this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2024
51 points (85.9% liked)

No Stupid Questions

35723 readers
911 users here now

No such thing. Ask away!

!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.

All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.



Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.

On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.

If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.



Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.

If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.



Credits

Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!

The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Each of the companies that we have talked to for Hot air balloon rides have said you pay for it in advance, then if there is bad weather, you don’t get your money back. You just have to reschedule for another day. We have a friend who had to make many many many trips an hour and a half each way and each time on the way there, they would get a call to say sorry it’s too windy or some other item. It took a long time before they actually got there actual ride.

So what I’m wondering is, is there any company out there that actually just gives a refund if you can’t take the ride because of inclement weather.? This is in the United States.

top 20 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 50 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

There may be, though I would be surprised if anyone does. You are at the mercy of the weather, winds too high? Nope. Looks perfect but there is a nasty windshear at 1000m? Nope.

You still have to have your crew ready even when you call it off. They need to be paid. There are exceptions with crew where you might barter training against pay if someone wants to become a pilot. Still there is work to be done even if you don't fly. I haven't been involved for awhile, when I was, any no fly day cut into profit even if there was a reschedule. I doubt that has changed.

I still hold my Lighter Than Air license, I never had a Commericial Pilots License ( you need that for paying passengers) but haven't flown in a bit.

[–] electric@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (2 children)

That's interesting, glad you brought extra context. Wouldn't a better option be to factor the losses from bad weather into the price instead?

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

It would probably make the price prohibitive.

You can make some educated guesses like Michigan in August, mornings are probably a safer bet than afternoons when you have a greater chance of thunderstorms. It's still trying to predict the weather though.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

No one would pay in that scenario...what if the average is 5 reschedules? You going to pay for 6 foights upfront and only get 1? No..

[–] Artyom@lemm.ee 8 points 6 months ago (2 children)

If you aren't ready to lose the money no matter what, perhaps it's not the best way to spend your money. Hot air baloons are like boats, they're for people who need a way to lose money when they have too much.

[–] electric@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That still doesn't make any fairer. OP expects a service for their money. If there happens to be bad weather, it's not right for the company "sorry, too windy, come again another time with more money".

Also don't gatekeep balloon rides, it's not like you're renting a private jet.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Not more money...just come back when weather permits flying a hot air balloon...

[–] electric@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

He doesn't have to pay for another flight? Thought it was like water parks where your money just goes into the ether if it rains.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The comment of not getting money back but being allowed to reschedule to me implies they can reschedule and no additional money needs to be paid. If you cancel, you lose your money.

I could be wrong, but typically when a company tells me I can reschedule, I don't need to pay again. Nothing is cancelled, just postponed.

[–] electric@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Oh wow, I missed that sentence. Makes sense now, nevermind!

[–] andrewta@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Actually that is the problem to me.

If I make an appointment for something (hot air balloon ride) then on the appointed day they call and say sorry to high of wind. I understand there is danger. So I can see them rescheduling. But if it happens again. Then to me give me the option of a refund.

Don't make me drive an hour and a half one way, then after I'm half way there, cancel. And expect me to be happy if that happens several times.

BTW I'm not upset with you. Annoyed with companies that think this sort of a business model is ok.

But from other commentors it seems to not just be that way in my state but everywhere. My mom has never had a hot air balloon ride and she doesn't have many years left. Guess she may never get one.

[–] electric@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Oh absolutely, still in agreement with you. I just thought they were outright stealing your money. Time is still valuable. I don't think a balloon ride might be a guarantee though, just the nature of it. Hope you guys find a way!

[–] SparrowRanjitScaur@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

He's asking about a hot air balloon ride with a company. He's not asking about owning a hot air balloon.

[–] Artyom@lemm.ee -1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I know, my response remains unchanged.

[–] SparrowRanjitScaur@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

According to Google a hot air balloon costs $150-250. I'm not sure where you live, but in the US that seems completely reasonable to do for a unique experience.

[–] neidu2@feddit.nl 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

We don't known the policy of the balloons in your area. I suggest finding a balloon you get along with and ask it of its return policy.

Also: https://youtu.be/fVPwhLNyLPU

[–] andrewta@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

In my area that’s what they do. I was hoping other areas did something different

[–] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

Here it is the other way round: you get a phone call and they offer you date+time for your ride when they know that the weather will be good.

[–] Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 months ago

Have you asked each company in details? It's typically the kind of small business who understands everyone unique case rather than a large corporation full of procedures and lawyers.

I assume they would rather reschedule to not loose the money, but a way to cancel may exists

[–] TheKMAP@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 6 months ago

Usually in situations like this you might be able to schedule it super far in advance, and then maybe a week later call and cancel to get a refund due to "unrelated reasons"