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There is excitement in the air…we can smell it….and hopefully you will too first hand when you’re up to 5,000 feet in the air on one of our spectacular balloon flights!
It’s been a tough old year but with the potential of flying again just around the corner, we thought we’d go back to basics and introduce to you the joys of flying through a series of our most popular questions that we get asked daily about a hot air balloon experience!
That is no problem, we are very happy to process your order the moment you are ready, and we can delay the dispatch of your order to a date in the future that best suits you! Whether the delivery is going to you so you can present it as a gift or whether we are sending this directly to the lucky recipient, we can be as flexible as you need.
Our balloon flight voucher types are explained:
We have four different voucher types to choose from, which allow you to fly from any of our 100 + locations Nationwide.
We operate both AM and PM flights, with timings varying throughout the year due to changes in daylight hours. As a guide, our AM flights usually meet between 6 am and 7:30 am, and our PM flights usually meet around 5 pm – 6:30 pm.
This means you get the best of both worlds as one of the early morning balloon flights means you can experience sunrise and dawn, with an evening flight meaning you’ll get to take in the ambiance and serenity of dusk and possibly watch the sunset.
Absolutely not! Weather cancellations or Covid restrictions are outside of anyone’s control, so if you experience a cancellation by Virgin Balloon Flights for ANY reason, your flight voucher will be automatically extended to ensure that you have at least six months to book another flight with us. We will do this as often as necessary until you do get into the skies.
Our terms are the fairest amongst all the UK Balloon Ride Operators.
Throughout this Winter, we have closely monitored and assessed all updated information and guidance from the Government, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Department for Transport, and medical experts.
As a result of Government updates, our flying season is now scheduled to resume on May 17th, 2021. This is obviously subject to the timescale set out by the Government but this means our entire team is now working full steam ahead on getting back into the skies for a truly spectacular 2021 flying season.
Usually, our flight vouchers are valid for 12 months, however owing to the time lost due to not flying until May (due to Covid) we think the fairest thing to do is give you that time back! So our vouchers are now valid for 18 months for your hot air balloon experience at absolutely no extra charge.
The Virgin Hot Air Balloons team is available either on live chat or over the phone to check availability for you. However, we are unable to provide tickets for specific dates. Our experiences are totally weather-dependent and if the date is available for you, sadly, it may still be the case that we cannot safely fly you on your chosen date.
Should the date be available but subsequently canceled due to weather, we would offer you every assistance in re-booking at a time that suits you.
Please don’t worry, whilst we love Hot Air Ballooning and balloon flights, we do understand an experience of this nature is not for everyone! Therefore, you can safely gift this knowing that if the gift is not well received, they can exchange to an alternative experience within 3 months of purchase.
That’s a really good and common question! What we offer is an outdoor adventure activity, so there is always the slightest element of risk, as there is in anything in life! However, our team of highly trained pilots have many years of experience in flying balloons and carrying our precious cargo…. you!
Furthermore, we have rigorous industry standard checks that our pilots and balloons undertake, and the UK as a whole has an impeccable safety record.
In most circumstances, no! Hot air balloons can’t be steered, so they travel on the wind, and you never know where exactly you’re going to land. The pilot will start looking for a suitable landing site after around 45 minutes. The ground crew will track the balloon on the ground and aim to arrive shortly after landing and will then be on hand to transport you back to the original launch site.
It’s from this moment on that you will reflect on this experience for the rest of your life, knowing that you did something incredible today and saw the world from a whole new perspective!
Get your stamps ready, these flights are worth writing home about