Topics:
1) Bulk 40 Coupon Code Use Tracking
2) Bulk 40 Coupon Code Reservation Process
3) One-way Tram Reservations
4) “Assurance Not Applicable”
5) The website is not working
6) Negative numbers listed for Tram Reservations
7) Tickets not visible in my mobile app
8) QR Code Not Working – Tram Confirmation QR Code
9) Do I have to trade In old tickets?
10) Do I have to make a return reservation?
11) “No Tickets Available” – No Tram Reservations Available
12) Do I have to purchase a ferry ticket to make a tram reservation?
13) When will the new system go into effect?
14) Do I Have to Input an Island Address if I do not require a tram reservation?
15) Why is the ferry system transitioning to electronic ticketing and reservations?
16) Do I have to trade in my Annual Pass, Bulk 80 card or employee iCard?
17) Am I required to make a reservation to ride the ferry?
18) Will I still be able to use my existing bulk tickets or Annual Pass and will I still be able to purchase bulk tickets or an Annual Pass at the reduced price?
19) Can I add other ticket classes (e.g., Child) to my Bulk 40 reservation in a single transaction?
20) Will One-Way and No Frills Tickets be allowed to make reservations?
21) What happens if I miss my reservation date and/or time?
22) What happens if the ferry is running late?
23) Can I receive a refund for my ticket if I cancel my travel plans?
24) I made a tram reservation for later this year under the previous system. Will I have to make another one?
25) Will I still be able to coordinate special events (weddings, bands, etc.)?
26) I have an Employee or Contractor ticket. Will I be able to ride the passenger ferry when the contractor ferry is not available?
27) As an Employee riding the passenger ferry, it seems like I will always get “bumped” under the new system. Why do we have to board behind everyone else?
28) Will you be adding more runs to the Contractor ferry?
29) Will you still run an additional ferry during high ridership periods (e.g. 4th of July weekend) and will reservations be available on the additional ferry?
30) Will there be a change in the baggage rules for property owners?

1) Update: Bulk 40 Coupon Code Use Tracking: Bulk 40 Coupon Code users may now track their round trip ticket usage at www.baldheadislandferry.com. Please follow these steps:
a. Retrieve the confirmation email for your Bulk 40 Coupon Code purchase or trade-in. The email will include a Confirmation number, which is an 8-digit number starting with “2…” If you cannot find the confirmation email or the number, please email the [email protected] email with the name, email, and/or the phone number provided at the time of the transaction and it will be sent to you.
b. Go to www.baldheadislandferry.com and select “Reservations” at the top of the page.
c. Select “Go To My Account” at the bottom of the page.
d. Enter the Confirmation number for the Bulk 40 Coupon Code purchase or trade-in and either your email or phone number.
e. Once the transaction is displayed, go to the “Passes” section and at the far right in that section you will see how many round trip tickets have been “purchased” using your Coupon Code. For clarification, the number is not how many round trips you have remaining, but how many have been used.
f. For those with a new Coupon Code purchase, your total allocation is 40 round trips. For those that traded in old tickets, your coupon code is good for the round trip equivalent of the amount of two-ticket sets you traded in. If you are not sure how many tickets you traded in, please send an email request to [email protected] with the name of the person who traded in the old tickets and the original trade-in/round trip amount will be sent to you. Please note, for those that traded in tickets, you will likely see a “used” amount greater than the number of round trips you have actually used. This is because the difference between your trade in and 40 round trips will be added to your used total to ensure an accurate count of remaining round trips on your Bulk 40 Coupon Code. For example, if you traded in 20 tickets or 10 round trips, your starting “used” number will be 30, indicating you have 10 round trips remaining out of the original Bulk 40 purchase.

We are working with the developer to also allow you to see your Bulk 40 Coupon Code usage on the app. We hope to have that capability available soon.

