Virgin Balloon Flights Reviews 

5,849
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 651 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Travelers frequently praise the friendly and knowledgeable pilots who make everyone feel completely safe, relaxed, and thoroughly involved in preparing and packing the balloon. The breathtaking scenery and exceptionally smooth flights consistently turn an early morning journey into an unforgettable and magical adventure. However, some customers also noted frustrating challenges with the booking process and frequent cancellations due to unpredictable weather or last-minute venue changes. A few other people also felt that communication regarding these schedule updates and meeting times could be significantly improved before the day of the flight.

What people talk about most

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, frequently highlighting the professional, friendly, and... See more

User experience

Customers consistently note positive experiences with user_experience, highlighting the magical and memorable... See more

Service

Consumers find service to be positive and well-organized from start to finish. Reviewers frequently mention... See more

Booking process

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of booking_process, with experiences varying widely among consumers. On... See more

Cancellation

Users describe ambiguous interactions with cancellation, noting frequent flight call-offs due to weather... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We were so delighted when this flight went ahead as we had tried about 5 times before but each time was cancelled. It was WELL WORTH the wait! Good clear communication, a very experienced and good hu... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Team were really good. We got involved with getting balloon ready and packing away afterwards which was really good. Flight itself was fabulous and pilot pointed out different areas. Photos and vide... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tom, our pilot, was courteous and professional, gave clear instructions and invited and answered all and any questions. His two support crew were equally friendly and helpful. Instructions to get to t... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

An experience well worth the wait. I felt safe and reassured by our pilot Robert, taking off from Mattishall. Smooth take off and even smoother landing. Very knowledgeable of the area. Relaxing and p... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Gift Shop
  2. Balloon Ride Tour Agency

Written by the company

Virgin Balloon Flights is the largest commercial hot air balloon rides company in the UK and has been taking passengers up, up and away on the airborne experience of a lifetime since 1994.


Contact info

4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

6K reviews

5-star
4-star
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1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 96% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

How this company uses Trustpilot

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4.6

All reviews

(5,849)

650 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Awesome experience

Everything went well from booking to the actual flight. It was absolutely awesome. The pilot and his staff were kind, considerate and helpful. This was backed up by exemplary knowledge of all aspects of balloon flights.

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Kind, considerate AND seriously know their balloons – that's exactly the combination we want in a flying team! We're delighted everything delivered from booking right through to landing.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great fun

Great fun, well managed and comfortable flights from York racecourse with Dave as pilot.
Fab views too.

August 14, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

York Racecourse, fab views and Dave at the helm – sounds like the ingredients for a cracking flight! We'll make sure Dave gets his well-earned shout-out.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic experience

Fantastic experience, expertly executed. Highly recommend

August 14, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

“Expertly executed” – now that's a compliment our flying team will love! Thanks for trusting us with your adventure and for the fantastic recommendation.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing experience

Amazing experience! Even got to help inflate and deflate the balloon.

August 16, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

That's half the fun! There's nothing quite like helping bring a giant balloon to life before climbing aboard and flying it. Thanks for getting stuck in!

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

First hot air ballon ride it was… excellent

This was my first hot air balloon ride in Nantwich and it was great helping to get set up helping to put away it was a great experience

August 16, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

First balloon flight and you were straight in there helping the crew – that's the spirit! We're glad Nantwich gave you such a great introduction to life in the skies.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We had excellent weather for the flight…

We had excellent weather for the flight and an excellent pilot Mr Russell Collins. Russell made the experience truly memorable with his distinct way of giving us the information as well as involving us in the overall experience by getting us to support him while preparing the balloon for flight and again after we had landed. Thank you Russell and your colleague Chris.

August 16, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Sounds like Russell gave you much more than just a lift into the skies! We'll make sure both he and Chris see your lovely comments – it's brilliant to hear their knowledge, personality and hands-on approach made the day so memorable.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic flight on a beautiful day

Fantastic flight on a beautiful day - great team on the day and booking/cancellation/rebooking very easy.

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Beautiful skies on the day and smooth sailing before you'd even reached the launch field – that's exactly how we like it! Thanks for the shout-out to both our flying and booking teams.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience from take off to…

Great experience from take off to landing. Thanks to all involved.

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Up, across and safely back down again – sounds like a pretty good adventure to us! Thanks for flying with us and for the shout-out to the team.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The whole balloon flight experience was…

The whole balloon flight experience was amazing! It was a 60th birthday present and such a treat! The 3 crew were all so friendly and knowledgeable. It was great fun to help set up and take down and put away the balloon. The crew were all so very kind to my daughter who had come to support me. And gosh! The flight itself was magical. I will never forget it and hopefully will do it again someday. Thank you so much.

August 12, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Now THAT'S how to celebrate 60! We're delighted the crew made such a fuss of you and your daughter too – nobody needs to be in the basket to be part of the adventure.

And if one birthday flight has left you wanting another, we'd say that's a pretty successful present!

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Virgin Balloon fiesta(Bristol)

We had an amazing experience with Virgin Balloon Flights! 🎈 Our pilot, Matt and his team, were fantastic and made the whole experience even more enjoyable. We were very lucky with the weather, which made the views absolutely beautiful. I even managed to leave my bag behind on the balloon, but Caroline kindly went out of her way to deliver it to me as she was passing through our area. Such a lovely and thoughtful gesture! A truly memorable experience from start to finish — highly recommended! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

August 8, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

A brilliant flight AND your missing bag delivered back to you... now that's what we call a full-service balloon adventure!

