The people here are absolutely amazing! They're all so sweet and very professional. Going up in the…read morebasket was very easy and they made it so simple. Well up there they give you a little historical fact lesson about what you're seeing. It was so much fun and these people are absolutely amazing! I would highly recommend coming here, especially if it's your first time as they make it such an easy process.

My wife purchased two tickets for a hot air balloon flight from this company. The intention behind…read morethe purchase was meaningful--it was my elderly mother-in-law's dream, and this was a rare opportunity to fulfill it. Unfortunately, due to injury, weather, and logistical constraints, we were never able to take the flight. While I can understand that small businesses have their policies, I believe our experience highlights serious concerns that other potential customers should know before booking, particularly those who do not live near the launch site or who have caregiving or work responsibilities. We were not asking for anything unreasonable. The flights we attempted to book were never full--we confirmed this each time--so our rescheduling or cancellation would not have prevented anyone else from flying. Despite this, after four cancellations on their part due to weather and two proactive reschedulings on our part (in anticipation of poor conditions), the company refused to offer even a partial refund. This policy remained unchanged even though our cancellations were rooted in legitimate weather concerns and the need to avoid long overnight travel for my wife and elderly mother-in-law. Their refusal to acknowledge this reality, coupled with dismissive remarks such as "we don't know what weather app you're using," was frankly insulting. It's the standard weather app available on every smartphone. What compounds the problem is the rigidity of their scheduling policy. They will not confirm whether a flight is going ahead until 8:00 PM the night before a 5:15 AM departure. For anyone coming from New York City (a multi-hour journey), this is deeply impractical. We once had to cancel a trip 30 minutes before departure from our home simply because they wouldn't confirm earlier, despite clear weather warnings. This lack of flexibility and poor customer support creates a high-stakes gamble for anyone not located nearby. Add the cost of travel, overnight accommodations, and the risk of last-minute cancellations, and the actual cost of this experience balloons to $1000 or more for two people. Despite repeated attempts to make use of our tickets before expiration, we were thwarted by several company-initiated cancellations due to weather. They did offer us a one-week extension, which we appreciated. However, when we politely asked for a refund after a month of unsuccessful rescheduling, they abruptly declared our tickets expired. Only when we pushed back did they reverse that statement--something that felt more like strategic positioning than good-faith customer service. The shift in tone when they learned we intended to post a review was striking and disingenuous. It felt like damage control, not sincere effort to rectify the situation. To be clear, I don't doubt that the balloon ride itself may be beautiful. But potential customers need to know that this company is extremely inflexible, often unprofessional in tone, and not equipped to accommodate anyone traveling from outside their local area. The risks--financial and logistical--are significant. This isn't just about a missed flight; it's about a poorly designed customer experience that leaves no room for the real-life variables most people have to consider. If you don't live nearby and have no margin for disruption, I would strongly advise against booking.

My boyfriend and I had an incredible flight with Spirit Ballooning for his birthday. Jordan and his…read morefamily were really friendly and went the extra mile to give us an unforgettable outing. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and the picnic at the end of our flight made the whole experience special. Spirit Ballooning's website has a booking function, which made selecting a date and time for our flight really easy. I would definitely recommend going on a flight with Spirit Ballooning, it will truly be an experience that you will never forget!

I wish I could rate 10 stars! Our flight with Jordan was one of the best experiences of the summer…read more What a beautiful place to fly and such a lovely family. We were completely at ease before and during the flight because of how Jordan and Darrel explained what was happening with the weather and balloon. This is truly a family owned and operated business through and through. Make sure to stick around for the champagne celebration at the end of the flight! Thanks so much Jordan and Darrel!

I love the view....it was breath taking!! Highly recommend!! Bring a strap to hold on to your…read morephone....dress for a few degrees below the weather.

From the owner: Incorporated in New York 1983 .... Flying continuously since then in Middletown, NY Flights…read moreDepart from Gate C Randall Airport Middletown New York, Just 1 mile of Rt 84. Lana & Ken Smith are both commercial pilots & flight instructors.

