FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSHow much is a ride?
$300 per adult $275 Teachers, Students, Military (with ID) $250 Teens ages 13-19 (accompanied by adult) $225 Children ages 6-12 (accompanied by adult) We offer discounts for groups with 5+ people, rates depend on ages and how many in group. ***Each ticket will include a 4% third party booking fee.*** How much are private flights? “Sweetheart Flight” 2 adults - $900 Groups of 6-8 - standard rates, no extra charge. Available only on dates there are no existing reservations. When will I be charged? PeekPro, our booking company, charges your Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express when the reservation is booked. If your reservation will be a surprise or you would like to split the total between multiple people, we can work with you, please email or call. Can I buy gift certificates? Yes, gift certificates are available on our website under “Gift Certificates.” You can purchase individual tickets or a dollar amount and send via email to the recipient. How do people use their gift certificates? Each gift certificate has a code that you enter when you are checking out to complete a reservation online. The amount of the purchase will be deducted from the value of the card. What days do you fly? We fly seven days a week, weather permitting. What is your flying season? We fly in Taos from June - September, exact dates vary each season. You can check available dates by selecting “Book Now” to see the calendar which opens approximately two months before start of season. What is included in the flight? We serve a light continental brunch consisting of meats, cheeses, banana bread, chocolates, and fresh fruit along with a celebratory champagne and orange juice mimosas toast after each flight. We can omit, but do not replace, items based on dietary restrictions. Our ground crew photographs your flight before and during the flight from the ground and these photos are uploaded online with free, unlimited access to view and download. What time do we meet? This time varies based upon sunrise and ranges between 5:00 - 6:15 a.m. We only offer sunrise flights because this is the calmest time of day for flying. Where do we meet? At the KTAOS Solar Center parking lot on the North side of town and easy to find. Full details are sent in the confirmation email upon booking a reservation. How many people will I be riding with? It depends on how many other reservations we have on the day you fly. Our smaller basket takes up to three people and our larger basket takes four to eight people. How long is the flight? All rides are different and depend on wind conditions and potential landing areas. Our flights average about 70 minutes. How long is the full excursion? From meet up to drop off, plan on 3 ½ - 4 hours. This includes drive time to launch site, equipment prep, flight, time for brunch and equipment breakdown, and drive back to vehicles. Has the pilot been involved in any accidents? Kevin, the owner and pilot, has a spotless safety record. How long has the pilot been flying? Kevin has been flying for 18 years and has logged over 2,000 flights. Are there age limits? Generally speaking, we recommend that kids be no younger than 6 and adults no older than 80. We find that kids under six years old get bored very easily and are often afraid of the burners so parents don’t enjoy themselves. Generally speaking, we prefer to not take passengers older than 80 because brittle bones are a major concern in the balloon industry. What are the physical requirements of the flight? We expect passengers to be in good physical condition, able to partake in normal outdoor activities such as hiking. Getting in and out of the basket is very similar to climbing over a barnyard fence or mounting a horse and so we expect participants to be in condition to do that. We also expect that passengers have sufficient physical strength to support the weight of their body, able to hang on to the rope handles during significant deceleration upon landing. Is there a door to get into the basket? No, you must climb over the basket’s edge, similar to climbing up over a barnyard fence. Is there a weight requirement or limit? There is not a weight limit; however, see above for physical requirements.Generally speaking, and realizing there are exceptions we are happy to consider, most people who are over 300 lbs are not able to comfortably uphold bumpy landings. Are there seats in the balloon? No, passengers must be able to stand for a long period of time. Although our flights average about 70 minutes, passengers need to be able to stand for up to 1 hour and 45 minutes. Will it be colder temperatures during the flight? Surprisingly no! We recommend layers so you can control your body temperature. The coldest temperatures you’ll experience are right before launch and after we land. How high does the balloon rise? This depends on wind conditions. We spend most flight time between 500 and 2000 feet and sometimes go much higher. Does the flight path go below the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge? No, the Bureau of Land Management does not allow this flight path due to protecting wildlife in this area until September 1 due to wildlife sensitivity. What happens if the flight is canceled due to weather? We happily issue full refunds for all cancellations if you aren’t able or prefer not to reschedule due to weather. If weather could be an issue, Kevin communicates the evening before about the likelihood of a cancelation. Due to constantly changing wind conditions, Kevin is often not able to make a decision until the morning of the flight at which point he communicates early enough to meet up for the flight or stay in bed if the weather has required a cancelation. What is your cancellation policy? We prefer 72 hours notice for cancellations (not related to weather) so that we can book other passengers; however, if you show good faith and contact us at any point before your scheduled flight, we generally are happy to issue a full refund. If you don't show up the morning of the flight and don't contact us prior to the meeting time, we can discuss possibly rescheduling you. We are easy to work with. Can my husband or wife or friend come along to the launch site? Yes, that's not a problem. We prefer they follow the caravan from KTAOS to the launch site in their own vehicle but we are flexible with different options. Can I bring my own snacks and water? Yes, you are welcome to bring your own snacks and water. You can leave things in the van during the flight, the van that takes you to the launch site will be the same van that picks you up. Can I bring a camera? You are welcome to bring your own camera, we just ask that you try to limit extra equipment to one bookbag-type backpack. Can I book a ride as one person? Yes, as long as other people are already booked on that day. Unfortunately, we are not able to fly single passengers. Will I be driving my car to the launch site? No, you will leave your car at the meeting site and you will be transported to the launch site and from the landing site our passenger vans. What to expect: Kevin will remind everyone to use the bathroom at KTAOS then loads up into our passenger vans then heads to our launch site nearby. After the crew has prepared the basket and balloon, Kevin launches at sunrise and will be in flight for about an hour, depending on the wind conditions. Upon landing, we prepare the continental brunch and mimosa toast you'll enjoy while the crew breaks down equipment. Then we load back into the vans and return to KTAOS. What else do I need to know? All general questions are answered in the confirmation email which you will receive upon booking a reservation. After reviewing the confirmation email, you can email or call us and we'll be happy to assist you. Our email and phone is not monitored 24/7. If you have a reservation and are trying to reach us the day before your flight and do not receive a response, check your confirmation email for Kevin’s number. Taos is at 7,000 ft elevation which can cause dehydration and lead to altitude sickness. The best way to prevent this is to stay hydrated. We don’t want you to miss your adventure due to dehydration headaches! |