Huge shout-out to Caroline for going the extra mile, and to Matt and the team for making your Bristol Fiesta flight such a good one. We'll make sure they all see this.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely amazing and very well…

Absolutely amazing and very well organised

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Amazing and organised – two words we'll very happily take! Thanks for taking to the skies with us.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Second time lucky for an amazing experience!

I had a fantastic experience with Virgin Balloon Flights. I was lucky to secure a booking on my second attempt on my birthday, and it was absolutely worth it!

Communications from Virgin were good, updating that the location would be at another site.

Our pilot, Peter, was brilliant — knowledgeable, calm, and reassuring throughout. The group was lovely and packing up the balloon was good fun. The whole flight felt peaceful, and the atmosphere was truly special.

August 12, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Second time lucky AND on your birthday... we'd say the skies timed that rather nicely! We're delighted Peter made you feel so at ease and that you embraced the whole adventure, right down to packing the balloon away.

What a way to spend a birthday!

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing experience

The team you fly with is what really makes this experience so fantastic. They make it so fun and hands on. Everyone is encouraged to take part in both setting up and packing away, which adds to the experience. Chris is so knowledgeable about the landscape we flew over and that really added to it.
The only thing I would improve is that if you are on a morning flight, you only find out your meet time very late the night before. We needed to leave at 4am but did not find that out until 11pm the night before, which was challenging!

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

It sounds like Chris and the team absolutely made the experience – we'll make sure your comments reach them. We love that you got stuck into the action on the ground as well as enjoying the view from above!

Your point about the late confirmation for an early morning flight is well made too. A 4am start takes a little preparation, and we appreciate how challenging that can be when the final information arrives late the evening before. It's useful feedback for us as we continue looking at the customer journey around flight confirmations.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

absolutely amazing experience

absolutely amazing experience, very well organised, great staff and pilot, would definitely do another x

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

One flight down and already thinking about the next... that's what we like to hear! Thanks for the lovely words about our team – we'll be ready when you are for round two.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fantastic

Absolutely fantastic. Couldn't fault it. Very fortunate with the weather! Highly recommend the experience.

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Couldn't fault it? We'll take that all day long! Sounds like the weather behaved itself beautifully too. Thanks for flying with us and for the brilliant recommendation.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous experience

Team were really good. We got involved with getting balloon ready and packing away afterwards which was really good. Flight itself was fabulous and pilot pointed out different areas. Photos and videos taken.
Landing was nice and smooth
This was a gift from our children and not something we would have considered buying for ourselves but would definitely recommend it - great experience

August 14, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

Sometimes the best presents are the ones you'd never think to buy yourself! We're delighted your children chose well and that you embraced the whole adventure, from getting the balloon ready to that lovely smooth landing.

Thanks for the fantastic recommendation.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Thieves plain and simple

Thieves. Plain and simple. They cancelled my families trip due to the weather. Even though it was a beautiful sunny day...They couldn't go and what's actually bad is Virgin are brazenly flouting the law by refusing to provide a refund as opposed to going at another time
If anyone wants an update I will be talking about this on BBC radio 4 as part of my new bi-monthly reviews show. I'll be happy to take questions.

TO YOUR REPLY.
Your terms and conditions cannot undermine Consumer Laws. Yet, you consent to simply take from a young family. I've already made first contact with a solicitors firm and they have confirmed it is best to process a claim through the Shropshire small claims court.

August 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

We're sorry you're unhappy with the cancellation and the options available to you.

We do, however, need to correct the suggestion that a sunny day necessarily means conditions are suitable for ballooning. Our pilots make their decisions using specialist aviation forecasts and consider wind speeds and direction at different altitudes, as well as the conditions expected throughout the flight and landing period. A day can look absolutely beautiful from the ground and still be unsuitable for a safe balloon flight.

When weather prevents a flight from operating, customers can rebook their experience for another suitable date. Refund eligibility depends on the voucher purchased and its applicable terms, so we're unable to comment on your individual entitlement without reviewing the specific booking.

If you haven't already done so, please contact our team with your voucher details and we'll ensure the circumstances of your booking are reviewed.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The wait was worth every second

14 cancelled flights and a 02:30 get up due to the hot weather did not spoil the tremendous experience of taking the Virgin Ballon flight. The whole experience from beginning to end was amazing. Special shout out to Tom Hook and his ground crew who just made the day perfect. Tom has thousands of flights under his belt and the landing was so gentle it beats any commercial airline. The sound or lack of it whilst in the air is so hard to describe. It was a life long ambition and we can now tick it off the bucket list but I feel there maybe other flights ahead.

August 12, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

14 cancellations AND a 2.30am alarm... and you're talking about doing it again?! That's possibly the best review we could ask for!

We'll make sure Tom and the crew see this, although we suspect Tom may be particularly pleased to hear his landing beats the airlines. Here's to that lifelong ambition finally getting its tick!

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommended Balloon Flight Experience

Whole experience was brilliant from ease of booking all the way through to the Balloon flight itself and the care and attention of all the Virgin Balloon staff

August 7, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi,

From a few clicks on the website to floating through the skies... we love hearing that every part of the journey delivered! Thanks for recognising the care our teams put in both on the ground and in the air.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional customer service

Exceptional customer service. Professional, kind friendly pilot Dave and crew. Thanks too Neil for your lovely spirit. You all made a dream come true. It was definitely an experience to remember. Would definitely recommend it!
With gratitude from Chris and group.

August 13, 2026
Virgin Balloon Flights logo

Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights

Hi Chris and group,

“Made a dream come true” – it doesn't get much better than that! Dave, Neil and the crew will be chuffed to bits to read this. Thank you for trusting us with such a special adventure and for the brilliant recommendation.

Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team

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