New - Secure Payments Gateway for Bookings

The new booking system makes it easy for the club to offer a more secure way of paying for bookings. The eWay payment gateway conforms to financial industry security standards to protect the privacy of your card details.
We have delayed turning on this facility until the end of the priority booking period for members, AAC members and family.
On or about 15 March this facility will be turned on to allow you to pay easily and securely from within the booking system.

When you receive an invoice for your booking, log on to the booking system, and use menu Members/View My Bookings.

Find the booking you want to pay for and, click on Pay or Cancel Booking at the end of its row.

The booking details will be displayed. Scroll down to the bottom and see a group of buttons. Click Pay for this booking. This will take you to the eWay payment gateway. Enter your credit or debit card details and click Process transaction then wait until you are returned to the booking system page.

Do not attempt to pay before you receive an invoice. Premature payment will not confirm your booking. Similarly, it is safest to avoid paying the outstanding balance because you may inadvertently pay for bookings which have not yet been approved. If a paid-for booking cannot be approved there may be delay in organising a credit or refund.

The User Guide has been updated to include these instructions.

Please don't pay for bookings until you receive an invoice

Bookings need to be approved by the Booking Officer. From 1 February until 15 March, many bookings have to wait in accordance with the booking priority policy before they can be approved.
When you booking is approved, you will be emailed an Invoice. That is the time to pay.

Premature payment will not confirm a booking. There may be delays in organising a credit or refund if the booking cannot be aproved.

Tips for using the new booking system

Now that many members have used the new system, we can see that there some things that catch a few people out:

1. Make sure that you are up-to-date with subs and any other payments a few days before opening of bookings to allow time for the booking system to be updated.
2. Scroll to make sure all the dates that you want are visible on the screen before starting to select beds/dates.
3. Before selecting a bed, check which other beds in the room are already booked. Especially important if you are planning to add guests later.
4. At Step 2, you are asked to enter Guest's names. In this context, guests includes members and AAC members. 
5. As you type in the surname, the system will look for matches in its database and suggest these to you in a "drop-down". To get Member or AAC rates, you must select one of the suggested names. Otherwise the name won't be recognised and you will only be offered Guest rates.
6. For winter, the system will enforce the AAC rules for weekend bookings and any other  bookings that are not 5 or 7 days beginning on a Sunday (other than opening  weekend and race weekend). If you try to make such a booking, you will be asked if you would like to be waitlisted. In that case, the beds will not be held, but your interest will be noted and at the appropriate time (eg 19 days prior for members) the booking officer will see if your booking can be approved. This automates the informal practice where members have given the booking officer early notice that there were weekends that they would like if possible.
7. If you wish to book for more than 14 consecutive days (requires committee approval in peak), break up your booking so that no booking exceeds 14 days
8. If all else fails, read the instructions 😉

Do you have any tips to pass on to other members? Share them in the comments below.

New Booking System is Here

Winter bookings open on 1 February and you can make those bookings using the new online booking system.

The booking system that AAC adopted several years ago was great for checking availability but relatively few members used it to make bookings.

AAC Anton moved to a new booking system for last ski season and their members have been much more enthusiastic about using it. After careful consideration, the committee decided to move to the same system. AAC Perisher has also decided to move to this system and AAC Dinner Plain is considering it.

Members can find the new system at aacfallscreek.cbdweb.net/memberlogin.php. There are links on the website and also on the blog sidebar under stay with us. You use your surname and debenture number to log on. The system can help you to retrieve your debenture number if you don't know it.

Instructions on using the system can be found via the club website. The system is very easy to use, but please make sure to read the guide if you want to book for Victorian winter school holidays.

Members should receive an email with more information about the system. If you don't receive it on 31st January then it probably means that we don't have a valid email address for you. Please contact ProAcct or the Booking Officer if that is the case.

New Booking System

The booking system that AAC adopted several years ago was great for checking availability but relatively few members use it to make bookings.

AAC Anton moved to a new booking system for last ski season and their members have been much more enthusiastic about using it. After careful consideration, the committee have decided to move to this system too. AAC lodges at Dinner Plan and Perisher are also considering this system.

We are working towards having the new system available by the time 2018 ski season bookings open on 1 February. Alan will be using the system to manage summer bookings and we will be fine tuning the system to meet AAC Falls Creek needs.

In the meantime, if you are making summer bookings, please email Alan Long. The old booking system should not be used.

Booking Officer contacts details are changing

Alan Long will still be our booking officer, but after many years Ken Long Tyre Specialists has closed so contact details will change.

From 15 July, contact details will be

Phone: 03 9328 4491 (unchanged but likely to change after the season)
Email: mrkflong@bigpond.com (unchanged)
Post: 24 St James Rd Heidelberg 3084
 and of course the online booking system lodgebooking.com.au/aac_falls_creek/memberPortal.php

This change also presented an opportunity to review the service provided. It is rare for bookings to be made by FAX or in person. Bookings by these means will no longer be available.