2) Bulk 40 Coupon Code ferry and tram reservation process: If you have traded in your “old” Bulk 40 tickets or purchased a new Bulk 40 in the COUPON CODE form, the following will walk you through the ferry and tram reservation process:
1. Enter the online system at baldheadislandferry.com
2. Select your originating travel date.
3. Choose your originating direction of travel (Departure from BHI or Departure from Deep Point-Southport)
4. Select your desired travel time for departure.
5. Select your date for your return trip (if you do not have firm plans, select a date close to your desired travel and you can change it later when your plans firm). The Bulk 40 ticket is a round trip ticket in accordance with the regulated tariff, which is why it requires a return date/time to be selected.
6. Select your time for your return trip
7. Select how many tickets you wish to “purchase” using your coupon code. The Bulk 40 coupon code only applies to General Fare tickets. Any additional tickets (e.g., Child) tickets you wish to purchase with this transaction will require a credit card to complete.
8. Select any enhancements you would like. This is where you select tram service if desired by clicking the “+” symbol next to tram round trip for the number of passengers.
9. If you selected tram service, input your drop-off/pickup address and answer the pets and bicycle questions. If you did not select tram service, please leave the address blank and answer “no” to the pets and bicycle service questions and hit “continue”
10. In the billing page, you enter your Bulk 40 Coupon Code in the box in the upper right corner. The coupon code is the series of letters and numbers that starts with “bulk40…” located in the section below the QR code in the confirmation email you received. Once entered you will receive a confirmation the code was accepted and your purchase total is zeroed out.
11. Complete the remainder of the checkout process (it will be a zero cost transaction unless you included child tickets in your reservation).
12. Once you have completed the checkout process you will receive an email and a text (if you included your phone number) confirming your ferry / tram reservation and the QR code for boarding the ferry. This QR code is used for both your departure and return for the number of tickets you “purchased” with your coupon code (e.g., if you selected 2 General Fare tickets, both riders will be boarded in both directions using the one QR code).
13. Repeat this process for each time you would like to travel.
We are working with the developer to try to implement an automatic tracking system, but in the meantime, we recommend saving your confirmation emails in a folder/file in your email app/program to keep track of the number of round trip tickets used under your Bulk 40.
3) One-Way tram reservations now available – When booking your ferry and tram reservation, you may now select either a round-trip or one-way tram reservation. When selecting a one-way tram reservation you will need to enter the date for either your drop-off or your pickup. If you do not select a one-way tram, your tram will automatically be reserved as a round trip that coincides with your ferry reservation.

4) What does “Assurance Not Applicable” mean on the app/website? – Ticket Assurance is a broadly used travel insurance option in the travel and hospitality industry, and it is a core function within the developer’s ticketing and reservation system. Since we do not require customers to purchase “Assurance” to be eligible for a refund on any unused ferry tickets, the “Assurance” option does not apply to your ticket purchase.

5) The website is not working. – There are reports the Firefox browser is not allowing the ticket purchase system to load and function properly. Please try using another browser such as Chrome or Edge.

6) When I go online to book a ferry and tram reservation, I see negative numbers for available trams. What does that mean? – The negative numbers represent reservations transferred from the old “Go Baldy” system to the new system. Any listing with a negative number means there are no tram reservations available for that specific date and time.

7) I did not receive my tickets in the mobile app or I cannot log in using my email: – When using an email to log into the app, you will now receive a one-time, six-digit user passcode to enter the system rather than the “magic link.” If you use your Apple ID to logon to the mobile app, please select “Share My Email” otherwise, the system will create a “masked email” and none of the tickets purchased under the real email will be visible. Those using their Google ID to logon to the mobile app will automatically share your real email.

