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Just about everyone who travels to
Cappadocia in Turkey
wants to take a hot-air balloon
flight and see the
Cappadocian "moonscape" at dawn from
high above.
Cappadocia has more than a dozen
balloon companies flying over 60 balloons,
ready to take you aloft. How do you
choose a company that will give you
a fully satisfying flight?
Choosing a balloon company is an inexact
science, because so much
depends on the particular pilot and
ground crew of your aircraft, the
weather conditions in the day you
fly, and the actions of other balloon
pilots nearby.
I cannot guarantee
satisfaction from any of the companies
suggested below, but it will get
you started on your quest for a good
company.
Flight
safety is an extremely
important criterion for choosing
a company, of course. Please
read this!
Here are points to consider and questions
to ask when choosing a hot-air balloon
company:
1. How much experience? The
company may be new or old, but you
want an experienced pilot who
is intimately familiar with the region,
because the pilot will be your guide to the landscape during the flight.
2. Do the company's balloons
take off from the same launch site
every day? Taking off from the same
launch site every day, a
pilot cannot take advantage of changing
weather conditions as well as a flight
that takes off from a launch site
chosen with regard to the day's weather.
Premium (ie, the longer, more expensive)
flights are likely to use a better-chosen
launch site and give you a more satisfying
experience.
3. Will you be on the first
flight of the day? Demand
for flights is so high that some
balloons fly at dawn, land, then
take on a new load of passengers
for a second flight. This may cut
both flights short, and passengers
on the second flight may return to
their hotels too late for breakfast
or a daily tour. There may also be
safety issues. It's generally better
to be on the sole flight, or at least
the first
flight, of the day.
4. How many passengers will
be in the balloon basket with you? Believe
it or not, there are huge
balloons that lift baskets with
32 passengers in them. Do you really
want to fly in a balloon-bus?
In general, smaller balloons and
baskets give better experiences—particularly
if they are not filled completely.
5. Will the pilot and the
other passengers speak a language
you understand? Pilot
commentary is a huge contributor
to flight satisfaction, as is
conversation among your fellow passengers.
How fluent is your pilot in your language?
The companies recommended below are
all small, with the small-basket balloons
that make a flight more personal and
enjoyable. It's easy to reserve your
flight directly with any of the balloon
companies mentioned below. Mention
TurkeyTravelPlanner.com if
you do. Here's why.
Founded by one of Cappadocia's
most prominent tourism companies, it
is a premier company, boasting experienced
pilots and ground crews, and top-level
service. More...
Butterfly Balloons consistently receives top
ratings for its flight experience.
They know how to make your flight interesting,
and they offer a 15-euro discount to
TTP travelers. More....
If you don't book directly with the
balloon company, I recommend that you
book your flight through one of my recommended
travel agencies or through
your Cappadocia
hotel rather than some
unknown individual or group with
which you have no connection.
If you
book through an agency or hotel, you
may have recourse in case of a problem
or complaint. An agency or hotel may
feel it has an interest in helping
you, a customer, to obtain satisfaction
from the balloon company it recommended
to you.
Also, an agency or hotel of
which you are already a customer may
be more likely to recommend a balloon
company they believe to be safe and
reliable.
If the agency is located
in Cappadocia, it may have current
information on recent safety
and customer satisfaction issues.
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