I just got back to the ground from our Awesome experience. Our pilot Addison was amazingly knowledgable and communicative during and after the flight. This adventure was a blast!!! I would highly recommend R O franks hot air balloon company!!! They ensure safety as a priority. There was adequate ( and very handsome) ground crew and take off and landing was smooth and well orchestrated. Then Champagne afterwards! I am sorry for the other reviewers bad experience but it was just not true in this flight on June 22 2012. Very happy with this adventure and crew!!! They are FAA certified and the balloons were beautiful and well made. A great experience!!!!!! read more

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If I didn't know someone else who had actually gone up in the balloon, I wouldn't think it actually existed. For more than 2 years, I have scheduled, attempted and rescheduled my flights from my Groupon purchase Feb 2011. At least twice, we met the van and were cancelled. At least two- three other times, they cancelled the day before. Every time we immediately rescheduled the first available dates. Because everyone had to reschedule they were always very booked. Now we receive an email from R.O. Franks that they will no longer be honoring the Groupon purchases and have even cancelled the flight we had scheduled. Do not purchase a flight if you are visiting! You may or may not ever fly. You will not receive a refund. You may be able to reschedule but of course then you have to make another trip. I live only 45 min away and its difficult and frustrating every time you go and then told... Not today. Your day is pretty much wasted. Especially when you meet at the garage, they drive you 20 min out of town, sit at a gas station waiting for a green light for where to meet.... Then decide 2 hours later that there will be no flight. I understand and appreciate safety but I also understand good business sense. I know they cannot control the weather, but there are things they can control. As I previously stated, unless I knew better, this has all the makings of a scam. Now I have to (as they advised in their cancellation email) file for a refund with Groupon or dispute charges from 2 years ago with my bank. How much time and energy will this cost me? or do I right this off as an expensive lesson... Does this mean I still owe my wife a Valentine's gift from two years ago? Asheville is great, but go for a hike or catch something at the Diana Wortham Theatre instead. read more

I purchased a Groupon for my family to experience a Hot Air Balloon ride over Asheville. The four of us traveled to Ashville for the ride on Sunday July 24th. There are several things that happened on this adventure that made it a negative experience. In the beginning of the adventure our pilot (Addison M. Brown) made his personality quite clear by replying to one of his younger crew members (who approached him and said, "um...") "You do not address me with 'um'! You will address me as Addison, do you understand?" all of the clients around him frowned at the chastising treatment of his younger crew member (not more than 14 or 15 years old) and several shook their heads in surprise. Once the balloon was in the air the experience was pleasant but I really must emphasize how important it is to wear a hat. The heat from the burners is really harsh and burns A LOT against your hair and skin. The ride was fairly short and unfortunately Mr. Brown landed us in a cow pasture and bumped the basket along the side of the hill. The owner of the property was furious and came out to yell at us and insist that we move the balloon as soon as possible because we were scaring his cattle. He kept yelling at us until the tension level was very high. Addision had every male in the balloon climb out and (as he made the balloon hover) drag the giant and extremely heavy balloon down a treacherous hill and back up again. As I argued with my stepfather that I should go in his place because I was worried about him - Addsion snapped at us to "get out and get it moving." He didn't even have the patience to allow us to see if it was safe for him! He only had one employee available to help and when he finally managed to reach us Addison was rude to him by telling him that he didn't care what his opinion was in moving the balloon across the field but to "just do it now." It was very hot outside and at $250 per person you really wouldn't expect to have to do such strenuous labor for this company - many of the men were not in peak condition yet they desperately dragged this balloon through the pasture to the top of the hill. We were tipped on our side and the remaining passengers climbed out of the balloon. Then if that wasn't enough - people were still expected to pack it up the huge balloon with them! I mentioned how much this costs right?? I would have expected that at this price point they would have the staff available to pack the balloon properly without requiring an additional hour of labor from the sweating and miserable guests that are sweltering without any water or idea when this experience will end. We were invited back to have champagne (customary for them with the package) but everyone was so mad that no one wanted it. Another couple also had a negative experience on a different balloon and when the gentleman informed Addsion of their "horrific" landing, Addsion actually turned to him and replied, "Well that doesn't sound likely." It was shockingly rude and the gentleman snapped back at him that he "was there!" I know there are several companies available to have a hot air balloon ride with - look for one that doesn't expect it's clients to work in the blazing sun for two hours if they end up landing in the wrong place. Find someone who treats their customers with respect as well as their employees. Find a company that at $250 per person can afford cold water for their guests and enough people to pack and move their equipment! You would never think that a hot air balloon ride would be a problem for a someone with arthritis or hip issues - unless you have to drag the balloon though briars and cow poop and then pack the enormous thing afterwards too. The only reason I am even giving it one star is I cannot deny how beautiful the mountains are in the morning at 1500 feet... and in truth they shouldn't even get credit for that. UPDATE: I have been informed that they have made improvements since my flight and NOW they offer cold drinks afterward, which would have made a huge difference in our experience. Needless to say, upon further reflection I was right when I said that the second star was for the view - not the experience and now that have had the opportunity to review it moment by moment, I have to admit that one star is really more appropriate. read more

