers with pilots. Pilots sign up to provide services for us and UKFE conducts the necessary checks to ensure that they meet our standards of competence. At the moment, this includes a review of every pilot's flight time, licence, medical certificate, general attitudes and also a practical flight test. Once verified, that pilot is able to publish flights and accept bookings on our platform, and customer booking requests will be routed to that pilot. If the pilot holds necessary licences to enable them to operate commercially, they are able to set their own prices for their flights. If the pilot is not permitted to operate commercially, UKFE sets the prices at a cost-shared amount.
We do charge our own booking fees on top of flights posted by our pilots. There are transaction fees involved in payment processing and a website costs money to run. However, unlike our competitors, we pledge to keep those fees in single-digit amounts (i.e. always less than 10%). Our main competitor charges more than double this amount. As a result, you won't find cheaper sightseeing flights anywhere else in the UK.
How do I make a booking, and how does it work?Choose your flight then head to our booking page. You'll be asked to select your flight, choose a date and time then fill in some additional information about yourself and your passengers. You will not be asked for payment at this stage. Press the "Submit Booking Request" button once you're happy with everything you've entered.
In general, we only accept bookings more than 3 days in advance and we publish availability up to a year in the future. New dates are added every day, if available. If only weekends or certain days of the week are available, it's because your pilot has a full-time job elsewhere and doesn't offer sightseeing flights on those days.
After successfully submitting a booking request, you'll receive a booking summary email confirming all the details you've told us and if it's the first time you've booked with us you'll also receive a link to verify your email address. Verify your email as soon as possible because your pilot can't accept a booking if your email address isn't verified - it's their primary way of contacting you.
After verification, your pilot may be in touch with you to discuss any special requests, route changes or the date and time of your flight.
Once all the details have been agreed, your pilot will confirm your booking and you'll be asked to provide payment. If we don't receive payment within 48 hours after confirmation, the flight will be automatically cancelled.
Your pilot may also be in touch closer to your flight date to talk about the weather forecast and any necessary flight briefing information. If you're wondering about the weather but haven't heard from your pilot, you can check our handy weather tool. We only provide forecast information 5 days in advance because anything beyond that could be wildly inaccurate.
We recommend passengers arrive at the airfield at least 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time to ensure the smooth running of the day. Text your pilot when you arrive (their number will be in your pre-flight briefing email) and they'll come to meet you in the car park / at the barrier. Then it's a matter of minutes to walk to the aircraft, complete any outstanding pre-departure checks and start rolling down the runway.
We hope you enjoy your flight!