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Q:
Does my infant get charged a fare?
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Infants (aged 7 days to 23 months) travel free
- Infants must be seated on an adults lap and do not occupy a seat.
- To qualify for the free airfare for your infant you MUST present their birth certificate at the time of booking & checking in
- The baggage allowance for infants is 5kilos.
Please note that infants must be more than 7 days old to travel with Chathams Pacific.
Important: Do You have more than 1 infant travelling with you?
If you have more than 1 infant please read the FAQ titled "I am travelling with two infants. Can they both travel for free?".
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Q:
What currency are fares quoted in?
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All fares are quoted in Tongan Pa'anga ($TOP) and will be converted to $NZD at time of payment online.
Airfares include all applicable taxes and airport fees.
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Q:
Can I take oversized items such as Surfboards, Bikes or Guitars with me?
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Over-sized items such as surfboards and bicycles may be carried subject to the following:
- Carriage is generally only possible on the Convair & Metro aircraft which service the Ha'apai & Vavau & Tongatapu Islands
- A handling fee of $TOP30 is charged
- Carriage is not guaranteed and your over-sized/excess items may be off loaded or carried on a separate flight
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Please advise us in advance of your surboard / bike weight and dimensions so that we can assist.
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Q:
What are Chathams Pacific's baggage allowances ?
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Chathams Pacific have generous baggage allowances applicable to all our aircraft:
- Adults & children - 20kg maximum with excess baggage payable over this limit
- Infants - baggage allowance of 5kg
- Carry on baggage - 5kg maximum
There are a range of excess baggage rates depending on your destination (and therefore the distance travelled)
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Q:
What fare classes does Chathams have and how to they work?
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Please refer to your itinerary and our terms and conditions of travel to ensure that you have booked (or your agent has booked) the most appropriate fare for your needs.
How It Works:
- Most bookings made are flexible fare classes (B & Y) fares allowing you to make updates to your bookings (for a fee).
- If you are in any doubt about your travel then you should choose a Y fare which is also refundable.
- Periodically Chathams Pacific offer discounted Q class fares to the market which are strictly "use it or lose it". It is vitally important that you understand that if you require changes to your booking then there must be at least 48 hours notice, an upgrade to a flexible fare applies as does a change fee. Refunds ARE NOT possible if you have purchased a Q fare.
Travel Insurance - don't forget that if circumstances change resulting in your being unable to travel then you should check your insurance policy to see if loss of airfares are covered.
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Q:
Are Your Aircraft Pressurised?
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Our 50 seat Convair and 18 seat Metroliner aircraft are both pressurised and operate mainly on the longer flights.
The DC3 and our smaller 10 seater aircraft are not pressurised and operate mainly on the shorter sectors and at lower altitudes than the pressurised aircraft.
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Q:
I have excess baggage, can I take it with me?
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Yes, generally you will be able to carry your excess baggage subject to the following:
- All excess baggage is carried on a space available basis
- Over-sized items such as surf boards may not be able to be carried on the smaller aircraft (there is another FAQ dealing with oversized items)
- You should make prior arrangements to carry large or heavy items.
- Excess baggage rates apply
- Even though you may pay the excess baggage charge it does not guarantee the excess will travel on the same flight as you. All aircraft have payload restrictions and the carriage of excess baggage will be determined 15 minutes prior to departure. We will advise you prior to departure if we are unable to carry your excess on your flight. Should it not be able to travel it will go on the next flight that has space available.
If you need your excess baggage carried on a guaranteed basis please contact us at the time of booking. We will look at your specific needs and recommend options and costs.
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Q:
Why do infants need to be booked even through they travel for free?
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It is required for safety and legal reasons that we know how many passengers are travelling on each flight and each passengers details.
Our aircraft types have regulated limitations on the number of infants carried on one flight and booking infants ensures we do not exceed these limits. Infants that are not booked on flights will not be accepted for travel.
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Q:
I am travelling with two infants. Can they both travel for free?
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No. Only one infant can travel free of charge with each adult.
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Q:
How old does my child have to be to travel as a child?
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Your child must be aged 2 years to 11 years on the day of travel to be classed as a child.
As soon as they have turned twelve years they need to purchase an adult's seat.
Proof of age in the form of a copy of their birth certificate or passport will be required at the time of making the booking and at check in. Failure to produce this documentation will result in an adult fare being charged.
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Q:
Can I make changes to my booking?
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Chathams Pacific do understand that, periodically, people need to make changes to their itinerary. To this end, Chathams Pacific's change fees are modest compared to many other airlines and they also offer a simplified airfare structure.
Please read the terms and conditions of your booking to ensure that you have (or your agent has) booked the appropriate fare class to suit your needs.
Important Note To Travellers:
- Not all fare classes are flexible and some cheaper fares are "use it or lose it"
- If you need to make changes to your booking, change fees apply as do time limits on how close to the date of travel
- Only the Y (flexi class) is refundable
- It is recommended that you carry adequate travel insurance to cover your needs.
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Q:
I have an international connection - can I fly the same day with you?
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Many travellers choose to travel the same day as their international connection however please note:
- Tonga is a very small Kingdom with limited flight schedules
- Tonga does not allow flights on a Sunday
- Every airline in the world suffers aviation disruptions and every one of them does its utmost to minimise the consequences. That said - If there is a disrupt eg. for weather - then you may well miss any international connection.
- Chathams Pacific are NOT RESPONSIBLE should you miss an international connection due to a disruption.
We recommend that you carry adequate travel insurance and ensure that you understand the risk and consequences to you personally should a disrupt mean you are unable to meet your outbound flight.
Tourism in Tongatapu is vibrant with many attractions - if missing your outbound flight were to cause you massive upset then please stay over rather than take the risk of missing your flight.
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Q:
Group Bookings - Who Qualifies?
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7 adults travelling together (same flights on the same day) qualify for our Group booking discounts.
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Q:
Group Bookings - Can each person pay separately?
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No. You must make a 50% deposit to secure the booking and complete the entire payment by the date advised by your reservation consultant.
If everyone wishes to pay separately then they need to book individually and will not be extended the group booking fares.
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Q:
Why are there empty seats on the plane when they said it was full?
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Due to the high atmospheric temperatures within Tonga, it is not uncommon for an aircraft to be restricted in how much payload it can carry. The reason for these performance restrictions is to ensure the aircraft is operated safely.
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Q:
Can I send my child by him/herself (without an adult)
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Children must be at least five years old to travel by themselves on Chathams Pacific flights.
When children are travelling by themselves they will be classed as 'unaccompanied minors' and you will be required to fill in forms at check in. Someone must be there to meet them at the other end and sign for them.
Children under the age of 5 can not travel without an adult.