I also bought a groupon that they have decided to no longer honor since July 30th. It's one thing to realize maybe groupon is not your business model but to punish so many folks who got in on the deal is poor form. I would not recommend this company to anyone. If you make a bad business decision, you take your losses and deal with it. Never punish the consumer. Their excuse about people canceling and scheduling being crazy is bogus. If you tell people they will lose their tickets of they don't cancel in time, trust me people will not cancel! This company felt like it lost a lot of money or could make more by punishing groupon customers. Fellow Yelpers, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! read more

Same as some of the others, bought a voucher & never got to fly. Then they decided to take it away. I never complained about the re-scheduling. I understood they were busy and you can't control the weather. I would have happily waited the additional 9 months until my re-scheduled date. I'm very unhappy with their decision to cancel the Groupon vouchers. I do plan on ballooning in the next year, but there is no way I will be using this company unless they decide to honor their initial commitment to me for the price I paid through Groupon. Perhaps Groupon was a bad business decision, perhaps their flights are great, but the lack of commitment is incredibly disappointing. Now Groupon has given me a $250 credit. Also not what I wanted or deserved after this endeavor. read more

Is there any way I can give ZERO stars? I purchased two Groupons for the hot air balloon experience. I get it. Working with Groupon was stressful for the company, but it also brought in a lot of traffic. Punishing the customers by no longer accepting vouchers that were $125 a piece is bad business. Why after going back and forth with Groupon and stressing trying to get my money somehow returned would I turn around and spend double that amount by still doing business with R.O. Franks? There are plenty of other business who still focus on making sure they're customer is happy, but R.O. Franks isn't one. read more

We groupons for $125 a person and have taken a flight on June 18. The flight was beautiful and the operation smooth. We were lucky to have a beautiful morning with haze covered mountains and cities, clouds spilling over the mountains, and sunshine breaking through the clouds. This was our first hot air balloon flight. My husband becomes motion sick very easily but had no problem on the hot air balloon ride. The only time he became dizzy was when he looked down to the ground when we were closer to the tree top. A hat is definitely helpful. Although we had several passenger without hats and they didn't complain. Because of the heat of the blower, it was actually a bit warmer in the air than on the ground. Because of the slow speed there was no wind chill, all the breezes were rather pleasant. We had a 35 minutes flight and landed in a horse farm with three horses within the enclosure. The owner came out and yelled at us for scaring her horses. Addison handled it calmly and respectfully. As the owner threatened to beat the xxxx out of him if he threw on the blower again (which was necessary to ensure the fullness of the balloon, as a deflated balloon would be blown whichever way and possibly endanger the passengers and the horses according to Addison), Addison called the police. At the same time he tried to communicate with the owner, and told his ground crew to come and help us out of there asap. The ground crew arrived first and dragged us out of the enclosure. They started to deflate the balloon. The husband arrived second to shout and throw more threat at Addison. Addison told his crew and the passengers to not talk back, and he talked to the husband calmly and respectfully the whole time. We were all very impressed with him handling the situation and preventing it from escalating. The police arrived last and the situation was under control. Only then did Addison let us out of the basket and asked the officer to escort us off the property. Which was very thoughtful. The other balloon (two balloons took off from the same company) stayed in the air much longer and landed in the middle of a narrow hilly road with trees all around. They also had some run ins with the owner but the exchange was much friendlier. So I guess landing is always an adventure. It was quite an adventure and we both enjoyed it. I'm giving it a 4 star because if you want to get in the air, paragliding is cheaper and helicopter covers more ground. But is definitely worth trying once in your life. read more

