What happens if my scheduled flight date shows bad weather?

Nature of the Winds:

We try our very best to accommodate your first choice in date and time to fly with us. However, as the services we provide are all outdoors, we are 100% dependent upon calm winds and stable weather conditions to provide our customers with a safe and enjoyable flight experience with us.  There are days and times in which the wind speed, wind direction, and/or inclement weather, such as rain or snow, may cause us to have to cancel your initial flight date. If and when this takes place, we appreciate our customers’ understanding that the decision to cancel is strictly for the safety, security, and protection of our customers and crew members. We also appreciate our customers’ trust in our FAA-certified pilot’s expert ability to assess flying conditions and conservative approach in ensuring your flight with us is safe and enjoyable. If we have to cancel one or more times, we will seek a mutually available date to reschedule your flight at no additional cost. Although finding a safe day to fly may potentially take a bit longer than expected, you can absolutely trust that we will accommodate you; we just want it to be a safe and fabulous flight experience for you. We would much rather wait patiently for a safe and beautiful day to fly for you, instead of settling for a day with sub-par, grossly mediocre conditions. You deserve the best! We appreciate our customers’ understanding, flexibility, and patience if it takes a little extra time to find that great day for you.

 

What is your cancellation policy?

Communication of Cancellation from  CT Voyager Balloons:

About two days prior to your flight, I will send customers a brief update on the wind and weather conditions for their flight date. If flying conditions look bad, we will wait another 24 hour or so, with hope some good changes take place. If, by the day before your scheduled flight, the flying conditions do not improve, we will cancel and seek a mutually available date to reschedule your flight. If conditions look good about 12-18 hour prior to your flight (early evening prior to flight), we will send you all the meeting details you need to know.

 

Communication of Cancellation from Customer:

We understand that life situations can happen and cause your need to cancel and postpone your flight. Cancellations by the customer over 48 hours prior to your scheduled flight date are allowed at no charge. Cancellations by the customer 24 hours or less before your flight date will be charged 50% of the total cost of your flight. No-shows and those who missed take-off will render your flight purchase as null and void.

 

How do I redeem my gift certificate for a hot air balloon flight?

Once you have a desired flight date and time in mind, please give us a call, text, or email. We will then connect with you and schedule you for the flight of your life!

 

Is my flight purchase refundable?

No, your flight purchase(s) with us is not refundable as stated on your booking invoice. However, here are a few amenities about your flight purchase with us.

 

Your flight purchase(s) do not have an expiration date. You can use them at any time of the year, wind and weather conditions allowing.

If you wish to transfer one or more flights to someone else, you are more than welcome to do so through a gift certificate. Just let us know and we will process the transfer for you.

 

Is there a weight limit on each flight?

Yes, there is a necessary weight limit on each flight. While booking your hot air balloon flight – online or in-person – you will be asked for your body weight, or the total, combined body weight of you and all those traveling in your group. Our maximum weight limit is 250 pounds per person. For individuals weighing over 250 pounds, we kindly require a 50% increase to your flight purchase price (e.g., 1.5 times $350 of a Shared Flight price). Your transparent response to the weight question is critically important, as it determines the safety and fueling needs of your flight. Here are some reasons why weight transparency is so important on a hot air balloon flight.

The maximum weight limitations on individual passengers are the most critical factor in determining how much air the balloon will hold, and how much lift (buoyancy) it will have. Maximum weight restrictions exist in a hot air balloon because it needs to lift off from the ground. If the balloon is too heavy, it simply will not fly. The balloon could deflate, causing you to fall from the sky.

 

While the hot air balloon may be able to fly, overweight hot air balloons will run out of gas (propane) much faster, causing passengers to potentially miss out on a full-length flight. Also, every once in a while, finding a landing location can be challenging for the pilot. An overweight flight is at high risk of running out of gas before finding a landing location.

 

Unexpected wind gusts could kick in during your flight or landing. An overweight basket is at very high risk of bumping into dangerous objects that could cause accidents, unexpected injuries, and possibly death. 

 

While we have no intention at all of being judgmental over body weight, the hot air balloon business comes down to the numbers, so we have to be within a specific weight to ensure your flight is safe. We also want to accommodate as many people as we can while still being profitable by not losing the opportunity to fully book our basket.

 

 

How high up does the balloon go?

Wind and weather conditions are the determining factors to how fast and high up the hot air balloon can go. The average distance our flight covers is between 3-15 miles. Our flights vary in altitude between several hundred feet above ground to several thousand feet above ground. The change in altitude depends on wind direction and our flight path the pilot prefers to take based on good landing opportunities.

 

Where do you take off?

We utilize multiple launching sites in the Quiet Corner region of Connecticut, which includes the towns of Woodstock, Pomfret, Putnam, and Thompson. The decision on which takeoff location to use is based on the wind direction to ensure your flight is safe, provides good landing patterns, and is enjoyable with stunning views! The pilot will not be able to assess wind direction until approximately 12-18 hours prior to your flight. Once a takeoff location is determined, we will send you all the meeting details you will need to know (most commonly through text messaging).

 

Where do you land?

We can't know that ahead of time! That is part of the fun and mystery of hot air ballooning. As hot air balloons travel with the wind, we do not have an exact landing location predetermined. Our pilot utilizes good judgment in choosing a takeoff location that will take the balloon in a direction that will lead to a location with enough opportunity to make a safe landing, and the Crew is able to extend efforts to attain permission from the landowner prior to landing.

 

How many people are allowed in one flight?

Our Private Flights allow up to three passengers per flight. For our Shared Flights, we average six to eight passengers per flight. However, more than the total headcount in a flight, the total, combined passenger body weight is the most important. Customers’ transparency and honesty in sharing body weight is crucially important in ensuring a safe and enjoyable flight for everyone.

 

Why is hot air ballooning so expensive?

There are many moving parts to making a hot air balloon ride happen. While the actual cost of a hot air balloon is extremely expensive, the very high costs of insurance, storage rental, maintenance, labor (employees and crew), fuel, and other accessories such as pictures, champagne, and celebration costs for each flight, are only a start to the long list of expenses included in a hot air balloon ride. For more insight on this: www.thecoldwire.com.

 

Is it appropriate / customary to tip?

Like all service providers, tipping is not a law or requirement, but is sincerely appreciated. Very similar to servers in restaurants, bell services in a hotel, etc., the roles and responsibilities of Crew Members consist of 100% manual labor, with a whole lot of heavy lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying, most commonly in very hot temperatures and/or very cold conditions. Like other service venues, a typical tip would be 10%-20% of the total price. However, any thoughtful consideration of a tip would be greatly appreciated. Like the saying, “If you like your ride, tip your guide.” 😊 For further insight on tipping: www.rainbowryders.com.

 

What times of the year are best for the morning Sunrise Flights and afternoon Sunset Flights?

As long as the winds are calm and the weather conditions are stable, we try our best to offer one morning Sunrise Flight and one afternoon Sunset Flight each day. When flying conditions are stable, flights in the morning and afternoon are equally an amazing experience! However, due to fluctuations in temperature between April and mid-September (slightly different timeframe each year), the unstable wind conditions in the afternoon make it unsafe to fly our Sunset Flights. Once the fall season hits, both mornings and afternoons are typically good times to fly. Once the fog hits us in the morning between late fall and winter, the afternoon Sunset Flights tend to provide the best flying conditions. Overall, throughout most of the year, morning conditions tend to be a lot more reliable for flying (and basically any outdoor activities).

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