Balloon Aloft Gold Coast
Balloon Aloft Gold Coast
Balloon Aloft Gold Coast
4.5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Hot Air Balloon company that specializes in flying over the Gold Coast. Balloon Aloft Gold Coast's exclusive launch sites enable you to witness the stunning scenery and breathtaking views over the coastline that no other ballooning company can offer. This is truly the most spectacular ballooning area in Australia. Float like a cloud as you witness the sunrise climbing over the unforgettable panorama of the Gold Coast skyline. Watch the sun reflecting off the myriad of canals and waterways and view the surrounding forest covered mountains of the Gold Coast Hinterland. You will be taken on an aerial nature walk on the world's oldest, safest, and most romantic form of aviation. Come as our guest, leave as our friend.
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Balloon Aloft Gold Coast
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
230 reviews
Excellent
174
Very good
17
Average
9
Poor
8
Terrible
22
Julie
Gold Coast, Australia2 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
The whole experience was 5 star- breath taking views,got amazing photos. I'm scared of heights so wasn't sure how I'd go but I was fine with this - the basket was high n I felt secure. Definitely recommend this company - hats off to Paco our amazing pilot and crew Gary and Nick. Thankyou guys for the awesome morning !! PS breakfast at the Star was great too - Julie and Ben
Written 25 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura K
4 contributions
The minibus was old and cramped and very full. At 5 ft 10 my legs couldn't fit in my seat. As other reviews state this was not a coastal flight. Before getting on to bus I asked the driver where are we headed and how long will it take. He said he didn't know. I already assumed as per other reviews we would head 60km inland and we did with one stop at dirty public toilets. Peaceful and calm flight but over barren desert farm land nowhere near coast. Pilot and bus driver both evasive when asked how often they fly over the coast. I suspect never and images of coast and advertising statements are just lies.
Upon returning champagne was offered at buffet breakfast but group dining experience in back corner of a crowded buffet was not 5* experience at all. Ballon was packed to maximum capacity. Once in a lifetime experience and if I had read reviews before booking I would have chosen somewhere much more scenic to do it.
Upon returning champagne was offered at buffet breakfast but group dining experience in back corner of a crowded buffet was not 5* experience at all. Ballon was packed to maximum capacity. Once in a lifetime experience and if I had read reviews before booking I would have chosen somewhere much more scenic to do it.
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rajiv T
New Delhi, India168 contributions
It was a early morning start we were picked up at 4.15 am from our hotel
A total of 24 people max go up in a balloon divided into 4 compartment the balloon took off at about 6 just at sunrise
The view was nice and the breakfast served was very good
One only wished the drive time could be shorter
A total of 24 people max go up in a balloon divided into 4 compartment the balloon took off at about 6 just at sunrise
The view was nice and the breakfast served was very good
One only wished the drive time could be shorter
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shazzd65
Brisbane, Australia62 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
Absolutely fantastic. Worth getting up super early in the am. Very seemless from start to finish. Had a great driver Bill, very friendly, easy to understand and a great driver. Our balloon pilot was Chris and he was fantastic, very friendly also and very knowledgeable on our flight about where the landmarks were and places of interest. The 'takeoff' and 'landing' was about as smooth as you could get being in a wicker basket attached to a giant balloon !! Loved that we got to help deflate and pack up the balloon (totally voluntary). Breakfast at Star Casino was amazing, great variety and quality. Would totally recommend the flight and breakfast to anyone.
Written 14 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sonia L
Gold Coast, Australia5 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
My Son & I had a fabulous experience today flying with Balloon Aloft. So serene & calming with beautiful scenery. All staff were excellent. Happy, courteous & professional. A special mention to Gary our driver. He had a great attitude and made the journey to the launch area enjoyable.
