Worth getting up at 4.15 for. Flying from Welford Christmas Tree farm at 6.30 AM, on a sunny Sunday morning. The team were great. Friendly and helpful, giving us a pre-flight safety talk, and p... See more
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Review summary
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
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Reviews shaping this summary
Had a virgin balloon ride on Friday 7/8/26 with my best friends as a belated birthday present. Took off in Northamptonshire. The pilot was very informative and friendly. We had a perfect landin... See more
Company replied
The weather was perfect. Blue sky not a cloud in sight , and absolutely no wind ! It was truly magical , we floated upwards effortlessly and drifted majestically through the Sussex / Kent countrysi... See more
Company replied
Great experience. Pilot very friendly and informative, didn't go above 500 feet, so had a fantastic view. Downside. Would be better if the directions to the field were more accurate as the given p... See more
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Company details
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
Jesson House, TF3 3BD, Telford, Shropshire, United Kingdom
- 01952 212750
- customerservice@virginballoonflights.co.uk
- www.virginballoonflights.co.uk
4.6
Excellent
6K reviews
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Replied to 96% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 week
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Just had the Balloon experience from York from…
Just had the Balloon experience from York experience was excellent brilliant value for the money.
14 August 2026
If you have a chance, do this!!
The whole event was well organised, inclusive and a great experience. Chris, our pilot was brilliant..,as was the whole team
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thanks Dave! We really appreciate the kind review and we're so glad you enjoyed your flight with us :)
If you fancy another go then you know where we are!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Amazing experience
Amazing experience! Only had 1 cancellation a week earlier. Tom the pilot was lovely. Everyone helped getting the basket in position and setting out the balloon.
We just floated off into the air. Spectacular views.
Highly recommended to everyone
11 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Gwyneth,
Wow! That's incredible and very lucky! We're so glad you didn't have to wait too long until you got airborne!
It's lovely to read how much you enjoyed the whole experience. The views really are out of this world aren't they?!
Thank you for flying with us, for this lovely review and for the recommendation....it's really appreciated :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Well after a long wait of getting…
Well after a long wait of getting cancelled we finally made it to York.
What an amazing experience flying at 3000 feet across the city. Fantastic weather conditions and very warm.
Great Team of people who made the whole experience very enjoyable.
Thanks Guys much appreciated.
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Neil,
Thank you so much for this lovely review and, more importantly, bearing with us through the cancellations.
We fully appreciate that cancellations can be frustrating so your patience and understanding is admirable!
We're so pleased you finally got airborne and that you enjoyed every minute of your experience! Thanks for flying with us, you're welcome back anytime! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
The whole experience was fantastic
The whole experience was fantastic and more than I expected. Pilot Nobby and his crew were friendly, professional and hugely knowledgeable. I really appreciated their honesty, attention to safety, and the ability to be involved throughout the experience. Thank you to them all!
1 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Philip!
We're so glad your flight with us exceeded your expectations! That's exactly what we love to hear! :)
Nobby and his team will appreciate the kind words and feedback so thank you for that, it will make their day!
Thanks for flying with us and leaving this positive review!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
What an amazing experience
What an amazing experience. Even though this was my third balloon flight it was just as good, if not better than the others. Mark the pilot was informative and friendly and everyone joined in to help deflate the balloon.
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Kate,
Oh wow! So the third time was the charm? :)
We're so glad your most recent flight was even more memorable than those before and we're glad that pilot Mike added to your experience with his local knowledge! He's a true professional!
Thank you for flying with us and for the lovely review! You're welcome back anytime! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
What an amazing experience
What an amazing experience, pilot was great, explained every part of the experience. It was fantastic that we were able to unpack and pack the balloon away. Thank you for a fantastic morning
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Why just watch a balloon adventure when you can be part of it?! We're so pleased you enjoyed getting stuck in, and it sounds like your pilot did a cracking job of bringing the whole experience to life.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
13 years trying and we finally did it!!
It was on a perfect albeit very hot summer’s evening with the partial solar eclipse in progress - after 13 years of trying!! Well worth it and the crew were great and even the packing up the balloon at the end was fun.
Thank you
12 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Barbara & Peter,
13 years of trying… now THAT is some serious determination! 😄
We’re absolutely thrilled that when your moment finally arrived, the weather played ball (and even threw in a little solar eclipse for good measure!) Talk about making up for lost time!