We drove to Asheville from Charlotte for 7 hours with our family and stayed at a hotel for a night to fly with R O Franks. They told us call thier office in the morning of the day we scheduled to fly. At about 4:30am, we heard thier already recorded answering machine saying that our flight was cancelled due to the weather. The weather was perfectly beautiful with no wind. The sky was so clean with no clouds. It was perfect spring weather. They recommended to pay in advance and we found out later that all the payment are final...no refund...and they will cancel our vouchers if we don't use in 2 years...we don't even live in NC. To us, it is a total SCAM...wasted time and $500. Should've gone to fly with Asheville Hot Air Balloon..found out they do a full refund if the weather is not good on the flight day. read more

What a ride! Seeing Asheville from above is a wonderful experience. People come from all over the south to visit this little town, but a tour over it takes it to the next level. If you don't mind getting up a little early on your vacation, R.O. Franks is a great way to go. They seem to have all the best gear and their operation was quick and efficient. Going on a balloon ride is definitely something I will always remember. read more

I ordered a groupon 2 years ago for my mom as a gift for Mother's day to fulfill her dream of flying in a hot air balloon. There was a little frustration over having had 4 flights planned (family in town to watch grandma go up) and then having them canceled the night before or the morning of due to weather. However, I appreciate that safety is a priority and apparently the 5th time is the charm. We were able to take the spot of two cancellations this past Saturday morning and finally made it off the ground. Our pilot was Rowena and Addison was the one to drive us to and from the launch site and let us know what to expect and explain his mentality of safety rather than just getting people up in the balloon in questionable conditions. The group I flew with was fun and energetic (though I can't promise you're group will be as cool :-) and Rowena even made a point to learn everyone in our basket of 12's name before we landed. The landed was rather unconventional as there was a shift in winds that caused us to need to land in someone's front yard. Rowena radioed the ground crew that showed up in perfect timing to guide our balloon through a field- over a fence and land us cautiously between a shed...a barb wire fence....and a little lady taking pictures and drinking coffee in the front of the house. We wrapped up the experience with a toast of champagne (or sparkling cider) and were back in Asheville in time for breakfast. The views were amazing- we made it up to 6,000 feet and were traveling at 20 mph and the morning mist lifted just in time to see the perfect mountains and even catch a glimpse of the Biltmore Estate. It was a wonderful experience and well worth the wait and rescheduling...besides the office staff was practically on a first name basis with me and were more than pleasant each time i called. **fingers crossed to get a chance to go up again!** read more

UNFAIR !!! RIP OFF !!! You got paid!!!!! You owe us money!!!! I even asked them to Please reconsider this - we got a balloon ride as a wedding gift in June 2012 - and earliest available date was November 2013 and we scheduled that - then I get this email saying ALL certificate and coupon holders are cancelled. How many people did they get paid from??? I know I am not the only one. Dear R.O Franks- This is what social media collaboration is for - how many people got caught up in your crooked snare? How many customers are you gonna screw out of money - who don't go through the trouble to got to the bank and fill out 3 pages of forms for a charge back or wait for hours dealing with Groupon and SL customer service shmoes?? How much money will you keep as a result of the "broken" reservations? Also I am sure the local CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND BETTER BUSINESS BUERAU has ways and means of dealing with corrupt crooked businesses like yours in a tourist hot spot like Asheville NC I gave you a chance to redeem yourself. You decided to keep our money/gift - but you wiil pay. You are keeping money that is not yours ands should be refunded - nor are you willing to redeem the value for a balloon ride. I am standing up for the rights and voice of all your victims of your greed... Best regards- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Effective 6:00 pm July 30th, 2013. I got this email: ""We regret that R.O. Franks Aviation Company will no longer accept Groupon or LivingSocial vouchers. All customers have been removed from our calendar, and cancellation list. Your refund options are as follows: I. Contact Groupon and/or LivingSocial to request a refund or credit. You paid Groupon and/or LivingSocial, your refund or credit must come from them. II. If Groupon and/or LivingSocial will not refund or credit you with money towards another Groupon or LivingSocial purchase. We encourage you to reach out to your bank and file for a chargeback, regardless of how long ago you made the purchase. R.O. Franks will sign off on all chargeback notifications, no questions asked. We will not resist any chargeback efforts from your bank. Customers are traveling from far away, weather is beyond our control, and there are too many upset people. We regret this unforeseeable conclusion to the coupon experience. We apologize for all inconveniences and frustrations. We hope you understand. Sincerely, R.O. Franks Aviation Company So I wrote this email back: Dear R.O Franks- This is what social media collaboration is for - how many people got caught up in your crooked snare? How many customers are you gonna screw out of money - who don't go through the trouble to got to the bank and fill out 3 pages of forms for a charge back or wait for hours dealing with Groupon and SL customer service shmoes?? How much money will you keep as a result of the "broken" reservations? Also I am sure the local CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND BETTER BUSINESS BUERAU has ways and means of dealing with corrupt crooked businesses like yours in a tourist hot spot like Asheville NC I gave you a chance to redeem yourself. You decided to keep our money/gift - but you wiil pay. You are keeping money that is not yours ands should be refunded - nor are you willing to redeem the value for a balloon ride. I am standing up for the rights and voice of all your victims of your greed... Best regards- read more

In March 2011, we drove out to Asheville from Durham and stayed in a hotel for the Groupon purchased flights. We arrived at the pick up spot on time, but Addison was about 30-45 min late because he or someone forgot the keys to the van. So, we were late getting to the balloon launch site. It was a pretty nice morning, but Addison felt that we could not safely take off because of wind (it was very calm that morning). So, we all got back into the van to return to the city. As we drove away, we saw several hot air balloons in the air. This was maddening. Again, we drove out to Asheville and stayed in a hotel for a morning flight today (March 2012). It is sunny and winds are 6mph. Our flight was canceled again this morning for weather reasons. While, I am sure this is for safety, anyone considering buying a Groupon for the hot air balloon should be aware that on most mornings, especially with this company, you will have very little chance of actually taking off. I would not recommend buying in advance unless you live a drivable distance from Asheville. read more

Similar to another yelp reviewer, I purchased a groupon in 2011 and have scheduled and rescheduled flights incessantly. On August 1, 2013, we received the following notification: "We regret that R.O. Franks Aviation Company will no longer accept Groupon or LivingSocial vouchers. All customers have been removed from our calendar, and cancellation list." ... Fantastic. $250 worth of Groupons amounted to nothing. I paid for 2 vouchers and the Company made the decision it will not accept my voucher since they made the mistake of offering them in the first place. Furthermore, they placed all of the burden of obtaining a refund on the customer with absolutely no assistance outside of a couple of snarky emails telling me to try harder with Groupon. Luckily, there are other options in NC including: http://www.balloonadventure.net/ Oh well, based on the other reviews here, we probably would've just landed on someone's cow and gotten a shotgun pointed at us. Stay away from this company. read more

Hot air ballooning has always been a bucket list item so I was excited to find such a great deal through Living Social in Feb 2011. Through my own fault, I waited over a year to try & schedule a flight time. I started calling in the Fall of 2012 to schedule but was unable to secure a date as R.O. Franks was booked solid. Finally in January of this year (2013), I was able to schedule a flight for August 11, 2013. I booked a non-refundable hotel for the night & we were looking forward to our excursion. I received the same email that the past few reviewers did about R.O. Franks not accepting Living Social Vouchers or Groupons as of July 30th. I fully understood that it was likely our flight could be cancelled/re-scheduled due to weather conditions and was prepared for that scenario. I was not prepared for childish behavior on R.O. Franks part, basically it seems like they got mad and this was their way of throwing a tantrum because other customers were frequently upset about rescheduling their own flights due to conditions. I emailed them to ask how we could still go on our scheduled flight & this was the response I got: Dear Customer, Thank you for your inquiry. We have had many requests from coupon customers asking to purchase at the retail rate or pay the difference in order to keep their reservation. In light of these exceptional circumstances, and there being so much frustration and anger on all sides, we feel it is best to part ways. We regret losing you as a customer. Even more so, we regret losing you as a customer this way. The decision to refuse coupons was not arrived at easily. R.O. Franks feels a high level of regret for having to end things this way, and leaving you dissatisfied. Unfortunately refusing coupons is our only option going forward. Asheville Hot Air Balloons (another balloon company; also located in Asheville NC) may have space available on the date you're wanting to fly. We suggest contacting them. Thank you, R.O. Franks Aviation Company While I appreciate their attempt at being polite through the language used in this email, I still see it as a sorry attempt at Customer Service. Their is no regard whatsoever on their part for inconveniencing travelers with plans already in place for their flights. Some may be more fortunate & be able to cancel. We are not & are still planning to enjoy a night in Asheville. I have to give props to Living Social for being completely understandable (my voucher actually expired in Feb 2013 & R.O. Franks ASSURED me they would still honor it), they have given us a full refund with no questions asked. I hope that the Asheville Hot Air Balloons becomes the most successful flight provider for Asheville as it seems that R.O. Franks ego has gotten more inflated than their balloons! BUYER BEWARE when dealing with this business, you may/may not be considered a priority to them! read more

Terrible! Terrible! Terrible! Unprofessional crew, disguising transportation, terrible attitude, and ZERO customer service! This is a waste of your money. My family and I bought a ride for four people. We tried going one time and had to meet the crew in a random parking lot, were driven in a dirty van to a construction field next to a Walmart, and then ended up not flying due to weather. We tried to reschedule but had a ton of difficulty because we all live in different parts of the US. I explained this to R.O. Franks and asked for our money back because of this and they said no. They said that they don't care that we can't actually fly, they want to basically rip us off and keep the money even though they didn't provide a service. AWFUL! read more

When you schedule a 'nature' activity, it literally all depends on the outdoor weather conditions. The hot air balloon experience was exhilarating. The views could only be matched, or beaten, by a train ride we took through a mountain range in Skagway, Alaska. This side of America, the beautiful mountains of the Appalachian region are the closest you will approach to the foot of heaven. As for the experience, this was our first time. My father's request near the top of the 'bucket list' was a ride in a Hot Air Balloon. As a 26-yr old, I fulfilled my father's wish.. and the humble experience of drifting through the sunrise watching the smile on his face made the trip worthwhile. True, we rescheduled the trip due to our personal reasons and the weather, but Jackson (the main go-to person with scheduling) was a pleasant human being to his core, and Addison was a great pilot, personable enough, answering questions and keeping an upbeat manner in the air. As with the other reviews, when the conditions call for it, and the safety of your equipment and passengers is at risk, the pilots are always called to act (sometimes without bedside manner). Meet any professional in his or her domain, the outcome could easily be the equivalent. I'm not saying that I agree with it, but you have to work with what you have when running on limited fuel and Mother Nature. As for the price point, I'm not familiar with the going rates for hot-air ballon rides, but we bought the tickets off the Groupon site at the discounted $125 per person. Inclusive: shuttle ride, balloon ride, champagne.. priceless memories. Will we do this again? Yes. Whether it is with Franks, not sure. Only time will tell. But one thing can be certain: the purchaser is as much responsible for the experience as the company. Be wise with your choice of the time of year, give ample notice, and the company will work with you. But do not depend on the company alone. Whether it is with Franks or another company, Mother Nature is the true decision maker. Franks did their job, and it was a pleasant experience, through and through. Recommended. read more

R O Franks Aviation - Liftoff at Franks - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

In May 2012, we used a Groupon for our flight and luckily the weather cooperated and we got to use it on our first attempt, which was fortunate as Asheville is about 4.5 hours away from home. Addison was a great pilot and we did not mind him training his mother, also a veteran pilot, on how to fly their new balloon during our flight. He's not nearly as mean as other reviewers seem to make him out to be and we found him very pleasant and friendly. He was stern at times while instructing his mother, but I think this is OK as everyone's lives are in his hands. I'd much rather him be a stern instructor for such a thing as there really isn't much room for error. The scenery was beautiful, although we did not get to see the Biltmore or downtown Asheville while aloft. This is to be expected though as there's no way you can control which way the wind is blowing. There were still beautiful mountain views and we took many incredible photos while on our flight. The landing was a bit rough and we did take the top off of a tree, eventually coming to rest in someone's front yard. Again, there's really no way to control where you land as the wind can shift suddenly, as it did in this case. Overall, we had a great experience and we certainly can't complain because we got it for a great price! read more

The positive reviews are bogus. I would NOT recommend scheduling a flight with them. They are just out to get your money. They schedule your balloon ride then cancel it and keep rescheduling. Very frustrating. I do not know anyone that has actually been able to schedule a flight with them. It's a SCAM! read more

Might be a great experience...but you cannot trust them for their word. Look them up on BBB - Asheville for further confirmation. I understand weather issues being beyond their control and I even agreed with them not letting me book for 2013 (I had a groupon and emailed in July requesting a date in October - they told me they save at least 25% of spots for non-groupon/living social customers). The day after I emailed to confirm a date for 2014, I received an email stating that they no longer were accepting groupon. I was the lucky one - I at least did not have hotel reservations or anything else as they removed all groupon/living social customers from their calendar. Here is the start of the email: "Dear Customer, Effective 6:00 pm July 30th, 2013. We regret that R.O. Franks Aviation Company will no longer accept Groupon or LivingSocial vouchers. All customers have been removed from our calendar, and cancellation list." If you do not have a groupon and wish to schedule a trip with them, think twice. What if they raise their rates after you confirm your trip? How do you trust them to not cancel your trip with a similar email so they can book someone for the full value? BBB rated them as an F - I never should have bought the groupon. Edited to add in response to the owner comment below (8/1): My main complaint isn't even their "new policy" although I do disagree with it. My main complaint is that they removed everyone who had already booked with a groupon from their scheduled flights. Again, I can understand (and disagree) with not accepting groupon starting from a certain date but to go back and remove everyone from your calendar that had already booked? That to me is just wrong no matter how you look at it. I did not lose any money from this as groupon at least maintains their word but I am in disbelief that they would cancel scheduled trips just because they were bought at a discount. read more

Buyer beware. The May 2012 flight I took with the R.O. Franks Hot Air Balloon Company (a.k.a. R.O. Franks Aviation Company LLC) was a big disappointment. The weather was perfect and the day was clear and beautiful. My disappointment relates to the following concerns: FIRST: Instead of having one trained pilot, we had one trained pilot plus a pilot in training. Addison Brown, our pilot and owner of the company, explained to his 12 passengers that on this flight he would be training his mother, a 26-year-veteran pilot, to fly this type of balloon. Constant dialog about what was correct procedure and what was being done wrong was distracting. Passengers were a captive audience to instruction that was at times tense and negative. The owner of the balloon should conduct training on his own time and at his own expense. Customers considering purchasing a ticket for future flights would be wise to obtain a commitment before they make their purchase that their flight will be a pleasure trip for the benefit of the passengers instead of a training mission for the benefit of the company. SECOND: The scenery was not as advertised. In September 2011, when I made my reservation, the company Web site gave a strong impression that flights would be flying over downtown Asheville and over Biltmore Estate, weather permitting. As of May 20, 2012, the R.O. Franks Aviation Company's Web site (www.ashevillehotairballoonrides.com) reads: "The pilots and crew of R.O. Franks Hot Air Balloon Company invite you to join us for an unforgettable adventure. . . . Breathe the mountain air as you lift off above Asheville for the delicious quiet of the skies above. Float over downtown, the Biltmore Estate, the plaid fields of farms, and the undulating hills and hollows." The Web site's scenery description is misleading. Addison said that his company had numerous locations from which it had permission to launch. He explained that pilot balloons are released before each flight to determine flying conditions. It stands to reason, then, that a launching location that would likely take passengers over specific landmarks such as downtown Asheville and Biltmore Estate should be determined before being chosen as the one for actual launching. Our flight came nowhere near downtown Asheville, though the skyline could be seen in the far distance. After our flight I contacted the Asheville Visitor's Center. A representative there said that hot air balloon flights over downtown are "very few and far between, . . . once in awhile." When asked during the flight where Biltmore Estate was, Addison answered that it was in a certain direction in the very far distance, which was all trees. Biltmore Estate covers 8000 acres, ten square miles of which are open land for the house and gardens, according to a Biltmore representative I contacted after our flight. This open land was nowhere in sight during our flight. The Biltmore representative added that she had never seen a hot air balloon flying over the open area of the Estate. Because Addison did not suggest that he was disappointed in the scenery he was providing, an assumption could be made that he had no intention of flying over downtown Asheville or over Biltmore Estate. I believe that these landmarks are what many passengers anticipate seeing when taking the flight advertised on the R.O. Franks Aviation Company's Web site. Should the content of Groupon wording rather than what is strongly suggested on the company's Web site be offered as a defense for what the expected scenery should have been, I offer also the Groupon description that "The pilot and up to four passengers clamber into the gondola just before sunrise. . . . The buoyant sky-vessel carries its sightseeing cargo aloft . . . as the sun begins its own ascent over the Blue Ridge Mountains. With permissive weather, passengers may even be treated to an intimate and peaceful view of the city as Captain Addison points out local landmarks, such as the historic Biltmore Estate and the mysterious Mothra-shaped crater." We saw none of these landmarks, and the day was beautiful and clear. (In addition, we did not experience sunrise from the gondola, and many more than one pilot and four passengers were in our gondola. There were two pilots and twelve passengers.) THIRD: The landing was sketchy. The top of a tree was literally broken (not brushed) on descent. A crack of wood was audible. FOURTH: Whether the passengers received what was promised regarding flight duration was questionable. When yet another passenger asked Addison how long the balloon had been aloft, Addison did some figuring with an electronic device and said that the time aloft was exactly 45 minutes. The impression of at least some of the passengers was that they might have been cut short in their ride, the duration of which was projected to be between 45 minutes and one hour. I have additional concerns but feel that these are the major ones. read more

I've never written a yelp review before. I tend to think people who write these reviews are a biased sampling, since disappointed people tend to vent more. And well, I'm really disappointed. I bought two groupons with this company in Sept 2011. I've driven the 4 hr drive to Asheville 3 times in the past 2 years and they've cancelled every time. I rescheduled back in May for November and of course I just found out they didn't actually reschedule me, so I was never notified that all flights have been cancelled. I'd already invited someone to go to asheville with me next week, and she's already changed her plans. Incredibly terrible business. And now they won't honor my groupon. I'd never fly with this company now anyway, unless they offered me a free flight to make up for their extremely crass treatment. read more

When purchasing tickets they inform you to consider booking a few weeks in advance, but when I called in July they were already booked through February of the following year. This defeated the function of having bought the tickets for my wife's 30th birthday. No refunds can be offered, although this was never stated on the groupon information page when purchased, as we prepare to leave the country in a few months. Customer service was unwilling to budge at all and we will have wasted hundreds of dollars on this company. Certainly our worst groupon purchase ever. read more

Thankfully, my experience wasn't that of others. The ride itself was fine. Jackson was great. The entire experience would have been better if Addison had not been so sharp with his employees. I got the feeling his crew was new and after reading these reviews, I expect his crew is always new. read more

If there was a "zero" rating then that would be more accurate. My father bought their groupon deal for us to have a father-daughter trip. I called to schedule and was lead through a voice message that they schedule through email only. I emailed as requested and the response was very disappointing. They stated that they no longer accepted the groupon deal they originally agreed to. The groupon deal had not expired. I requested to talk to someone over the phone to figure all this out but they declined and said they would only communicate over email. Very unprofessional! So now, my father is out his money and a father-daughter trip we were looking forward to. Look somewhere else if you want a balloon ride! read more

I would not recommend RO Franks. i bought a living Social and when I tried to use it I was told all weekends were booked through 2013. I then tried to book without the living social and there were plenty of dates all of the sudden available. They discriminate against people who have Living Socials, groupons, etc. there is nothing about this listed in the fine print. I was told I could get a weekend in 2014, after a lot of complaining I got a refund, but my wife's birthday was ruined. Do not provide them any business. read more

My husband purchased two Groupons so he could take me and my parents. We wanted to go in October because of the leaves changing, but evidently so did everyone else! So we ended up going the second weekend in November, which turned out beautifully since that's the weekend after my Mom's and my birthday. It was cold, of course, but we had a wonderful time. It did feel crowded in the basket with 3 to a section, but the view was great. I do recommend wearing plenty of layers if you go in the fall or winter--hats and scarves--but I think R.O. Franks does as well. I have to say, I'm a little surprised at all the low reviews because we had a great time. It was definitely worth it at the Groupon price! Plus, we went on to the Biltmore that afternoon, which made the long drive worth it for both experiences! read more

Company unilaterally canceled a trip that had been booked for two years. Refused to discuss the issue or even take a telephone call. Refused to assist in refund. I had three nights of non-refundable hotels booked for the trip--RO Franks did not care and was about the most unhelpful of any vendor I have ever dealt with. Went to the MUCH more helpful Asheville Hot Air Balloons and they went out of their way to help salvage the trip read more

AVOID. They value profit margin over customers--a bad trait for an outdoor adventure company. We got an email a week before our scheduled/confirmed trip saying they wouldn't honor Groupon customers anymore and they couldn't issue a refund. This means they kicked us off a confirmed flight for higher margin customers, AND they already processed our voucher (meaning they received $ we paid to Groupon). After at least a dozen calls to Groupon and RO Franks we're still out the $250. read more