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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Review summary
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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
Company replied
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
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
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
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Absolutely amazing such an incredible…
Absolutely amazing such an incredible experience, surrounded by great people.
11 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi there!
That's amazing to hear! Glad both the flight and the people involved added to your experience with us :)
Thank you for flying with us!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Hot air balloon experience
We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, though the photograph package is a waste of money. We are barely visible in many of the photos and of those we were prominent in were mostly out of focus. Don't waste your money on them
3 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your review. We're really pleased to hear you thoroughly enjoyed your balloon flight and had a great experience with us.
We're so sorry to read though that the flight photos didn't meet your expectations, particularly with some of the images not capturing you clearly. We completely understand how disappointing this would be when you've purchased them as a keepsake. Please do get in touch with us at customerservice@virginballoonflights.co.uk so that we can look to resolve this for you.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and for leaving this honest review of your experience.
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team :)
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Lynda,
This is simply a brilliant review! Many thanks for your review and for flying with us, we're really glad you enjoyed it! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Awesome experience!
10 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thank you for your awesome review! Fancy another? ;)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Amazing can’t express my feelings it…
Amazing can’t express my feelings it was fantastic and best flight I ever had in my life.
9 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi Kinjal!
Wow! Being lost for words really is one of the best compliments we can ever receive! We're so glad you had an amazing flight with us and you're welcome back anytime!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team :)
Really enjoyed the experience
Really enjoyed the experience, but I understand that the wind was not cooperating (natural occurrence). I got some great photographs.
9 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thanks Paul! We're glad you enjoyed your experience and got to capture some wonderful piccies!
You're welcome back anytime and hopefully the wind will play ball next time ;)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Balloon review
Mike and the team were very professional and made the experience very enjoyable.Although the journey after landing I think was a bit drawn out probably due to road closures for the balloon team to get to us and return us to the fiesta ground.I think if dedicated roads were used for balloon team and their passengers the experience would be speeded up considerably.
7 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hey Nigel!
Thank you for the fab review! We're so sorry the journey at the end was a bit of an endurance test, road closures certainly aren't ideal but we're glad it hasn't taken away from the experience overall! :)
We really appreciate this review and your kind feedback, it's really appreciated!
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thank you Bev! Glad you enjoyed your flight with us :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Don’t do it
Don’t do it. Four years of the balloon flight being cancelled and the day it finally went ahead they changed the take off venue at the last minute and we couldn’t make it. Lost over £400.
Re:the reply below. We spent hours on the phone with their team arguing about the unfairness of it. They showed no empathy. Computer says no so that was it. They advertise a balloon flight over historic Oxford but they admitted their launch site has been under construction for over two years. Instead it’s a flight 50 miles away over fields. We even rang the Met Office who confirmed that the hot air balloon weather report for that evening in Oxford was perfect. They just make stuff up.
10 August 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
We completely understand why, after four years of weather cancellations, missing the flight when it finally went ahead would have been incredibly disappointing.
Our launch sites can sometimes change on the day due to wind direction and flying conditions, which is why backup locations form part of our flight planning. However, we'd like to look specifically at what happened with your booking and the communication you received before commenting further.
Please get in touch with our team with your booking details so we can review this properly.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Constant begging for a review.
8 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Well, we certainly can't accuse you of ignoring the request!
Joking aside, we appreciate the feedback and we'll take a look at the communications you've received, as we certainly don't want our experience review invitations becoming a nuisance.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
There's something pretty special about watching the world drift quietly beneath you. We're so pleased you got to experience ballooning at its tranquil best.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
An absolute thrilling experience…
An absolute thrilling experience floating in the sky was peaceful and beautiful.
9 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Thrilling and peaceful all at the same time... ballooning is funny like that! We're so pleased you got to experience just how special life above the clouds can be.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Very enjoyable experience
My son & i enjoyed the balloon ride immensely which was an hour long. Our pilot Chris was friendly & informative during the flight. What we weren't awhere of was the hour before & another hour after was spent helping to set up the balloon & pack it away. This meant our flight didn't start till 7pm instead of 6pm & we didn't leave till 9.30pm after getting back to our car. But the 3 guys who organised it all were lovely & made the experience even more enjoyable especially ending with a glass of buck fizz which was a nice touch.
