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By Eve, December 13, 2011 5:23 pm

With only one more shopping weekend left before Christmas don’t let your stockings be sad!

For just £89 you can give one of the most unforgettable and unique Christmas presents around – a hot air balloon ride from the largest passenger carrying balloon company in the world! We’ll even throw in a gorgeous box of chocs FREE with our national vouchers!

Watch their face light up when they realise that they’ve been given a Champagne balloon ride experience.

With over 100 launch sites to choose from all over England, Scotland and Wales they’ll be spoilt for choice as to where to start their airborne adventure.

Left it late? Doesn’t matter – you can get our balloon ride vouchers instantly with our Email Vouchers right up until the very last minute.

You can make this amazing gift even more spectacular by adding a bottle of Champers or a Champagne flute too from our gorgeous Gifts.

Save up to 40% on Regional Vouchers – buy from £89

FREE Chocolates with National Vouchers

Gorgeous Gifts from £5

See Christmas Delivery options

See what the experience is like

See our flight locations

Happy Christmas!

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By Kirsty, July 5, 2011 10:32 am

33 year old Mani Manota of Leeds, Yorkshire, yesterday popped the all important question to long-term girlfriend Maria,25, at 1200ft above York!

The happy couple who met six years ago whilst working in a bar had both talked about the prospect of marriage but Maria had no idea what Mani had planned.

“I thought about Paris and the Eiffel tower but everyone seemed to have done that and for some reason it seemed too cheesy. I was nervous about the whole thing and having one date cancelled due to weather I was nervous right up until the night before when the message from pilot Dave Sutcliffe said the flight was going ahead, no turning back now!

Maria didn’t know anything about the Balloon ride. I asked her to wear warm but clothes she wouldn’t mind getting dirty, she assumed I was going to take her horse riding or visiting a farm, she had no idea until we turned up at York Racecourse and I pointed out the baskets. Much to my relief she was ecstatic at the prospect of going up in a hot air balloon, a first for us both,” said Mani.

At 1200ft the moment Mani had been waiting for arrived and as Maria turned away he dropped to one knee! Of course, she said yes and they celebrated with a traditional Champagne toast after landing.

“The flight was brilliant, very peaceful up in the air with no engine noise letting just the wind direct us, we had brilliant views over York, we could see for miles.  We both liked the fact we were involved in everything from getting the balloon off the trailer to the inflation and then helping to get it deflated too. The overall experience was brilliant and would recommend it to anyone. I’m glad I chose Virgin.”

Congratulations to you both! The team at Virgin Balloon Flights wish you the very best for your wedding and future life together.

For information regarding hot air balloon ride launch sites and prices simply visit www.virginballoonflights.co.uk or call 01952 212750.

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By Kirsty, June 21, 2011 11:42 am

How fitting that Virgin’s ‘Summer of Love’ is upon us and pilot Mark ‘Nobby’ Simmons had an engagement on board one of our lovely balloons over Bath!

Happy couple Lee Hall, 35 and Carly Jenkins 25 from Hampshire, originally hooked up the 21^st century way by meeting on match.com, going on their very first date in December 2009. Flying to celebrate Carly’s 25^th birthday, the whole experience was a complete surprise and became a double celebration when nervous Lee popped the big question.

“I’ve always wanted to propose this way! I’ve wanted to fly on a balloon for years and I’ve always planned this would be the way once id met that special someone – it just so happened that Carly has always dreamed of flying in a hot air balloon too… so, with her 25th birthday looming (11th June day of the flight) i felt this would be my perfect opportunity to ask,” said Lee.

“I was so nervous as everything was weather pending! It had been raining ALL week in Southampton and i had everything set for this one day, i wanted it to be a birthday that she’d always remember and i honestly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day! I was so happy when i found out the night before that the flight was a GO… I didn’t sleep a wink!”

Nodding and bursting into tears, Carly (of course) accepted the proposal in front of the beautiful sky high backdrop before floating into the distance together, how romantic! Mr and Mrs Hall to be have already planned to get hitched next year and said they would love to fly with us again.