It’s brilliant to read that you had such a great evening with the crew and even enjoyed the packing away at the end!🎈
Thank you so much for sticking by us all these years. We’re delighted it was worth the wait and that you finally got your well-deserved flight!
We really appreciate you taking the time to leave this review and hope you'll be back for another, although we fully appreciate you may be a little reluctant after waiting so long for your flight this time round! Ha ha!
Wishing you both all the very best!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Peace and quiet 👌
11 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Sounds like a dream come true David! It's a shame we have to travel over 3,000 feet just to get a little peace eh ;)
Ha ha seriously though, we're glad you enjoyed your flight and thank you for leaving this review, we appreciate it :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Sajid,
Thanks for the great review! We're glad you enjoyed your flight with us!
Ready for another? :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
From the start to finish felt in very…
From the start to finish felt in very safe hands with Nobby, Enjoyed getting involved
12 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thanks Alan! Glad you enjoyed your flight with us! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
A beautiful, well organised, experience
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 the flight takeoff location were easy to follow and the whole event ran on time and like clockwork. There were opportunities to get involved both pre and post flight. The flight itself was magical, with a beautiful late summer sunrise as we set off. Tom’s knowledge meant we flew high enough to experience great views of the Peak District and beyond. A superb experience with a reasonably priced photo package to remember the day. Thank you to you all.
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Chips!
What a lovely review, thank you! 🎈
It sounds like Tom and the crew had everything running like a well-oiled (and very large!) ballooning machine! A late summer sunrise over the Peak District sounds pretty hard to beat!
We’re also really pleased you're happy with your photos and now have some great memories to look back on. After all, it's not something you do everyday is it?
A huge thank you from Tom, the crew and all of us at Virgin Balloon Flights. We hope we’ll see you floating above the countryside with us again one day! 🎈
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
A fantastic well rounded experience…
A fantastic well rounded experience from set up, a ride across the countryside and then landing and packing up the balloon.
11 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Annabel,
Thank you for taking the time to leave this lovely review! We're glad you had such an awesome flight with us!
Ready for Round 2? :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
6+ years waiting and it was 10000% worth it!
This balloon flight was given to me as a birthday present in 2020. Over the past 6+ years we’ve booked on between 10-15 flights which have always been cancelled for weather, but this week we finally got to go and let me tell you - it was absolutely worth the wait! The experience was so so cool. Our pilot was wonderful and answered every question I asked (I was so curious how everything works!) Felt very safe and I just can’t recommend this experience enough. Be patient and keep rebooking your flights!
11 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Wow Lynn! 6 years!!! Blimey!!
Thank you so much for persevering and sticking with us through all the cancellations. We can imagine it must have felt incredibly frustrating at times and we commend you for your patience and kind understanding!
We're glad that after such a long wait, the flight and whole experience was well and truly worth it!!
Your review is a testament that, if you stick with it, you will eventually fly and that it will all be worth it in the end!
Thank you again and thank you for recommending us - honestly it means the world to us all here at VBF HQ! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
We had a fabulous experience with Tom
We had a fabulous experience with Tom. It was well organised and despite cancellation due to weather well worth the wait. Tom is clearly experienced, he shared lots of fascinating facts and made it a really special experience.
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Thank you so much for the lovely review! We're glad your experience was everything you hoped for and that Tom added to this with his knowledge of the local area! It really does make a huge difference! :)
Thank you for flying with us and for your patience through the cancellations!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Tom was a great pilot
Tom was a great pilot and very knowledgeable. The flight was fantastic and well worth the wait to book on.
13 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Bill,
Thank you so much and we're really pleased to read that it was well worth the wait for you! We couldn't agree more! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Colin,
This is simply amazing to read! Thank you so much! You're welcome back anytime :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Guys running the balloon were friendly…
Guys running the balloon were friendly and knowledgeable and relaxed. Weather was perfect. Such a calm and serene experience.
9 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Ashley,
Sounds like you had a magical experience! That's exactly how a balloon flight should be! :)
Thank you for flying with us!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
The whole experience
The whole experience. From helping at both start and finishing to the actual flight. The Virgin Team were very proactive and friendly. Our pilot Peter contributed immensely.
12 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hey Charlie - that's fab! Glad you had a fantastic flight with us! :)
Peter really is a fantastic pilot and we're glad his personability and charisma added to the experience!
Thanks again for flying with us!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
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