Hot Air Expeditions

What Hot Air Expeditions does

Hot Air Expeditions is a privately held, family-owned hot air balloon ride operator founded in 1991 by Margie and Randy Long in Phoenix, Arizona. Following Margie Long's passing in 2013, her daughters Amanda Long and Stephanie Long Turner assumed co-ownership and day-to-day leadership, making the business second-generation, female-led, and family-run. The company operates from two Arizona locations—Phoenix/Scottsdale (Deer Valley Airport) and Tucson (Marana Airport)—with a fleet of 9-10 balloons, 8 FAA-certified pilots, 35 crew members, and 5 office staff (48 total). Morning flights run 363 days per year (closed only Thanksgiving and Christmas), with seasonal afternoon rides from November 1 through March 15, and daily capacity for 100+ passengers.

Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales for shared rides ($189-$319 adult) and private rides ($649-$729), supplemented by a layered set of add-on products: Hot Air Balloon Weddings (Essentials Package from $1,999), tethered rides ($1,050-$1,350/hour), photo shoots ($3,550), photographer/videographer services ($1,550-$3,100), corporate group bookings (12+ passengers), and a separate Hot Air Balloon Advertising service line. Post-flight catering is supplied by Vincent's on Camelback restaurant under a long-standing exclusive partnership. A secondary merchandise business runs through an online gift shop (apparel, hats, champagne flutes, ornaments, gift certificates) and pre-packaged gift boxes. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the Peek.com booking platform, toll-free and local phone reservations, and a sales team handling corporate and group inquiries.

The technology stack is limited to standard SaaS tooling—Peek.com for booking, Constant Contact for email marketing, Google Analytics for web analytics, and Google reCAPTCHA for form security—with no proprietary platform, AI/ML capabilities, or app distribution. Marketing emphasizes SEO, social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook), email capture, blog content, and review-platform reputation (1,700+ TripAdvisor five-star reviews, Hall of Fame status). Strategic partnerships include Vincent's on Camelback for catering and the Musical Instrument Museum for the co-marketed 'Balloons & Tunes' package. The company has accumulated 30 consecutive years of Fodor's Travel 'Best Ballooning in Phoenix' recognition, multiple TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards, USA Today 10Best 2024, and Best of Our Valley 2025.

Name

Hot Air Expeditions

Legal name

Hot Air Expeditions, Inc.

Website

https://hotairexpeditions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hot Air Expeditions is a family-owned Arizona hot air balloon ride operator founded in 1991, running daily flights from Phoenix and Tucson with a 9-10 balloon fleet serving tourists, corporate groups, weddings, and special occasion celebrators via direct-to-consumer booking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hot Air Balloon Ride Services (Adventure Tourism)

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (THABAGAE)

Keywords

• Hot air balloon rides
• Balloon ride experiences
• Adventure tourism services
• Balloon wedding ceremonies
• Tethered balloon rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride Tickets: Primary revenue from selling tickets for shared and private hot air balloon rides in Phoenix and Tucson. Prices range from $189-$259 for shared morning/afternoon rides (adults) and $319-$729 for private rides. Child pricing available for ages 5-12 on Phoenix shared tours.
2. Add-On Experiences and Packages: Revenue from add-ons including Love in the Air Package ($45/couple), photographer/videographer services ($1,550-$3,100), champagne flutes ($15 each), and chase crew ride along ($39-$78). Balloons & Tunes package adds $75 per person for combined balloon ride and Musical Instrument Museum experience.
3. Gift Shop and Merchandise: Online gift shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, hats, souvenirs, champagne flutes, ornaments, towels, tumblers, postcards, and gift certificates. Prices range from $4.99 to $649.
4. Hot Air Balloon Weddings and Events: Wedding packages starting at $1,999 for Essentials Package, tethered balloon rides at $995-$1,350/hour, and photo shoot packages at $3,550. Corporate and group event services also generate revenue.
5. Hot Air Balloon Advertising: Brand advertising services including balloon and envelope banners, presence at events, and fully customized hot air balloon advertising campaigns for corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hot Air Expeditions operates hot air balloon ride experiences over the Sonoran Desert from Phoenix/Scottsdale and Tucson, Arizona, offering shared and private flights 363 days a year with FAA-certified pilots and a fleet of 9-10 balloons. The company sells standalone offerings including private rides, weddings, tethered rides, group/corporate events, photo shoots, balloon advertising, a co-branded Balloons & Tunes Package with the Musical Instrument Museum, and an online gift shop with branded merchandise and gift certificates. Each flight includes a 45-60 minute aerial experience followed by a champagne toast and gourmet catered fare from Vincent's on Camelback restaurant.