Written 29 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce Francis
2 contributions
Mar 2023
The ride itself was as expected. Knowledgeable staff. Our ride was in the hinterland so we missed sunrise, never saw the Gold Coast as advertised and due to the poor winds we were lucky to have travelled 5km in a straight line. The cost per person included a “FREE” $139 photo package although I am at a loss as to why they advertise this as you are still expected to fork out considerable money to have the images emailed to you. There was four of us so apparently there was $139x4 free photo packages but we got nothing for it! Be prepared to help pack away the balloon at the end. I’ve been lucky to ride in a balloon in Turkey previously so my expectations here were based on that. This ride wasn’t anywhere near as good. Awesome breakfast at the Casino.
Written 30 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PMcK
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Friends
In short, the company admitted to a "system glitch" that resulted in them breaching their own Terms & Conditions and a 3 hour round trip on our part. Despite this they are refusing a full refund. The director is insisting that tickets are non refundable in all circumstances, even when there is error on their side and a terms and conditions breach. We are concerned that they do this to other potential customers and recommended AVOIDING. We have put a complaint on via the QLD Gov Complaints Process as all communication is in writing and so their breach is clear.
Written 7 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pete Y
4 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Hi TripAdvisor,
My Hot Air Balloon experience never happened due to the weather. Since July 2022, I’ve been seeking a refund from TripAdvisor and as at 2 November, nothing has been refunded.
You’ve received my request successfully but I had been ignored. Please make contact with me!
My Hot Air Balloon experience never happened due to the weather. Since July 2022, I’ve been seeking a refund from TripAdvisor and as at 2 November, nothing has been refunded.
You’ve received my request successfully but I had been ignored. Please make contact with me!
Written 1 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ozhan06
Perth, Australia1 contribution
DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE!!! DO NOT BOOK unless you don’t mind flying over Beaudesert and land on Cows’ paddock
Our Experience was terrible!!!
We were looking forward to our very first hot air balloon experience to celebrate my partner’s birthday.
Before I booked over the phone , I asked their staff Trevor where we would be flying over, he mentioned either the Gold Coast or the Hinterland, as advertised on their website. Either location would have been an amazing experience. My partner also called their office and was told the same information. No mentioned of possibly flying over Beaudesert.
On the day of the flight, we were collected from the Casino and left around 4:20am. The driver announced we will be departing from Canungra. We arrived at Canungra and was told we had to wait until we heard from the pilot as he was doing some testing. After waiting for quite sometime, we were told that we will be moving further and that we couldn't fly from there. We were then told that we had to wait for the trailer with the basket and balloon to drive past us and follow them and so we waited again! The driver did not mention where we were going. The trailer drove past and we started driving, it was quite a long drive and we didn't know where we were going until we saw the sign "Beaudesert". I understand that it’s all dependent on the direction of the wind on the day, but they failed to inform me this when I asked them on the phone. This is false advertising! This information should be communicated to their clients and they should mention this on their website otherwise I would never have booked it.
To make matter worse, at the end of the flight, they asked for volunteers to help pack-up the balloon and we had to wait again until it was done before they drove us back to the Casino. We had purchased the package that included Breakfast and Photos. By the time we left Beaudesert, it was after 9:00am and the driver was racing back. The buffet breakfast finished at 10:30am. At 10:15am, I advised the driver that we had purchased the package with the buffet breakfast which finishes in 15 minutes and asked him what happens then? He informed me that someone is speaking to the staff at the Casino and they will keep the buffet open.
We arrived at 10:20am, 10 minutes before the buffet finished. We were then being rushed to go in and grab some food quickly. Some of us needed to go the the bathroom as we didn't have the opportunity to go prior to leaving Beaudesert. We quickly grabbed some food - there were hardly any left. When we went back to get some more food at 10:30am, they had already taken all the food away as the buffet had finished at 10:30am. If we didn't have to wait until they had packed up the balloon and drove us back straight after the flight - maybe we would have enjoyed our breakfast. But instead, we had 10 minutes to have our breakfast with hardly anything left.
