I was truly impressed by the facility when we drove up. You can tell whoever created this business truly took pride and has a love for this creation. But... Unfortunately the rest of the experience was not as good. It started out with being put in a helicopter with people wearing an extreme amount of offensive cologne. I am highly allergic to a lot of different perfumes, they make me physically sick. When I express this I was told it will get better during the ride. That was untrue and I had to keep a barf bag close by. I tried to use my shirt as a filter for the smell. The pilot did not talk to us during the ride. I was hoping for a little more interaction. The piolet was the first to leave the facility and the first back. The pilot also seems somewhat annoyed that he was working that day.The private champagne canyon side stop is really kind of a joke. The benches are very dilapidated you have to be careful not to get a splinter. Nobody liked the champagne. Bag snacks are not my favorite. On return I asked our pilot to fly over a different mountain and the lake like all the other helicopters were doing. He just refused and said the view wouldn't be much different. Also for reservations I expressed that I did not want to go when there would be a glare and visibility would be low. It is impossible to enjoy the colors with the midday glare. I was assured that the second morning ride would not have a glare.The reason why I asked for a very early ride or a late ride. The reservationists assured me again the colors would be magnificent and there would not be a glare. That information was completely incorrect. I Express the importance of seeing the colors of the canyon multiple times. The most disappointing part of everything was when I talked to Jennifer Williams the operations manager. I shared my thoughts and concerns and she told me that the next time I should rent a private helicopter if I can't handle somebody else's cologne. August have a right to wear what they wish to wear. She had no idea about a glare in the canyon totally clueless. I found that to be a little odd considering this is her profession. As far as the pilots concerned she said the pilots get to do whatever they want they don't have to talk to you and they don't have to give you visibility. Also it's their choice if they wish to have you change seats for visibility. Being disappointed I asked for the general manager to contact me. The Gm did not contact me, after waiting several days for a return call. I called back. I started to explain to her who I was. She interrupted me and said she knew who I was. That comment kind of threw me off. The GM also said she had an email in front of her from Jennifer explaining everything. She was practically yelling at me and told me I had no right to suggest people not wear cologne like a lot of doctors offices request. She reiterated what Jennifer said the pilot can do what they wish, and as far as the glare she had no idea what I was talking about. I was unable to say a word to her. In my opinion the GM was very unprofessional. I finally gave up trying to speak to her,said thank you, and she hung up. I'm absolutely sure that the evening flight would be incredible or in early morning flight. This was truly a memorable experience but for the money and lack of professionalism, I was disappointed for the special occasion. This experience could have been far better if management at least pretended to care and they shared...
Read moreThis company is downright unreliable. They will cancel or shuffle your flight at the last minute under vague excuses like “OPERATIONAL REASONS.” In my case, they waited until 8:40 p.m. the night before my scheduled birthday night flight in Las Vegas to inform me that my chosen time was no longer available. The “closest option” was one hour earlier, which forced me to completely rearrange my dinner and show reservations. I ended up having to cancel KA, one of the highlights of my day.
What makes this worse is how late they chose to contact me. By dumping the problem on me the night before and right before closing, they left me scrambling to juggle my birthday plans with almost no time to coordinate with other reservations. Then they clocked out, leaving the situation unresolved until the next day. Why should a guest be put through this circus just because the company can’t manage its schedule? On the day of the flight, I even saw flights still operating 30 minutes before my original time—the very slot they claimed was “unavailable.” When I asked about this earlier via text, they ignored the question completely. Zero transparency, zero accountability.
The photo department was the final insult. My friend and I were each entitled to a complimentary printed photo from MGM reward (looks like normally priced at $29.99). We were only photographed twice — both group shots. In one, my eyes were closed; in the other, I looked fine. Yet the staff refused to print the good photo and insisted that the only option was the closed-eye one, telling me the other would have to be purchased online. It was obvious this wasn’t any real policy, just a lazy excuse to brush me off. Meanwhile, I watched another group of girls get individual portraits plus a group shot, with all three printed out and laid on the counter for them to choose from. The staff shrugged, “at least you’re smiling.” The result: two identical, utterly useless prints of me with my eyes shut. We tossed them aside the moment we got them. A closed-eye photo is not a product fit to sell, let alone something you’re supposed to treasure.
As for the flight itself, it was what it should like, but choosing another company would be no different. We accepted being seated apart “for weight distribution”; we would not say very happy with this, but it's ok. I was put in the front seat while my friend was sent to the back left, and his view was only so-so compared to others. What matters is what stood out was the pattern: with this company, the bad outcomes always seemed to land on us, I couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of discrimination. First the cancellation, then being stuck with a closed-eye photo, and finally being split up. It felt less like coincidence and more like a choice.
Overall, Maverick Helicopters shows no respect for your time, your money, or your experience. They run on self-interest, not customer care. If you value reliability, integrity, and basic courtesy,...
Read moreAlthough we didn't even want to go to Vegas, our family from HI & CA were going for the New Year, and we wanted to visit with them. They didn't have any plans other than to drink and dance. We, on the other hand, prefer to spend our money on experience. And boy, was this an experience!
Since we didn't do anything for our 25-year anniversary, we decided to take a ride while we were in Vegas. We chose the Grand Canyon Tour - Wind Dancer Sunset route. While it was spendy, and we had to share the experience with five other people, it was absolutely worth it!
We had door-to-door shuttle service from our hotel to the airstrip. We checked in, got weighed, were given a boarding number, and had a short wait. There was a gift shop, restrooms, and several sitting areas. I suggest using the restroom because you won't be able to for the next few hours.
I think, five pilots walked into the lobby and called their numbers for us to gather around them. Three of them were in our flight/squadron, while the other two were on another route - either landing location or a shorter trip.
We walked out to the helicopters, got our photos taken, got a brief rundown on safety, and entered. Three of us sat in the front with the pilot, and the other four were seated behind. We got the front row on the way out. It didn't take too much time before we were in the air.
The ride was smooth and the scenery was beautiful. Our pilot Mike, was great with giving us information about what we were passing and the things to see or watch for. He also had a great playlist for the trip.
45 glorious minutes flying overhead until we landed in the Canyon. There, they served a beverage and some snacks while everyone just walked around taking in the view and taking photos. We could see a couple of other helicopters on the cliff above us.
For the ride back, we had the two back seats on the passenger side. After a short ride, we stopped to refuel. This didn't take long so we chose to stay buckled in although we had the option to get out, and then we were off again.
Unfortunately, the right side of the bird didn't have a great view of the strip. Request to sit behind the pilot on the ride back, if possible. We could still see a lot but the angle and obstacles (from inside) made for not-so-great photo/video opportunities if that's what you're after.
Landing was smooth, but sadly, we were back too soon.
Helicopters are our thing now. 10/10, we would definitely recommend! Thanks again, Mike, for a wonderful...
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