We wish Alan all the best as he enters a new stage in his career.

Peaks Challenge March 2017 - get in quick

The Peaks Challenge (formerly 3 Peaks) cycling event is big. Hundreds of cyclists stay at Falls Creek before and after the grueling circuit ride that takes them down the mountain, across Tawonga Gap, over Mt Hotham, down to Omeo and back up to Falls.

Falls Creek Resort Management encourages all lodges to make beds available for this event.

In 2015 & 2016 the club worked with Falls Creek Central Reservations to enable competitors to become Summer Associates and stay at the lodge for the weekend. It was very successful and we will do the same again. As well as contributing to the development of green season, this event bought a healthy injection of summer revenue to the club.

We expect that all rooms will be booked well before the event.

So if you or your friends and family are intending on coming to the lodge for that weekend, BOOK NOW

Special arrangements for Peaks Challenge weekend

• Bookings are for 3 nights starting Friday 10 March
• Linen is provided
• If you book through the club, costs are Members $210, AAC $240, Guests $270
• There is no discount for children
• Bookings through Central Reservations will attract a higher fee.
• Bookings for members are open immediately. Beds will soon be made available guests through Central Reservations.
• The games room and TV rooms will not be available - they are reserved for bike storage

Summer specials

The committee understands that for many members, the $300 minimum fee in summer is a deterrent. While we can't get rid of it all together (getting the lodge up and running does cost a bit), we are continuing the trial of selected weekends/holiday periods having no minimum fee.

For this summer, you can stay without fear of minimum fee on

• Ignition Mountain Bike weekend - 18-20 November
• Christmas/New Year week
• Easter

The committee hope to be able to announce one or more extra times for 2017, probably to coincide with mountain bike shuttles.

Spring at AAC Falls

There is still over a metre of snow, especially on the south side. Spring skiing is sunny days, fast morning groomers, slush bumps and creamy off-piste corn.

There are still vacancies at the lodge, so why not take advantage of the spring conditions and spring specials and sneak in another trip before the long summer.

Booking system

Peaks Weekend

Once again all rooms in the lodge were booked for the Peaks cycling weekend and all our guests seemed very happy with the facilities.

Peaks Challenge Falls Creek is the 235 gruelling kilometre loop from Falls Creek, over Tawonga Gap, Mt Hotham and the Bogong High Plain - in a 13 hour time limit. Held on the Labour Day weekend in March each year this event is huge and needs every bed that the village can provide.

This is a welcome boost to summer income but it's also an important step in the overall growth of Falls Creek as a summer destination.

As Myra said

"It's a crazy busy weekend. It is the biggest event that Falls Creek sees all year.
Great atmosphere in the village. Finish line was a great spot to be."

a drone captured this amazing picture of the pre-dawn start - click picture for larger version

The lodge books out very early for this event, so if you'd like to come up and part of the festive atmosphere (or participate in the ride) you need to book early. There is no longer an opening date for summer bookings, so don't wait till spring. There is a special package for the lodge for the event: minimum 3 nights with linen and cleaning provided.

Booking at other AAC lodges - made easy

Have you sometimes thought about booking at other AAC lodges but never quite got around to it? The online booking system makes this a lot easier. Anton at Hotham, AAC Dinner Plain and AAC Perisher all use the same booking system as AAC Falls Creek. You can see when there are vacancies and make bookings. There will be some differences in the detail, but the process should be very similar.

Check out the User Instructions to see how to automatically register at another lodge and then switch to its booking system.

Bookings Open Monday 1 Feb

This year the online booking system will be available for winter bookings from 1 February.

The exception is for June/July Victorian school holidays (26 June to 9 July). Bookings for this high demand period should be made using the old forms. After 1 March any vacancies in that period can be booked online.

There have been some refinements to the booking system and the user guide has been revised to reflect these.

Please use the online system wherever possible for your bookings.

Prime time vacancy

The first week in August in August is historically one of the best snow weeks. This year Race Weekend falls at the end of that week, so the weekend is all but booked out. However, there are still 2 rooms available for the 5 midweek nights beginning Sunday 2 August.

With good snow forecast at last, this is a great opportunity to grab some prime time at the lodge.

Peaks Challenge 2016 - get in early

The Peaks Challenge (formerly known as 3 Peaks) is held each year on the March Labour Day weekend. Hundreds of cyclists head off at the crack of dawn to ride the 235km loop from Falls Creek to Tawonga Gap, over Mt Hotham and back up to Falls Creek. It is a hugely popular event and requires all the accommodation the village can provide.

In 2015 the club worked with Falls Creek Central Reservations to enable competitors to become Summer Associates and stay at the lodge for the weekend. It was very successful and we will do the same again. As well as contributing to the development of green season, this event bought a healthy injection of summer revenue to the club.

