Missouri and Kansas
Seats cost $275 to $500 per person, and Banana Balloon Co names spring and fall as the best seasons. Baskets run small: Kansas City AeroSports carries 2 or 3 passengers and Banana flies couples only.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balloon FlightIncludes Champagne with a breakfast snack or sunset snack, First Time Flyers certificate |
$275 per person |
About 3 hours total, 45 minutes to an hour in the air |
up to six passengers plus the pilot |
10+ | Individual riders 275 lbs or less; couples 450 lbs combined | 48 hours' notice needed to avoid charges; weather cancellations move to the next available date. | Check dates | |
Balloon Ride Passenger FlightIncludes Post-flight ceremony, Personalized First Balloon Flight certificate |
$500 per person |
Generally 1 hour in the air (45 minutes to 1.5 hours), up to 3 hours total |
2 to 3 passengers plus the pilot |
12+ | No set figure; passenger weights required when booking | 24 hours' notice to avoid charges, or the deposit is forfeited; weather postponements rescheduled, refunds case by case. | Check dates | |
Sweetheart RidesIncludes Champagne with a breakfast snack or sunset snack, First Time Flyers certificate |
$900 per group |
About 3 hours total, 45 minutes to an hour in the air |
2 people |
Check dates | ||||
Hot Air Balloon RideIncludes Private flight, Champagne toast, Ground transportation back to the launch site, Flight certificate |
$900 per group |
About 3.5 hours for a sunrise flight, about an hour in the air |
Two passengers plus the pilot |
12+ | 400 lbs combined for the two passengers | Cancel or reschedule up to 48 hours ahead for a full refund; weather cancellations reschedule at no charge. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Old World Balloonery meets passengers at Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe, at the southeast corner of 151st Street and Pflumm Road. Wikipedia places the airport four miles southeast of downtown Olathe. The launch site changes daily with the wind direction at flight time, and the wind also decides the landing. Old World says every site offers views across the Kansas City area and that flights range from treetop level to several thousand feet.
Kansas City AeroSports and Banana Balloon Co both pick launch sites around the metro by wind and weather and confirm them shortly before the flight. AeroSports says Midwest wind directions vary too much to fix a site in advance, and that most of its flights stay under 2,000 feet above ground. Its landing spots range from large fields and parks to backyards, playgrounds, parking lots and cul-de-sacs, and it says wildlife and garden layouts are often visible from above.
Old World Balloonery meets half an hour before sunrise for morning flights and three hours before sunset for evening ones. Flights last 45 minutes to an hour within about three hours in all. Each ends with champagne and a continental breakfast in the morning or a sunset snack in the evening, served while the crew packs up, and every passenger gets a First Time Flyers certificate.
Kansas City AeroSports meets half an hour before sunrise and launches at sunrise, or meets two hours before sunset and launches at least an hour before it. Its team phones with the meeting point the evening before a morning flight, or in the early afternoon for an evening one. Flights run 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, usually about one. The chase crew meets the balloon where it lands and drives everyone back, and family can follow the chase vehicle if they obey traffic rules.
Landings can slide, bounce, tip or drag in faster winds, AeroSports warns, so passengers hold on tight as the basket comes down. Its outing ends with a post-flight ceremony and a personalized First Balloon Flight certificate, up to three hours after meeting. Banana Balloon Co confirms its launch site 24 hours ahead and closes with a champagne toast, a flight certificate and a ride back to the launch site. Its booking page describes a 3.5-hour sunrise outing with about an hour aloft.
Banana Balloon Co flies year-round when weather allows and names spring and fall as the most favorable seasons. Kansas City AeroSports flies spring through fall on a limited basis and publishes no fixed calendar, working out dates with each passenger. Old World Balloonery gives no season on its FAQ but flies at sunrise and just before sunset, when winds are calmest.
Old World needs winds under 10 mph and no rain or frontal activity in the area. Kansas City AeroSports weighs wind speed and direction, precipitation, temperature, humidity and weather systems within 100 miles, and wants good visibility with no rain or thunderstorms. It says heat and humidity alone do not ground a flight but can cut how much weight a balloon carries and how long it stays up. Banana makes its weather call 2 to 3 hours before flight time and reschedules at no cost.
Old World Balloonery charges $275 per person, or $299 for a single rider, and carries up to six passengers. Its Sweetheart Ride costs $900 per couple. Riders must be at least 10, individuals 275 lb or less and couples 450 lb or less combined. No date is official until a representative confirms it by phone or email, cancelling needs 48 hours' notice to avoid charges, and weather cancellations move to the next date that suits both sides.
Kansas City AeroSports charges $500 per passenger for flights outside balloon events, with a non-refundable deposit of at least $100 and the balance due before the flight. Its baskets carry 2 or 3 passengers plus the pilot, depending on combined weight, and accurate weights are required at booking. Passengers must be 12 or older, though younger riders can take a tether ride with a parent. Cancelling inside 24 hours forfeits the deposit, and pilot postponements get new dates, with refunds case by case.
Banana Balloon Co, flying since 2017, sells private flights for two at $900, with $50 due at checkout and $850 charged at the flight. The two passengers must be at least 12 and weigh no more than 400 lb combined. Cancelling or rescheduling 48 hours or more ahead brings a full refund. It suggests booking 2 to 4 weeks ahead, especially for weekends, and welcomes proposals with advance notice.
from $275 per person
Balloon Flight and 1 more option
Flies on both the Kansas and Missouri sides of the metro
from $500 per person
Balloon Ride Passenger Flight
Flies spring through fall, weather permitting
from $900 per group
Hot Air Balloon Ride
Flying since 2017; pilot Cody Robinson is a second-generation balloonist
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.