Most operator disputes are not about who was right. They are about a situation neither side had agreed on in advance, and the operator loses those by default because the passenger has already paid and the counterparty has already promised something.
This describes what to cover. Have a lawyer write the final wording — the value here is knowing what to point them at.
The eight clauses
1. What is included. Fuel, landing and handling, crew. State it even where obvious, because a competing quote may include less and the passenger cannot see the difference. We show a "from" price per route; the final fare depends on the date, the group and the baggage, and is confirmed in writing before booking.
2. The waiting rule. We quote waiting time and aircraft overnights at the destination: tell us whether you return the same day or the aircraft waits, and we include it in the price. The single largest variation in what a job is worth, and the clause most often left implicit.
3. Baggage, in pieces and dimensions. Not kilos. This is the most common apron problem in regional charter.
4. The cancellation ladder. Three numbers: seven days, forty-eight hours, twelve hours. Make the last step meaningful — a ladder whose final rung is ten per cent tells the passenger that cancelling the night before is nearly free.
5. What happens when you cancel. Weather, airworthiness, duty. Credit, rebooking at the same rate, or refund — pick one and say it.
6. The no-fault case. The flight departs and the destination closes. Somebody is out of pocket and both readings are plausible afterwards, which is why it goes in beforehand.
7. Group size changes. Eight passengers dropping to four changes neither the aircraft nor the cost.
8. Payment and invoicing. AeroRide invoices and charges directly from the site; you receive your receipt in the name of the person or company you give us on confirmation. Including what happens if a corporate client's terms conflict with yours, because they will.
That conflict is worth anticipating rather than discovering. A corporate buyer will send their own purchase terms and expect them to govern, and an operator who has never decided which clauses they will not give up negotiates each one individually under time pressure — usually at the point where the work is nearly won and conceding feels cheap.
The wording that decides arguments
Specific numbers rather than adjectives. "Reasonable notice" is an argument; "forty-eight hours" is not.
Who decides, named. The operator decides whether a flight goes. Stating it removes a conversation you should never be having.
And what is not included. A San José–Tamarindo at 97.1 nautical miles where ground transport at the far end was assumed by the passenger and never mentioned by anyone is a complaint about your service.
What to leave to a lawyer
Liability limits and indemnities. Jurisdiction-specific and not something to copy from another operator's document.
Anything touching your certificate. Terms cannot alter your regulatory obligations and should not appear to try.
And consumer protection. Some clauses are unenforceable against a private individual regardless of what both parties signed, and that varies by where the passenger is.
Where to put them
In the quote, by reference, and in the confirmation, in full.
A passenger who receives terms only after paying has received them too late to be bound by them in any practical sense, and a counterparty who has never seen them will act as though they do not exist.
Revising them
Once a year, alongside the rate review. And after any dispute — a Tortuguero transfer at 53.4 nautical miles that produced an argument has told you which clause was missing. Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.
Write the answer into the terms rather than into a memory. The memory leaves with whoever had it.
Frequently asked questions
Is this legal advice?
No. It describes what to cover so a lawyer's drafting is aimed and cheaper.
Which clause is most often left implicit?
The waiting rule, which is the largest single variation in what a job is worth.
How should the cancellation ladder be built?
Three numbers, with a meaningful final rung. Ten per cent tells the passenger that cancelling the night before is nearly free.
What wording decides arguments?
Specific numbers rather than adjectives, a named decision-maker, and an explicit list of what is not included.
What should a lawyer handle?
Liability limits and indemnities, anything touching your certificate, and consumer protection.
When do I revise them?
Annually with the rate review, and after any dispute — it has told you which clause was missing.
Let us talk
Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.