We expect that all rooms will be booked well before the event. Last year some AAC members were disappointed that they could not get in.

So if you or your friends and family are intending on coming to the lodge for that weekend, BOOK NOW

Special arrangements for Peaks Challenge weekend

• Bookings are for 3 nights starting Friday 11 March
• Linen is provided
• Cost for 3 nights is $264* if you book through the club. Bookings through Central Reservations will attract a higher fee.
• Bookings for members are open immediately
• Entries for the actual event openned on 20 July, and accommodation bookings are sure to follow.
• The games room and TV rooms will not be available - they are reserved for bike storage

* Fee for an existing member is $20 less

Sunny September is almost here

There is still a metre of snow, more in the snowmaking areas. All the runs are open.  The days are getting longer and it's great enjoying the spring skiing.

There are vacancies at the lodge, and off-peak prices are a bargain. You still get a continental brekkie to get you off to a great start.

Check out the vacancies in the booking system and make the best of this great spring.

Online Booking System is open

By now members should have received an email with their userid and password.

You can logon now  Online Booking System 

Instructions on using the system can be viewed or downloaded at aacfallscreek.com/xDocs/Booking-System/User-Instructions.pdf.

New online booking system

For some time the committee has been considering the possibility of an online booking system. We thought it would be useful to have, but we needed something that would fit our booking rules and practices and not increase the cost of your stays. We have now decided to adopt the system that is already in use for AAC lodges at Anton, Dinner Plain and Perisher. This system was developed by an AAC member and has evolved over the last few years to meet the varying needs of the different lodges. While it may not have all the bells and whistles you might ideally like, it should make booking more convenient for many members.

When complete, the new booking system will allow you to

• see actual vacancies
• see your bookings
• submit booking requests online
• pay for your booking online by Visa and Mastercard
• pay for your booking by EFT (outside the system)
• in future, book into other AAC lodges from the same system

The same booking conditions apply to bookings made through this system and through the booking forms. Some of these are automated, but others rely on you following the rules. Just because the system might not seem to enforce a rule doesn’t mean that it no longer applies. The booking officer has final responsibility for balancing lodge occupancy against individual member requests. Your booking is not confirmed until you receive an official email from the booking officer.

To use the booking system you must:

• be a financial member of AAC Falls Creek or an affiliated lodge that also uses the same booking system
• have provided a current email address to the club. (The system relies on your email address so it is essential that you keep your contact details up to date.)

You don't have to use the new system; you can continue to use the booking forms if you wish and the booking officer will give them equal treatment to those submitted online. Indeed you will still need to use booking forms when making bookings in the period before 1 March. Demand for school holidays and some other weeks can be so high that the only way of handling the bookings fairly is to keep all bookings manual for the "members only" booking period.

We are still sorting out some final details but we hope to make the booking system available to members in the next week or so. Our plan is to send all members an email with their username and password and instructions on using the system. Please advise ProAcct (03 9880 9600) if your email address has changed or you may miss out on getting your userid and password to access the booking system.

Because the booking system has much better occupancy information, we will no longer put the booking stastus on the blog.

We intend to demonstrate the booking system at the AGM. The instructions document should guide you through using the system, but we realise that some may prefer the reassurance of seeing a demonstration.

EFT Payments

We have been reviewing out banking facilities and can now offer payments by EFT (direct deposit), not just credit cards..

EFT is the club's preferred method of payment as it means that more of your money can be used for your lodge, instead of bank fees.It is critical that when you make payments by EFT, you always use a reference given to you by the club, eg a booking reference, member ID or invoice number. Where possible, please also include the member's name.

EFT details are

Name:	Australian Alpine Club Falls Creek Inc
BSB:	063130
Account:	10096410
Reference:	it is critical that you always use a reference that clearly identifies who you are and what the payment is for, eg booking reference, member id, invoice number or at least the name of the member

Thinking about Niseko?

We received a note from AAC Niseko. It's almost time to throw bookings open to the general public, so if you are thinking about staying next northern winter, it's time to contact the club.

Dear Members,

The bookings for Niseko Accommodation have taken off and the AAC Lodge is filling.
I now have non AAC members emailing regarding bed availabilities and I think that it is important that I let you know that I am about to open the lodge bookings to the public.
Please let me know if you are thinking of coming as I am happy to put your name on a bed. Should I then have other parties interested in that time, you will be notified and given first preference.
Please feel free to tell you friends about the bed availability and get them to visit our new website http://www.nisekoclub.com.au/.
If they would like any information then email nisekoclub@optusnet.com.au.

Kind regards,


Sarah Gregson
Ph: 0403 236 616

Booking Status for 2013 now available

Now that all the initial bookings have been processed, the initial booking status is available.