I went on a ride with Balloons Over Asheville on the same trip as the reviewer below. While my review may seem redundant for this reason, I strongly believe it important enough to reiterate the experience for the benefit of anyone considering going with this company. Reviews here are limited to a character maximum so I won't repeat every detail that Sarah mentions below. But I will say that EVERYTHING mentioned is completely factual and, in fact, if anything, understated. It is true that we woke up at 5:45am, ungodly early for me personally, but I considered it worthwhile if it meant seeing a beautiful sunrise from a peaceful hot air balloon. The very first thing we did was pay for the experience, including tip, even though the crew didn't know for sure we could even fly that day. It is true that we spent from 6:20am to 8:07am shuttling from place to place on a freezing bus, as the crew launched two pilot balloons (couldn't this be done before picking us up?), gathered the equipment, and then essentially recruited us as employees to help set up the balloon. Two poor gentlemen (passengers, not staff) stood in 30-degree temperatures for half an hour, holding the balloon open as fans blew cold air past them. (It is worth mentioning that, yes, their website does say that "Passengers are encouraged to participate... This is a great photo op!" This isn't untrue. However, it is also true that if passengers opted NOT to participate, the crew literally WOULD NOT be able to do the work on their own. The balloons weigh thousands of pounds, no exaggeration. They aren't encouraging participation, they are relying on paying customers' support.) It is true that a neighbor man unleashed a slew of curse words at us and the company; honestly - and I mean honestly - I would not have been surprised if we'd been threatened physically. The crew lead, Addison, apologized to the group and tried to explain the situation, but honestly, wouldn't you expect issues like this to be worked out before launching your business? One of the three gaskets in the hot air balloon basket appeared to be faulty... Addison tinkered with it as all of us passengers (11 total) watched with increasing anxiety. Eventually he declared it a non-issue and we prepared to launch. For a glorious ten minutes, the balloon ride was truly peaceful and lovely. I got a glimpse of what the experience should feel like, and it is seriously cool. Unfortunately, I can still only say that this brief time simply met expectations. The pilot, Rowena, was aloof at best, hostile and condescending at worst. She actually hadn't said a word to the passengers until we were in the basket and heading up... including any safety guidelines. Hardly an exceptional show of customer service. Also, the scenery we floated over was the suburbs of Asheville, not beautiful mountains. All too soon, we were caught in a wind stream and moving fast. Rowena appeared visibly panicked, and we heard the chase crew on the radio demanding we "must land IMMEDIATELY!" So, the remaining 20 minutes of the flight were spent in a frenzy of weaving up and down, literally smashing into trees on people's property below. We were told that "we use trees as brakes." The pilot and chase crew struggled to communicate clearly with each other, miscalculating landing spots and sometimes snipping at each other. Finally yet another tree crunched us to a halt, and we were pulled down into a tiny abandoned parking lot surrounded by power lines, a main road, and other buildings. The next hour and half was spent standing around, watching, or assisting in the takedown of the balloon. Rowena the pilot left to get food from Bojangles with her grandson. Everyone else remained, baffled at what had just happened, politely helping the crew, wondering why no one was getting the bus to simply conclude the experience for the passengers. We finally returned to our original site at 10:21am. Incredibly, throughout all of this, the crew was seemingly oblivious to the fact that any passengers were less than satisfied. There was no attempt at genuine responsiveness or concern. On the contrary, the employees repeatedly glossed over the mishaps with poorly placed jokes, hoping we wouldn't notice. By the time the day was over, I suspected that if we followed up by e-mail, we wouldn't hear again from the owner. And ten days later, we haven't. I am aware that Balloons Over Asheville's website states many disclaimers, allowing for the possibility of shorter rides, longer total durations, and so on. Undoubtedly they would use this as justification for my experience. That said, an experience such as a hot air balloon ride should be truly fantastic. A well-run company (and they do exist) would execute it with professionalism, competence, and attentiveness to the customer experience. $99 per ride may seem too good to be true... and it is. If I could do it over, I would absolutely pay a higher price for an experience I could remember fondly. read more

