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
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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
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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
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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
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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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Great experience from take off to…
Great experience from take off to landing. Thanks to all involved.
13 August 2026
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
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.
12 August 2026
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
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! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8 August 2026
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
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
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.
12 August 2026
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
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!
13 August 2026
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
absolutely amazing experience
absolutely amazing experience, very well organised, great staff and pilot, would definitely do another x
13 August 2026
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
Absolutely fantastic
Absolutely fantastic. Couldn't fault it. Very fortunate with the weather! Highly recommend the experience.
13 August 2026
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
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
14 August 2026
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
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.
3 August 2026
Unprompted review
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
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.
12 August 2026
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
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
7 August 2026
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
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.
13 August 2026
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
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Fabulous and highly recommended – short, sweet and exactly what we like to hear! Thanks for flying with us.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
It was a perfect day for ballon flight
It was a perfect day for ballon flight. Our pilot was brilliant keeping us informed what was happening whilst preparing for flight getting passengers involved in inflating and deflating balloon. Gave full commentary on what we were seeing. It was a clear evening we could see for miles . A wonderful experience and well worth the wait from numerous cancelations due to bad weather conditions
10 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Now that's the kind of evening ballooning was made for! Clear skies, views for miles and a pilot giving you the full guided tour from above. We're delighted the weather finally delivered the flying day you'd been waiting for.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Nobby was our pilot and the whole…
Nobby was our pilot and the whole experience and the team supporting were beyond amazing. They made the experience the best it could be. I will cherish the experience and have no issues recommending to anyone.
12 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Nobby and the team have done it again! It's brilliant to hear they turned a balloon flight into something you'll cherish long after landing. We'll make sure the whole crew sees this – and thank you for the glowing recommendation.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Very well organised and I felt very…
Very well organised and I felt very safe. Even helping get the balloon ready was fun. A brilliant experience thank you.
14 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Safe, organised and plenty of fun before you'd even left the ground – that's exactly how a balloon adventure should begin! Thanks for getting stuck in and flying with us.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
“Do it.” Two little words we can absolutely get behind! Thanks for flying with us and for the fantastic recommendation.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
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
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Excellent experience AND brilliant value for money... we'll very happily take that! Thanks for joining us in the skies over York.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
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
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