1 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
It sounds like Chris and the team looked after you both brilliantly, and we're so pleased you enjoyed your time in the air.
Thanks as well for highlighting the timings around setting up and packing away. We appreciate that part of the experience wasn't quite what you expected beforehand, and it's useful feedback for us when looking at how clearly we communicate what the full ballooning adventure involves.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Balloon over Bath
This was our first ever ballon experience and we absolutely loved it from start to finish. Our pilot Nobby Simmons was brilliant and very informative. We were a little nervous at the start but being involved from start to finish with the balloon preparation and chatting with the pilot throughout really helped.
The flight was amazing, beautiful views with various points of interest always pointed out. It was a beautiful hour in the skies and would definitely recommend.
This company are brilliant on safety and making sure the weather conditions are perfect for a great experience. If flights have to be cancelled, it is always for your safety and absolutely worth the wait.
We 100% recommend this fantastic adventure and a glass of bubbly at the end went down a treat!
Hugh thanks
10 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
From a few nerves on the ground to an hour floating over beautiful Bath... it sounds like Nobby had you converted pretty quickly! We'll make sure he sees your fantastic comments.
And thank you for recognising just how important the weather decisions are too. Safety will always win over getting a balloon airborne, so hearing you say it's worth the wait means a lot to the whole team.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Be prepared for cancellations but don't give up…
Firstly when booking be aware that you may not do your flight when or where you'd ideally choose to. This is because you can only fly in very specific weather conditions, it may look calm and sunny to you but if the wind is too high it makes landing unsafe and they do not risk safety. Difficult to fully understand until you actually do the flight.
It took us 3 years and 10 attempts, one attempt we actually got to launch site but unfortunately the weather had changed and was unsafe. Launch site may also change to a back up site so be prepared you may be travelling further than planned.
When we first booked it we booked it 3 hours from home, took time off work and booked a hotel and it was cancelled! Best advice is choose a site close to home and be prepared it may go from a back up launch site. It's easy to say but be patient, expect cancellations, there's absolutely nothing you can do and there's no cheat code for 'better' location.
Unfortunately I just stopped getting excited about it and to be honest just wanted to 'get it over and done with'. We know people who just gave up and obviously you don't get a refund. When you do actually do it it'll be worth it. We went from Tissington hall, we booked Bakewell but it was absolutely stunning. Incredible experience and felt super comfortable with our pilot.
You can get involved with set up and definitely need to help packing up. Wear sensible walking shoes as you will land in a random field that may or may not have copious amounts of cow pats!
Just try and go with the flow with getting booked on and rebooking.
8 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Ten attempts over three years... you certainly earned that flight over Tissington!
Thank you for sticking with it, but also for writing such a balanced account of what booking a balloon flight can sometimes involve. You’ve explained perfectly why a beautiful day on the ground doesn't always mean safe conditions in the air, and why our pilots will never take chances with safety.
We're especially pleased that, after such a long journey to get there, the flight itself proved worth it. And yes... sensible shoes are always a very good idea. We unfortunately have very little influence over where the cows have been!
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Was a great experience from start to…
Was a great experience from start to finish. Matt the pilot and his ground crew were friendly, professional, knowledgeable and helpful. Would definitely go again.
7 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
One flight and you're already ready for another... we like the sound of that! We'll make sure Matt and the crew see your kind words. Hopefully we'll have you back in a basket before too long.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Amazing
Had the best morning leaving from Tissington hall. it was amazing.
Thanks to all the crew and especially Tom our pilot.
8 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Hi,
Now that's how to start a morning! Tissington certainly makes for a spectacular place to take to the skies. We'll make sure Tom and the crew know they helped make yours such a good one.
Thanks,
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Worth the wait!
After many cancellations we finally got our balloon ride and it didn't disappoint!
It was well organised. The crew were knowledgeable, friendly and professional. The flight itself was amazing! It was very serene, the views were stunning, it was a really tranquil and fabulous experience.
8 August 2026
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thank you so much! We're glad you had such a fabulous flight with us and we appreciate you taking the time to leave this review :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thank you for the fabulous review and for flying with us! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
Reply from Virgin Balloon Flights
Thank you Mihai! We really appreciate the positive review! :)
The Virgin Balloon Flights Team
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