Our experience with Balloons Over Asheville was extremely disappointing. Unfortunately, there were no Yelp reviews for this company when we made a reservation, but the owner promptly responded to our emails and they had a favorable Google review, so we decided to go with them. However, since riding in their balloon nearly two weeks ago, I've sent two emails to the company, asking them to address our concerns, and they have not responded at all. Also, we learned that the Google review was actually written by the owner, acting as a customer. Even though Balloons Over Asheville's website states that the flights are "about an hour", our flight was only 32 minutes. Yet our total time with Balloons Over Asheville was 4 hours. We met the bus driver/crew member, Addison, at Cracker Barrel at 6:20am where we paid and were asked to leave a tip up-front, which seemed odd since we hadn't actually experienced their service yet. We drove to a couple different locations and waited in a cold bus for the crew to put up pilot balloons. After reaching the launch site, we assisted the crew in unpacking and preparing the 4,000 lb balloon and basket. We paid a lot of money (and 20% tip to the crew) only to have the customers doing a great deal of work alongside the crew of 2 people and 1 pilot. While we were inflating the balloon, a man named Tommy, who lived next to the launch site, screamed obscenities at us because the fans and burners were disturbing him in the early morning hours. We feared for our safety, as Tommy was very angry and we were about to go up in a balloon right in front of his house. When we finally got off the ground at 8:07am, we had about 10-15 minutes of peaceful flight. In the latter 15-20 minutes, our balloon picked up speed and the pilot, Rowena, attempted to slow us down by hitting tree branches and actually breaking limbs off of trees, while she yelled at us to keep our arms in. The ride ended when we actually landed in a tree, in a small parking lot of a now defunct bank, adjacent to a busy highway lined with power lines. To add insult to injury, we watched a balloon (presumably from the other balloon company in Asheville) peacefully flying off in the distance for quite some time. We finished the day, again, by doing more work, packing up the balloon and basket in the cold. Our pilot even headed to Bojangles for breakfast while the customers packed up the balloon. We were finally returned to the Cracker Barrel parking lot at 10:21am. It's important to note that the flight crew and pilot didn't give us any safety instructions before launching. The pilot didn't even talk to us until we were well off the ground. The only instructions we received were at the moment of hitting trees (to keep our hands in) and right before landing in the tree (to face the landing spot and stay in the basket). The staff was unpleasant with each other, at times bickering and even yelling, and generally not attentive to the customer experience. We were disappointed in the lack of efficiency by the company, the reliance on the customers to unpack and pack the balloon, the absence of professionalism and customer service by the staff, and the lack of consideration for our safety. And we continue to be disappointed in the unwillingness to respond to our concerns via email. Having ridden in balloons in the past and really enjoying those experiences, I have some comparison, and this experience was unpleasant and definitely more frustrating than fun. I do not recommend this company. read more

Our experience with Balloons Over Asheville was fantastic. This was a birthday present for my wife, and although our originally scheduled day had to be postponed, it was worth waiting a few more days. Here's a video of our trip: https://vimeo.com/127114322 We met at 5:50AM and were shuttled to the first potential launch site, but after testing the wind, the pilot, Addison, decided to go to a second site, which is where we ended up launching. I would much rather be shuttled for a few extra minutes to get to the ideal spot to take off, rather than risk safety or enjoyability by trying to take off in less-than-ideal conditions. Balloons are not like other aircraft that can fight the wind, so I completely understand. Our flight with 8 passengers was very enjoyable and smooth. Addison did a great job piloting while answering all our questions and teaching us little things here and there. The weather was perfect, the flight was great, and our landing was smooth and painless. I do find it amusing when one of the selling points is that customers can help with set-up and tear-down of the balloon, since it is work...but I had fun getting to help. Others may complain about it, but I'm all about getting to be a part of the action. Also, I paid $99 each for my wife and myself, which was hundreds of dollars less than the competition! I think they have raised their prices to $199/person, so I'm glad I booked when I did. They're still probably cheaper than the competition. All in all, we had a great experience, and I would highly recommend it. read more

