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.

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.

Captains Lana and Ken are the BEST! There are other balloon companies out there but these two truly…read morerun an safe, entertaining, engaging, awesome experience for all involved. They have so much experience and their passion is absolutely palpable. We would hands down recommend for you to fly with them. We can't wait to go back up ourselves!!!

We received a gift of a hot air balloon ride. Since we have family near Middletown, NY, we chose…read morethat area. The booking agent, XperienceDays.com sent us to Wandering Winds for our adventure. Due to some weather issues, our Saturday sunset ride was cancelled. However, Vicky, the owner and pilot did her very best to accommodate us since we were already coming to the area and offered a Sunday sunrise ride instead. It turned out to be a great day for a balloon ride. Vicky was friendly and cheerful greeting us and reviewed some of the basic instructions and things we may encounter. Once the balloon was ready to go, we climbed aboard with another couple and were on our way. There were a few other balloons riding the currents with us, which added to the whole experience. It was a fun ride with a beautiful view. Vicky answered all our questions and covered some of the history of hot air ballooning along with stories of her own adventures. My wife, having lived in the area, enjoyed spotting and pointing out many landmarks and personal points of interest. When we reached out landing point, the basket gently bumped the ground once and moved a few feet before settling down. The wandering winds crew was there to help us out of the balloon and pack it up while Vicky served us some champagne, cheese and crackers, and muffins, and told the story of the first balloon ride and its adventurers. You can google it, if you want, but I think its better heard after the experience itself. We watched as other balloons landed (some not quite as gently) and chatted with a few other couples. Then the crew took us back to the departure point. All in all, it was a great experience. We had a beautiful morning, made some new friends, and have one more adventure completed. I highly recommend taking a hot air balloon ride. It was fantastic. We also want to highly recommend Vicky and the crew at Wandering Winds.

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!

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.

A friend and I went to the Adirondack hot air balloon festival and found Rich Hamilton through…read moretheir website. I didn't know much about him, and there wasn't anything online, but Rich mentioned he had 20 years of piloting experience so I figured it would be OK. I'm writing a review because we had such a wonderful time and wanted others to feel at ease booking him. He was super professional, clearly knew what he was doing, and made safety a number one priority (also my priority). I also really appreciated his crew and especially, his wife. They went above and beyond to make sure we had an enjoyable time down to simple things like taking pictures to us and giving us water while we were waiting. Afterwards there was also champagne. I mention these things because because the simple gestures showed that they cared and clearly enjoyed what they were doing. Would book with him again!

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!

An amazing experience with great customer service. The flight took off next to a restaurant…read more Because I was early we were able to grab a great meal prior to the flight. The staff was really nice from the beginning. From getting off the land, to amazing views, to champagne, n meeting new friends it was a great time. I recommend them. I think my pilots name was Debbie, but anyone u pick you will be happy.