8) I received a confirmation email for a previously made tram reservation with a QR code that does not work. What do I do? – The QR code that came with your tram reservation confirmation is not functional. The email confirmation notifies you the previously made tram reservation was transferred into the new system, and you do not need to make another tram reservation when purchasing your ferry tickets. Please do not try to use the tram reservation QR code to board the ferry, as it is not a ferry ticket. The tram reservation confirmation email DOES NOT guarantee you a ferry reservation. You must purchase your desired ferry tickets through the website or the mobile app. When making your ferry reservations, please do not select “Tram Service” since you already have a tram reservation.

9) Do I have to trade my “old” paper tickets for new ones to ride the ferry once the new system is operational? – No. You may use your old paper tickets to ride the ferry. You may trade your old paper tickets for the same ticket class at the ticket window at no cost.

10) Do I have to make a return reservation when I book ferry tickets? – Yes. All round trip tickets require a departure and return reservation. However, you may select any return time you wish to complete the transaction and either change the return date/time either on the website or in the mobile app when you know you are ready to travel, or arrive at the terminal at your desired time and ride standby. The person scanning will “override” your reservation time at the gate and you may board if room is available.

11) I tried to purchase ferry tickets to align with my previously made tram reservation and the system tells me, “No Tickets Available.” What do I do? – Since your previous tram reservation was already transferred into the new system, you do not need to select “Tram Service” during your ferry ticket purchase. Try purchasing your desired ferry rides without tram service selected.

12) Do I have to purchase a ticket to make a tram reservation? – Yes. New tram reservations must be made when purchasing a tram-eligible ticket (General Fare w/ accompanying child, Bulk 40). Bulk 40 ticket holders with a coupon code may make their tram reservation when they make their ferry reservation. Paper Bulk 40 holders may call the ticket office to make a tram reservation, but will not be able to make a ferry reservation. Even if you made a previous tram reservation, you still need to purchase an accompanying ferry ticket or have an existing Bulk 40 ticket. You will not be able to board the ferry with just a tram reservation confirmation. You may still purchase your ticket at the ticket window or we recommend you use the online ticket purchase system and purchase a ferry ticket that coincides with your previous tram reservation. When purchasing your ferry ticket to coincide with an existing tram reservation, DO NOT select “Tram Service.”
Weddings and other chartered tram services will be not be reserved online but in person or on the phone as in the past.
13) When will the new system go into effect? – The new system went into effect June 7, 2023.

14) Do I have to input an address for a ferry reservation if I’m not using the tram service? – No. If you do not require tram service, please DO NOT input a “Where are you staying?” address. After skipping the address section, please answer “No” to both the Pet and Bicycle questions and the system will allow you to continue the ferry reservation and ticketing process.

15) Why is the Bald Head Island ferry transitioning to electronic ticketing and reservations? – Electronic ticketing and reservations allows passengers greater options and flexibility in how they purchase tickets and plan their travel. Providing passengers with the option to purchase reservation-eligible tickets and make reservations for their desired voyage will help even out passenger flows and reduce congestion and wait times at the ferry terminal, particularly during peak travel times. Ultimately, the goal of electronic ticketing and reservations is to provide a better rider experience for all passengers.

16) Do I have to trade in my Bulk 80, Annual Pass or Employee iCard? – No. Previously purchased and/or issued iCards will remain valid until available rides are used or the card expires. New purchases and renewals will be issued an electronic QR code which may be stored on your phone or printed out for scanning.

17) Am I required to have a reservation to ride the ferry? – No. Whether you have a reservation for a different date or time or you want to walk up to the ticket window and purchase a ticket for the next available ferry, a reservation is not required. You will board as a stand-by passenger as long as space is available.

18) Will I still be able to use my existing bulk tickets or Annual Pass and will I still be able to purchase bulk tickets or an Annual Pass at the reduced price? – Yes. Previously purchased bulk tickets (Bulk 40 and Bulk 80) and Annual Passes will be honored and will remain available for purchase in accordance with the North Carolina Utilities Commission-approved tariff. Existing Bulk 40 tickets may be exchanged for QR code tickets (no access to online ferry and tram reservations) or a coupon code that will allow access to the online ferry and tram reservation system. This exchange may be accomplished at the ticket window. Bulk 80 and Annual Pass cards will remain active until all rides are used (Bulk 80) and will be replaced with a QR code upon a new purchase.