My Wife and I flew with Balloons Over Asheville on March 21st 2015. It was an outstanding adventure. We have ballooned all over the country. Pretty much the exact same experience we have had everywhere else except the balloons are huge and brand new and BEAUTIFUL. We helped inflate , flew for about 45 or 50 minutes, landed and quickly packed up. These guys are very professional. Rowena, our Pilot was a very pleasant person. She has been flying for nearly 30 years she said. I don't know how they make any money flying at $99.00 per person. It is usually closer to $250.00 per person most places. I was actually very surprised to see such nice equipment considering the price. We are in Asheville several times a year and we have decided to become regular customers, I mean at $99.00.... why not right! read more

Our wonderful team was Captain Rowena and her Son Addison, (who drove us but is also a pilot). They were so incredibly sweet and professional, but fun and laid back. Rowena's parents were also pilots. We felt safe and happy in their hands the whole time! It was such a gorgeous morning, with a puurrrfect take off and landing! We were up in the air for almost an hour. What a most wonderful and awe inspiring experience, and we hope to one day do it again. It was so fun helping set up and take down the balloon and basket. It was not a task at all but actually an uncomplicated and pretty easy labor of love. I am so grateful to have bee able to do this on my birthday too! I highly recommend this company. read more

After trying last year to go up and the weather did not cooperate I am so happy to say that I was able to go up today with Addison as our pilot. One of the most awesome experiences EVER!! Addison was a wonderful pilot and so knowledgeable, friendly and personable.. The crew was outstanding and so helpful and friendly they made you feel like old friends. The ride itself was breathtaking and so peaceful. The other passengers were a delight as well. We would HIGHLY recommend Balloons over Asheville to all our family and friends. Do it, you'll be so Glad you did!!! Brenda and Donna read more

I decided to go to Asheville, NC for a 4 day weekend with my wife. After getting there, we wanted to do something that neither of us has done before. After talking with numerous locals- we came in contact with Balloons Over Asheville. It was AMAZING! The staff was very nice and took great care of us. The views were SPECTACULAR! I highly encourage anyone who is in Asheville, NC to check out this company. It was well worth it! We can't wait to go back this summer!! read more

I don't know how Richard Addison Brown runs his business but I can tell you he's a very mean, hateful, abusive person. He bullied me (a girl) mercilessly because I was overweight. One day he started yelling terrible things at me in front of a lot of other students. I was trying to hide so I sat between a snack and soda machine in the fetal position until he finally stopped. I can't imagine he's some upstanding citizen and honest businessman. ‍ read more

My wife and I went on a hot air balloon ride with Addison for our anniversary and had a lot of fun! Addison was a fabulous pilot who really took care of us in the air. The views were spectacular over western Asheville and the ride was gentle. We both had a great time, both with Addison and the other passengers. I would absolutely recommend Balloons Over Asheville if you're in the area or interested. Thanks Addison! read more

My fiancé and I decided to scratch flying in a hot air balloon off of our bucket list, and we came across Balloons Over Asheville. We scheduled our flight, and were happy that the weather was perfect! I was very nervous about flying, but the staff really made me feel at ease. We had a wonderful time, and I would recommend this company to anyone! read more

This was a great experience with a very knowledgeable pilot/owner. We had one person in our party that had a shoulder replacement surgery and all of the guys were so great helping her in and out of the balloon. I highly recommend Balloon over Asheville!@ read more

Wow!!! What a fabulous experience!!!. Trying to experience new and exciting things. This was a experience that I will never forget. Enjoyed it thoroughly and will recommend to all my friends and family!! read more

Loved this!! It was a great time and the staff went above and beyond to make sure it was safe and enjoyable

Scam artists, convicts that take money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!