AMAZING! I purchased tickets on Groupon for my man friend and myself. The tickets were good for 1yr…read more-- which provides a nice cushion time. The balloons leave at sunrise & from the photos you can tell it's a spectacular view and experience. Dave was great! I highly recommend this company .... just finished our ride and we are already planning our next one!!

absolutely amazing ! wind , sunrise , fresh air . best beginning of the day ! Dave is a…read moreprofessional . not even for a second we felt uncomfortable or scared ( and let me tell you those landings can be scary ). the whole crew is on top of everything ...picking us up in the landing spot , getting us a glass of champagne after ....even offering us a ride ( since our "driver" was cold asleep back in hotel , and we were going to walk back). loved it so much ! if I could give 10 stars I would ! thank you guys ! you made our getaway absolutely unforgettable !

I left Fantasy Balloons a voicemail on a Monday morning around 9 am and Lana returned my call by…read more12:30 the same day. She was very friendly and detailed on what I could expect. I was doing this as a surprise for my wife on our 3rd year anniversary. Lana even gave me some good suggestions on how I could throw my wife off and convince her to wake up at 4 am. Lana called me again the night before our flight to confirm all the details with me and ensure we were good to. Our flight over the Hudson Valley was great and made us feel calm and relaxed. I was able to take some great pictures of the deer prancing through the open fields as we flew over them. Ken, our pilot and Lana's husband, was great and very professional as he piloted our hot air balloon. He even gave us a tour and described some of the landscape around us. As we floated in the sky we could see Lana in hot pursuit of our balloon never missing a turn to keep up with us so she could meet us wherever we landed. When we returned to the hangar Lana had a champagne toast and crackers ready for us along with our flight certificate. We were also able to speak with some of the crew who were all friendly folks. I will definitely be recommending Fantasy Balloon Flights to my family and friends.

Today my husband and I flew for the first time in a hot air balloon with Ken and Lana of Fantasy…read moreBalloon Flights in Middletown, NY. It was such a fun time! Ken and Lana are extremely knowledgeable, super nice and fun! We couldn't have had a better team of people around us during this incredible experience. I felt safe in their hands and had a blast. I would highly recommend using their company if you're looking for a hot air balloon ride. They have over 30 years of experience in flying, and gave very good instructions about what to expect. An extra bonus was that I was worried the weather (unexpected fog) would end up canceling our flight for the day, but Ken and Lana carefully analyzed the situation and decided that we could fly today. It was such a great time, and I would totally go again! It's great to knock something off the bucket list, while also supporting a local and friendly business.

Jim is the best! Our experience got postponed a few times due to various reasons and we finally got…read moreon the ride today for our anniversary celebration. He's done this for 30+ and is excellent at communicating, super attentive and extremely experienced. We hit the home run for such perfect fall weather. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

After numerous weather postponements, we had an amazing trip with CT Ballooning. Jim, (They all)…read morewas professional, informative, catered the event to each of us in the basket with them. I loved being able to assist with the landing!! If you are going to be in the area, or travel 2 hours like we did, it is SO worth it. My next trip will be with CT Ballooning!!!!

Having never ballooned before I was very nervous and Kelly and her team were willing to keep the…read moreballoon tethered for a few minutes to make sure I felt ok before launching us into the sky. What I found is that ballooning is a really magical experience. We rose up slowly and floated over beautiful farmland for about 50 minutes. It was incredibly peaceful and an amazing sensory experience to be floating over the earth. Our landing was a smooth one and it was super cool to know that there was a chase crew following our entire flight who made sure the balloon and passengers were all taken care of post-flight. The champagne and treats were icing on the cake. Kelly is a phenomenal pilot. She put me at ease and I'm grateful for my adventure in the sky.

Checked off another bucket list item. Our hot air balloon flight high above north western New…read moreJersey was amazing! The pilot, Kelly, knew her stuff and took safety very seriously. We saw farm houses, cows, and horses from 5,000 feet up...Just beautiful! And let's not forget the 8 airplanes that flew beneath us and tipped a wing to say hi. Highly recommend Just Ducky!

By Dano We had an amazing couples experience on my birthday…read morelast October. Seeing the fall foliage from above the trees is an experience not to be missed. We snapped a ton of amazing pictures and several are now framed in our home. My family will be back in the Spring as the kids can't stop planning their adventure. Mick and his team were great! Memories like this one last a lifetime...!!

Mick and his staff were absolutely incredible they help coordinate and engagement proposal the…read moreflight over the north west it was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking his staff did a great job capturing our take off. the post flight refreshments and his hanger were a great way to cap off the extraordinary experience and I couldn't have asked for a better host and hospitality from Mick and his staff.