“The flight was amazing; we both loved every minute of it. It was like you were floating on air, fantastic experience! Even now i can get over how peaceful and quiet it was. I don’t think any other form of flying comes close. I’d recommend it to everyone and we’d defiantly do it again!

Thank you once again, from the very first phone call to organise the flight, Nobby’s piloting skills and to now you’ve all been brilliant, really helpful.”

Thanks Lee, and CONGRATULATIONS from all of us here at Virgin Balloon Flights. 

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By Eve, May 17, 2011 2:24 pm

Next week sees the celebration of National Balloon Week commencing May 22^nd 2011.

A balloon is simply a flexible bag inflated with a gas such as helium, hydrogen or oxygen and can be made from material such as rubber, latex or nylon. Even dried animal bladders have been used in the past to make balloons; lovely!

In 1824, whilst experimenting with different gases, Michael Faraday invented the most common type of balloon, the rubber balloon.

In 1782, whilst watching a bonfire the French Montgolfier brothers, realised that warm air was lighter than cool air and set about filling a bag with hot air to see if it would fly. The rest is history as they say.

In contrast, in the 1970s, metalized plastic film began to be used to create pretty decorative floating foil balloons filled with helium.

As well as for fun, balloons are used as flying machines for transport, pleasure trips, defence and meteorology.

It goes without saying that here at Virgin Balloon Flights we love balloons, not least because balloons tend to conjure images of colour, happiness and celebration.

Balloons can also symbolise something special; a birthday, a party, happiness, togetherness and in
the case of hot air ballooning – daring, romance and adventure! Just visit our gallery and you’ll get
the idea.

So to experience a magical balloon ride in one of our beautiful big red iconic balloons and feel part of ballooning history, take a look at our range of balloon flights that take off from almost every corner of England, Scotland and Wales.

You can also find out more about the ballooning experience by visiting us on Facebook and by following us @VirginBalloons on Twitter.

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By Kirsty, November 15, 2010 6:04 pm

Virgin Balloon Flights will be joining ‘The most popular Christmas shopping fair in the Midlands’ from the 18^th -21^st of November at the NEC’s Festive Gift Fair.

Our airborne adventures will be on sale at the fair giving the gift shoppers something spectacular for their loved ones to unwrap this Christmas.

Visitors can soak up the atmosphere with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie whilst browsing over 300 stalls offering unusual gifts and adventurous experiences all under one roof!

Father Christmas will even be there to lend a hand with the shopping whilst busy present buyers listen to The Brass Band Santa’s or the angelic choral choir.

A hot air balloon ride with us is an experience of a lifetime and a perfect present to take home and gift wrap. We’ll be there too, on hand to explain which vouchers are best for you and to show you where your nearest launch site is. With over 100 locations to fly from in England, Scotland and Wales there is bound to be one near you.

You can even take home a piece of Virgin ballooning history as we’ll be giving you the chance to purchase our limited edition bags and jackets made by sustainable fashion brand Worn Again. Made with the material of retired Virgin hot air balloons, these one off garments are truly unique and up-cycled to the latest trends.

So get into the Christmas spirit and we’ll see you there in Hall 12 at Birmingham’s NEC. Show tickets are available at festivegiftfair.co.uk from just £7.50 per person.

If you can’t get to the fair, fear not, our lovely balloon flight vouchers are available online, check out our festive offers here!

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By Kirsty, October 26, 2010 11:04 am

Keith Metcalf, 64, from Ossett West Yorkshire took to the skies with Virgin Balloon Flights last week to celebrate his 40^th wedding anniversary. The balloon ride, which was bought for Keith as an anniversary gift from his wife, took off from York Racecourse and headed westwards over the town of Tadcaster.

“The balloon flight was brilliant, it was so relaxing floating along and you don’t seem to be moving. We passed over fields and small villages and I could see both Ferrybridge and Eggborough power stations in the distance. As we passed over Tadcaster we could clearly see the breweries too,” said Keith.

On the ground, Keith’s six year old grandson and his son-in-law Neil Spofforth, 31 from Wakefield, looked on as ‘Grandad flew high in the sky’! Neil, who has been interested in photography for many years had recently bought his first digital SLR camera and was catching Keith’s ballooning experience image by image.

