You'll soon be able to see the northern lights in a hot air balloon
What's better than finally seeing the northern lights? Probably not much but, if we had to guess, we'd say seeing the northern lights from the sky.
Come December, that will be possible.
Related: How to use a smartphone to photograph the northern lights
Off the Map Travel is launching what they're calling "Aurora in the Sky" in Lapland, Sweden. The hot air balloon, anchored to arctic ice, will cruise up to 131 feet in the air. It will all be guided by a ballooning expert who will hunt to see the famous aurora.
You can travel in groups of up to six people, although they recommend that guests are at least 6 years old. Of course, the journey is also dependent on weather, so it's a good idea to build some flexibility into your schedule in terms of timing and length of stay in the area.
Jonathan Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel and Arctic travel expert, notes that "this is a first." He says the company has "... never heard of anything like this before and everything is pointing to this being the region’s next big Aurora experience.”
Your itinerary can be custom-made to fit your needs — although you'll likely have to pay a pretty penny. For instance, a four-day, three-night itinerary costs $2,999 per person. That includes meals, private transfers, accommodation at the Outpost Aurora Safari Camp, a snowmobile adventure with lunch on the Arctic Circle, the Aurora Hot Air Balloon experience and a snowmobile adventure to “meet the locals.”
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The hot air balloon flights launch in December 2020 and will be available until April 2021. The booking window opens in May. If you're interested in seeing the northern lights via hot air balloon this year, you'll want to contact the team at Off the Map Travel as soon as possible since space is limited.
See you in the air.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees