We purchased a private tour for a party of 3 with included breakfast/mimosas. I hadn't seen my dad in almost 15 years and we (eldest daughter w/ new fiance) were excited to catch up and share our big news on an amazing adventure! We were upcharged another $150+ on arrival to upgrade to "semi-private" rather than a "shared" tour. The lady organizing everything was really nasty and dismissive to us, argued that we booked through Viator and had no control over the details/price of our booking. She asked each person if they were celebrating something and didn't ask us. So after over $700 at this point we were smushed into the small group balloon basket with 6 other people, including a 2 man camera crew and 2 actors (also a single rider, the pilot and us 3). We weren't even able to turn around to face or talk to each other. We also couldn't talk over the actor's lines. We were also hit several times by the camera equipment. There was black condensation dripping on us throughout the trip which permanently stained our clothes. The included "breakfast" was a sandwich bag with a slim jim and some granola bars. The pilot was knowledgable and very skilled but he spoke to his crew with disrespect and anger. The only positives were the incredible view and finally spending time with my dad after so long. This was very falsely advertised, poorly organized and very uncomfortable.
Response from Host
Nov 2023
We offer shared basket flight, semi-private flights, and private flights. You purchased a shared basket ride and chose to upgrade to a semi-private flight. You were on a balloon that was filming for a TV show and, although we informed you of this in advance, we apologize if that impacted your experience in any way. Yes, I did chastise the crew for walking up to the balloon during fllming and interrupting a scene. I didn't think I went Christian Bale on him, but I appreciate the feedback and how you perceived it. Our packages include the balloon ride itself, a champagne, juice, or mimosa toast, a selection of 4 individually wrapped breakfast items, free souviner pictures, a commemorative flight certificate and 2 for 1 wine tasting and other discounts to 6 local Temecula wineries. For those wanting a more substantial meal, we include a 15% discount to the Vineyard Rose restuarant at the elegant South Coast Winery Resort and Spa. It is the best deal in town, even their own employees just get a 10% discount. I enjoyed spending time with your dad too and still think he sounds like Jack Nicholson. - Pilot Denni