“This was my first time photographing hot air balloons, it was amazing watching the Virgin balloons go up, seeing one close up for the first time was awe inspiring,” said Neil.

I particularly enjoyed trying to photograph the flames as the air in the balloon was heated up for take-off and then as the balloon sailed away. I was fortunate the flight launched around 5pm because as they floated away into the distance, the sun came down giving me the opportunity to get the balloons in silhouette,” he added.

The balloon came to land in a field just outside Newton Kyme where Keith enjoyed a Champagne toast and received a flight certificate endorsed by Sir Richard Branson and signed by his pilot Dave Sutcliffe.

The photographs of Keith’s adventure are available to view on Neil’s website www.SpofforthPhotography.co.uk . More information regarding hot air balloon rides with Virgin Balloon Flights is available here.

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By Kirsty, October 14, 2010 3:36 pm

Pull out your fluffy socks, crank up the heating and get your
Christmas list written … only 10 weeks to  go until the turkey’s stuffed and Grandpa’s asleep in front of the fire. Forget queuing for hours on the high street for that special gift, why not get them an experience of a life time; a ride in an iconic red Virgin hot air balloon?

So why should a Champagne balloon ride be the Christmas gift you choose?

· This experience of a lifetime is super special way to wow a
loved one on Christmas day and is a  unique gift idea that can be tailored to your preferred location and flight time, a great gift for him or her.

· Hot air ballooning allows you to see beautiful Britain from a totally different view point and gives you a chance to explore your home town from the skies.

· With over 100 launch sites to choose from across England, Scotland
and Wales your airborne  adventure is never too far from home.

· You can choose from a selection of vouchers, with the option of adding Gift Packages which include: a Virgin shoulder bag, cap, pen, key ring, pre-flight DVD, binoculars and either Sir Richard Branson’s autobiography
‘Losing My Virginity’, a pair of BLOC sunglasses or a crystal engraved
Champagne flute.

· All vouchers have 12 months’ validity so you can fly when it best
suits you.

· Every voucher comes with a souvenir brochure and is presented in a luxury gift wallet (so there’s no need to wrap it) and after the flight there’s a traditional Champagne toast and personalised certificate signed by the pilot and endorsed by Sir Richard Branson.

· There’s even a Snapfish voucher for 40 free digital prints so the gift
recipient can relive their hot air ballooning experience for years to come, they’ll also receive a £40 Virgin Wines voucher to help  celebrate the festive season in style with a tipple or two.

· Our vouchers are sent in unbranded packaging (if you tell us it’s a surprise) so we don’t let the cat out of the bag.

· We offer express delivery, standard delivery or emailable flight vouchers so if you’ve left it until the last minute we can get your gift vouchers to you extra quick.

What are you waiting for? Simply visit virginballoonflights.co.uk or call 01952 212750 for more details or to book a flight.

See you in the sky!

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By Kirsty, September 28, 2010 4:04 pm

19 year old Catherine Barber and her three brothers from York
chipped in to treat their mum Ann, 62,  to a surprise birthday gift, a balloon ride with Virgin Balloon Flights launching from York Racecourse. Catherine was lucky enough to be a hop-in passenger and took to the skies for the birthday celebrations too!

“I managed to book the flight for her actual birthday and she didn’t have a clue about it! I picked her up from my brother’s house with my dad and told her we were going out for tea, when we approached York Racecourse I gave her the red envelope with the tickets inside” said Catherine.

Although the pair of vouchers the siblings had purchased were for Mum, Ann and Dad Chris,54, pilot Martin Collinson invited Catherine to jump on board as someone else had not shown up for their flight.

“I only bought the vouchers and booked the flights 3 weeks beforehand, it was so fortunate that there was a flight on my Mum’s birthday AND that I managed to get on it too! My Mum has already raved about it to everyone, so she definitely wants to try and go up again.

Overall it was an amazing experience to spend time in the sky looking across my beautiful home city with the people I love the most!”

Happy birthday to Ann from everyone here at Virgin Balloon Flights.

You too can surprise that special someone with a Virgin hot air balloon ride; more information on how to take to the skies with us is available here.