I contacted their office to raise my concerns and disappointment, it took them over a week to respond and didn’t address my concerns which were:
* No mentioned of flying over Beaudesert - why didn’t they inform us when my partner and I asked?
* We arrived back 10 minutes before breakfast had finished - totally unacceptable
Based on our experience, it was very disappointing and I would not recommend this company at all!
Our Experience was terrible!!!
We were looking forward to our very first hot air balloon experience to celebrate my partner’s birthday.
Before I booked over the phone , I asked their staff Trevor where we would be flying over, he mentioned either the Gold Coast or the Hinterland, as advertised on their website. Either location would have been an amazing experience. My partner also called their office and was told the same information. No mentioned of possibly flying over Beaudesert.
On the day of the flight, we were collected from the Casino and left around 4:20am. The driver announced we will be departing from Canungra. We arrived at Canungra and was told we had to wait until we heard from the pilot as he was doing some testing. After waiting for quite sometime, we were told that we will be moving further and that we couldn't fly from there. We were then told that we had to wait for the trailer with the basket and balloon to drive past us and follow them and so we waited again! The driver did not mention where we were going. The trailer drove past and we started driving, it was quite a long drive and we didn't know where we were going until we saw the sign "Beaudesert". I understand that it’s all dependent on the direction of the wind on the day, but they failed to inform me this when I asked them on the phone. This is false advertising! This information should be communicated to their clients and they should mention this on their website otherwise I would never have booked it.
To make matter worse, at the end of the flight, they asked for volunteers to help pack-up the balloon and we had to wait again until it was done before they drove us back to the Casino. We had purchased the package that included Breakfast and Photos. By the time we left Beaudesert, it was after 9:00am and the driver was racing back. The buffet breakfast finished at 10:30am. At 10:15am, I advised the driver that we had purchased the package with the buffet breakfast which finishes in 15 minutes and asked him what happens then? He informed me that someone is speaking to the staff at the Casino and they will keep the buffet open.
We arrived at 10:20am, 10 minutes before the buffet finished. We were then being rushed to go in and grab some food quickly. Some of us needed to go the the bathroom as we didn't have the opportunity to go prior to leaving Beaudesert. We quickly grabbed some food - there were hardly any left. When we went back to get some more food at 10:30am, they had already taken all the food away as the buffet had finished at 10:30am. If we didn't have to wait until they had packed up the balloon and drove us back straight after the flight - maybe we would have enjoyed our breakfast. But instead, we had 10 minutes to have our breakfast with hardly anything left.
I contacted their office to raise my concerns and disappointment, it took them over a week to respond and didn’t address my concerns which were:
* No mentioned of flying over Beaudesert - why didn’t they inform us when my partner and I asked?
* We arrived back 10 minutes before breakfast had finished - totally unacceptable
Based on our experience, it was very disappointing and I would not recommend this company at all!
Written 14 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darryn
1 contribution
Jul 2022
Really disappointed. This was going to be a very special flight for two members of our group of five people. However our flight on 01 July 2022 was cancelled due to weather so we were entitled to a refund. I rang them twice and also e-mails seeking a refund which they finally did, but they took a 5% fee out of our refund. Money for nothing! Check the fine print before you book with Balloon Aloft Gold Coast
Written 22 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shaun S
Spokane, WA
Is there any reason that my flight might not last the full 30 or 60 minutes? What resolution do you offer customers if that happens?
Shaun S
Spokane, WA
Does your pilot Murray still tell Asian passengers to duck below the rim of the basket so that he can get whites-only photographs, as he did when I flew with him on August 1, 2011?
Bernhard W
1 contribution
No. Lol. We no longer have Murray employed. He has his own business now. "Go Ballooning" is his business name.
BalloonAloftGoldCoas
Surfers Paradise, Australia
Do you fly over the Gold Coast City?
Shaun S
Spokane, WA
No, this company does not fly over the actual city itself.