In our first article we explained the difference between a hot air balloon “operator” and a “runner” of hot air balloon trips. To summarize quickly, a balloon travel operator owns and operates (that is, flies or pilots) the balloon in which it will actually fly. They are in business to sell you the tangible trip. A travel broker does not own balloons and is in business to sell you only a gift certificate. Care must be taken when searching for a balloon travel company, online or when responding to a newspaper ad, to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable balloon operator. If the differences are not clear to you or why you should deal directly with an operator vs. broker, I suggest you take a few minutes to read it here in our January 12, 2009 post by the same title.

Some Quick Ways To Tell A Real Hot Air Balloon Operator From A Runner In A Web Search

None of these descriptions, by themselves, are clear indicators of a broker. Together, they will help you narrow down your search for a legitimate hot air balloon travel operator.

Search engine list results

Corridors they are usually the first in any search on “sponsored links”. They have huge advertising budgets and they run hundreds of identical sites with different domain names and web addresses to trick you into thinking they are local. One of those brokers actually has 1600 websites for their product. These sites share the same page layout and use the same postal address. They change the city or state name for the individual site.

Balloon ride operators they are generally further down the list and not in the sponsored links or pay per click section at the top and they rarely have more than one site.

Number of locations

Corridors They have attractions available nationwide and in hundreds of locations.

Balloon ride operators They usually only have one, two, or three states that they list as flights. Often just one state, especially if that state is geographically large. If they operate in multiple states, it is usually in border areas where the state lines are very close together, that is, MD, PA and DE or MD and VA.

There is a simple reason for this; Ballooning is a highly weather dependent activity and the decision to fly is often made very close to the flight time. If passengers have a considerable travel distance, this poses logistical problems for the balloon company; the weather could be uncertain or it could change, making the decision to fly or not fly very difficult for the balloon travel company. Most companies do not request passengers who are more than two hours away. If they do, they will be more interested in your money than in the inconvenience of having to drive a long distance for a possibly postponed flight. Depending on the geographic location of your flight and the time of year you want to fly, you may only have a 50/50 chance that the weather will cooperate on any given day.

How many types of attractions

Corridors we offer rides in everything: balloons, gliders, skydiving, helicopters, etc. A new innovation on the web is the birth of the adventure gift company. These are companies that provide gifts of expertise on almost everything from adventure travel to scuba diving. Most include hot air balloon adventures. Generally, it is best to deal directly with the company whose service you want to purchase. Note that the actual company specializes in what it does, while the broker only specializes in selling a commodity represented by a sheet of paper.

Balloon ride operators they are most of the time a shopping stop for a balloon ride. Some companies have branched out and added air or biplane travel. This is because those companies have a real pilot or pilots on staff with multiple licenses for different categories of aircraft and they also own an aircraft.

Prices

Corridors They are volume dealers who depend on the number of trips sold to make a profit. That is why they are advertised so much. They advertise prices that are substantially lower than the market in the area. They are advertised in major newspapers and other outlets, especially during peak gift giving hours. There are several discount coupon deals, holiday specials, and the lowest price available anywhere. They have to try to capture the market to stay in business. Beware of prices that seem substantially out of line from the rest.

Balloon ride operators They will generally not have the lowest price because they have to purchase, maintain, and insure the equipment necessary to fly it. In addition to the hardware, the operator must hire staff and learn the skills to service it. This burden is in addition to the actual dollar cost and years of commitment.

Why the huge price variations?

There are many reasons for the price difference. Brokers do not own aircraft and do not have any of the costs associated with owning and operating them, and this is one of the reasons they are so inexpensive. Ownership costs include: initial balloon purchase, which can be $ 30,000 to $ 60,000, or more, depending on the size of the balloon. There is insurance, fuel, a pursuit vehicle and crew. There are significant price variations among legitimate balloon ride operators. Full-time professional travel companies usually offer the best value for money. They may not be the least expensive, but they are often the most experienced. Many companies can work part time and are actually subsidizing a hobby. Since they do not depend on the income derived from expansion to live, they are often priced lower. Flying in a balloon is an expensive hobby that pushes many enthusiastic pilots of the sport to find a way to pay for itself. Geography also plays a role in pricing. Many parts of the country are seasonal for balloon flights; This is because the weather stops cooperating, or passenger demand stops during the winter months, or both. Areas that don’t enjoy flying year-round have higher prices during their normal flying season. This is done to compensate for the months when companies cannot or cannot fly. Places that have mild seasons and good flight conditions throughout the year generally have lower prices as a result.

Toll free numbers

Corridors they will often use toll-free or 800 phone numbers for your phone. Many have also started using a local number that is forwarded to an out-of-state headquarters to appear more local. Pay attention and listen to see if your call is being handled at a call center, if so, you have called a broker.

Balloon ride operators You can also use a toll free number and this fact alone makes this the least reliable indicator. If you are talking to a member of the balloon crew or a pilot, you have called a tour operator.