19) Can I add other ticket classes (e.g., Child) to my Bulk 40 reservation in a single transaction? – Yes. The Bulk 40 coupon code will subtract the “cost” of your Bulk 40 ticket and any other tickets or add-ons you select may be purchased at the end of the transaction.

20) Will One-Way and No Frills Tickets be allowed to make reservations? – No. One-way and No Frills tickets will remain available for purchase at the ticket window, but will not be eligible for ferry or tram reservations.

21) What happens if I miss my reservation date and/or time? – Your ticket remains valid and you will be able to board the next available ferry as a stand-by passenger as long as there is space available. You may also use the mobile application or the website to change your reservation to another available time.

22) What happens if the ferry is running late? – Your reservation will be honored on the next available ferry and adjustments to subsequent reservations will be made until we are able to resume our normal schedule.

23) Can I receive a refund for my ticket if I cancel my travel plans? – Yes. Refunds for unscanned tickets purchased through the mobile app or the website may be initiated by the purchaser using the confirmation code provided with their ticket purchase. Refunds may also be issued at the ticket window. Refunds are not available for partially used Bulk 40 or Bulk 80 tickets.

24) I made a tram reservation for later this year under the previous system. Will I have to make another one? – No. As part of the transition process, we will import all existing tram reservations into the new system. If you have not yet purchased tickets, we recommend purchasing tickets online and making a ferry reservation that coincides with your existing tram reservation time. DO NOT select “Tram Service” when purchasing your ferry ticket if you had a previously-made tram reservation. Once the new system is operational, future tram reservations will be integrated into the ticket purchase process through the mobile app, online, or at the ticket window.

25) Will I still be able to coordinate special events (weddings, bands, etc.)? – Yes. Special events, including chartered ferry, tram, and dolly services may be coordinated in person and over the phone.

26) I have an Employee or Contractor ticket. Will I be able to ride the passenger ferry when the contractor ferry is not available? – Yes. Customers with Employee and Contractor tickets will be allowed (Contractor tickets are only allowed on the passenger ferry at specific times when the contractor ferry is not running) to board the ferry as a stand-by passenger once customers with reservations have boarded and space is available.

27) As an Employee riding the passenger ferry, it seems like I will always get “bumped” under the new system. Why do we have to board behind everyone else? – Since the inception of the Bald Head Island ferry system, those with employee and contractor tickets were required to stand aside to allow passengers with other ticket classes to board the ferry first. This policy has not been enforced in recent years for several reasons, including most recently the impacts of COVID-19. To minimize the impact to employees and contractors, the number of available reservations on each scheduled passenger ferry is limited, meaning there will always be stand-by spaces available on every ferry. As we experience the impact of reservations on passenger flows and trends, we may adjust the ratio of available reservations and stand-by spaces to balance ridership demands to available space on the ferry. As is the case today, there will always be potential for passengers to be “bumped” when the ferry meets its U.S. Coast Guard-regulated maximum capacity of 150 passengers.

28) Will you be adding more runs to the Contractor ferry? – No. We do not anticipate adding additional Contractor ferry runs at this time.

29) Will you still run an additional ferry during high ridership periods (e.g. 4th of July weekend) and will reservations be available on the additional ferry? – Yes. We will continue to schedule an additional ferry during peak ridership periods and reservations may be made on both the regularly scheduled ferry and the additional ferry. There may be times when an unscheduled ferry is put in service. Unscheduled ferries will be first-come, first-served and open to all passengers with or without reservations.

30) Will there be a change in the baggage rules for property owners? – No. As a designated public transportation utility, the baggage limits and definitions ordered by the North Carolina Utilities Commission apply to all riders.