Product overview

Hot Air Expeditions operates as a premier hot air balloon ride service provider in Arizona with two primary locations in Phoenix and Tucson. The company offers core hot air balloon ride experiences available daily, year-round, supplemented by seasonal afternoon flights from November through March. Add-on packages include the Balloons & Tunes Package (combining balloon rides with Musical Instrument Museum admission), Private Hot Air Balloon Rides for exclusive experiences, and Hot Air Balloon Weddings for ceremony services. Event-focused offerings include Tethered Hot Air Balloon Rides, Hot Air Balloon Photo Shoots, and Hot Air Balloon Advertising services for corporate branding. The company also operates a Gift Shop selling branded merchandise and pre-packaged Gift Boxes for gifting occasions. All rides include post-flight catered fare from Vincent's on Camelback restaurant with champagne toast and commemorative flight certificates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Morning balloon rides available 363 days/year - most flyable days per year of anywhere in the country
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Vincent's on CamelbackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive catering partnership with award-winning Vincent's on Camelback restaurant. Chef Vincent Guerithault provides gourmet breakfast and hors d'oeuvres for post-flight celebrations. Vincent was the first chef to receive a Citation of Excellence from the International Food & Wine Society and received James Beard award as 'America's Best Chef: Southwest'. The restaurant has been ranked by Zagat and Mobil Travel Guide (4 stars), and placed 24th on the World's Top 50 Restaurants by Restaurant Magazine.
• Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-marketing partnership for 'Balloons & Tunes Package' combining hot air balloon rides with MIM admission and lunch. MIM is ranked #1 Attraction in Phoenix on TripAdvisor, showcasing 6,500+ instruments from 200 countries. Package includes roundtrip transfers, wireless headset tours, and lunch at MIM's award-winning Café Allegro.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Above & Beyond Balloon Rides: Above & Beyond Balloon Rides is a Phoenix-based hot air balloon ride operator offering scenic flights over the Sonoran Desert. It is a direct competitor in the Phoenix/Scottsdale market with comparable shared-ride and private charter experiences, festival-style ceremonies, and tourism-channel customer acquisition.
• Rainbow Ryders: Rainbow Ryders is one of the largest hot air balloon ride operators in the Southwest, with operations across Phoenix, Albuquerque, and other locations. It is a direct competitor to Hot Air Expeditions in the Arizona paid scenic balloon ride market, targeting similar tourists with shared and private flight offerings.
• Butterfly Affaire / Sedona Air Balloon Rides: Butterfly Affaire is an Arizona-based hot air balloon ride operator offering scenic flights in the Sonoran Desert region. It is a direct competitor to Hot Air Expeditions with similar Sonoran Desert experience positioning and tourist customer base, though somewhat smaller in operating scale.

Broad incumbents

• Maverick Helicopter Tours: Maverick Helicopter Tours is a large established operator offering paid aerial sightseeing tours, primarily Grand Canyon and Las Vegas routes. It competes with Hot Air Expeditions for premium Arizona tourism spend on aerial experiences, but uses helicopters (faster, more weather-flexible) and operates at significantly larger scale across multiple destinations.
• Viator (Tripadvisor company): Viator is the largest online tour and experience marketplace globally, reselling tickets to hot air balloon rides including Arizona operators. It is a relevant broader incumbent in the experiential tourism distribution space where Hot Air Expeditions competes for traveler bookings and visibility, though not a direct operational peer.

Regional players

• Napa Valley Balloons, Inc. Napa Valley Balloons is a long-established California-based hot air balloon ride operator offering scenic flights over Napa wine country. It is a comparable regional peer in the paid scenic balloon experience category, with similar post-flight champagne traditions, though in a different geographic market from Hot Air Expeditions.
• Branson Balloon / Branson Hot Air Balloon Company: Branson-area hot air balloon ride operators offer scenic flights and tethered experiences in Missouri's Ozark region. They are comparable regional peers in the paid hot air balloon experience category but serve a different geographic market with shorter flyable seasons than Arizona.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=hot+air+expeditions
• Facebookfacebook.com/HotAirExpeditions
• Instagraminstagram.com/hotairexpeditions
• TikToktiktok.com/@hotairexpeditions
• Xx.com/BalloonsAZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hot-air-expeditions-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hot Air Expeditions