There were no representatives from Papillon in the whole 12 hour tour, but once I found out where to go at the Grand Canyon Airport, the staff were friendly, the pilot was awesome and the views amazing. We were provided with a delicious breakfast and then went on some pickup trucks to Upper Antelope Canyon. We were not guided very well or told what was going on, you just kind of went with the flow and it turned out awesome! After that, the rafting trip in the Glen Canyon was spectactular, our river guide, Kelly, was so informative and fun. I highly recommend the plane/bus/raft tour, so worth the money! You get a nice picnic lunch at the bottom of the canyon! Middle of April was the perfect time, not too hot (still got burned), but nice breeze and sunny! Do NOT go in the middle of summer, you will fry!

My new wife and I booked Papillons Grand Celebration tour with Las Vegas Strip after many months of searching the reviews of different companies. We have some friends who booked a tour with Papillon a few years previously without any problems and highly recommended them, however being the review freak that I am I had to do my own investigations before taking the plunge and making a booking.
We were in the US on Honeymoon and this was to be the highlight of our trip, we were so pleased we booked with Papillon, from their website I worked out that if we booked the standard Grand Celebration with Vegas strip for the last flight of the day that we would get the sunset for free which they usually charge for, bonus!! Not only did we get the free sunset but we also got upgraded to the VIP First Class service which we got Limo pick up, private terminal and champagne and nibbles.
We were picked up on time from our hotel and the transfer to the terminal took about 10 minutes. We were then checked in and offered drinks and nibbles.
You can upgrade to have the front two seats for an additional $50.00 each, which I asked for but was never charged for, you need to do this at check in and it all depends on the body weight in the helicopter but well worth the money if they remember to charge you for it.
The flight out to the canyon takes about 45 minutes and there is not much to do other than sit back and enjoy the ride and views, also listen to the pilot talk about the area and history. The Eco star choppers are very spacious and windows are large so you can get some great views, I have seen many pictures and videos from people who booked the standard helicopters and your views are restricted especially if you are seated in the back.
On arrival at the canyon you have about 30 minutes to explore and enjoy a complimentary mini picnic provided by Papillon, you can’t really go far but just to get out and take in the size of the canyon is just amazing. We must have arrived in the canyon at about 6pm and it was over 110 degrees luckily it was so late in the day that the area was in shade but I would not like to have been there in the midday sun!
Before you know it you are back in the helicopter and off again for the journey back to Vegas. We were treated to one of the most amazing sunsets that I have ever seen. The changing colours of the Canyon was breathtaking.
We arrived in Vegas just as the lights were coming on, I think if you want to see the strip like the "CSI" credits then you need to book a separate nightime flight we did not have the time, but that is something we will do when we return.
Overall our experience with Papillon was everything and more that we could have hoped for. I have put together a short Video of our tour and have plenty of pix, so please feel free to contact me if you would like to see them or have any queries.

My husband and I recently took the tour that included taking a small plane to the West Rim, taking a helicopter to the floor of the canyon and catamaran ride in the Colorado River. It was truly a thrilling, memorable adventure. We were picked up at our hotel on the strip by a small shuttle at 4:40 a.m., and after a few stops, we were transferred to a larger bus and taken to a Boulder City airport about 15 minutes away. The airport looked like it was brand new and had a coffee shop and a gift shop. It was there that we checked in and were given stickers designating what tour we were part of. They did weigh us too, to be able to balance the planes accordingly. All we had to do was step on a marked floor tile on right at the check in counter and it was completely confidential. We were then bussed to a small plane, where our picture was taken with the co-pilot and we boarded the small 15-seat plane. The plane was less than half full and everyone had a window seat. There was a recording you could listen to that pointed out various sites and provided facts as we headed over the Hoover Dam and toward the canyon. The ride was a little bumpy, but it wasn't bad. We landed at a smaller, older, trailer-like airport and went into the gift shop area before being separated into a helicopter group and ushered to the helicopter pad. There were six people on our helicopter and I think I was the luckiest because I got to sit in front with the pilot as he took off and took us right over the canyon. There is nothing like flying over the edge of the canyon and watching the ground simply disappear as the canyon unfolds below you. We were taken on a mild descent following the Colorado River to a designated landing area on the canyon floor. Once we were on the ground we were directed to a path and stairs leading down to the river. This was a bit steep - make sure you wear good hiking shoes. At the bottom of the path was a small dock and a boat waiting for us. Captain Vince was delightful and funny as he shared facts about the canyon. Since there was such a small group we were able to chat with him as he took us on a leisurely trip down the river. After a 15 minute ride, it was a climb back up the hill and back to the helicopter but the employees let us take pictures and revel in the beauty of the canyon. We then boarded the helicopter again and were taken on a steep climb along the cliffs back to the small airport. From there, we were given meal vouchers and boarded a Coach bus and were taken to the Skywalk and Guano point. Guano point was my husband's favorite - it also had the best food to choose from where we could use our vouchers. These stops were a nice photo op, but not as cool as going in the helicopter. We had an hour and a half to visit both locations and shuttles came by every 10-15 minutes or so. After Guano point we were taken back to the small airport on the rim and after a short wait we boarded the small plane, and flew back to Boulder City airport and took a shuttle back to the hotel. The trip began at 4:40 a.m. and we were back at our hotel at 11:30 a.m. Kudos for the staff for getting us everywhere we needed to be - it was well worth the price once I saw all the people involved in the trip. Thanks to Captain Cameron, Captain Vince and the helicopter pilot from Saratoga. My only complaint was that the sun did not come out but you can't have it all!

I am writing on my behalf and many other irate customers who took the combined AirBridge/Grand Canyon Tour with AirBridge and Papillon Helicopters on April 17, 2009 from Las vegas.
The first thing that must be said is that if you book a tour from LV with any company, in our case AirBridge, it is subcontracted to "several" companies: one to book the tour, one to drive you there (bus company), the bus driver (contracted), one to fly you over (helicopter), etc. So, when it comes time to get a straight answer on anything, simply forget it, there is no line of responsibility (vide my call to April at AirBridge when problems started: call back on Monday!!). As a matter of fact, the first thing the driver said was that he was going to give us the right information, as opposed to what we had been told up to then: that is a great boost to confidence in the trip, isn’t it?
AirBridge will pick you up at the hotel and will take you to a processing center where you will get a small coffee, a Minute Maid juice carton and a small danish, no seconds: that is what they call "breakfast". The dispatcher will then set up long lines (for northern and southern rims) and announce that exceptionally that day for those who have not yet reserved a helicopter ride the company has just called and is making a special rate of $170, and because you are going to the southern rim, the helicopter can take you down 8,000 feet. Now you have to make a last minute decision, fast, and you do not want your companion to feel you are cheap: so, you book. What he does not tell you is: you will miss the first lookout point; you will miss the IMAX, you will arrive at Papillon Helicopter at 1 pm, but the “special” additional tours are at 2:30 pm and you will vegetate until then, that these tours last only 30 minutes: 10 to fly to the canyon, 10 to come back, 10 minutes only over the Canyon and with no descent of any kind. You complain to Papillon all you want, they remain quite pleasant, but tell you that AirBridge was informed. You only get a reaction when you mention: oh, I will write to TripAdvisor!
The day is wasted and all you would have done is the Hoover Dam, the Helicopter ride and one lookout point. Some people were so irate that they told the driver, a very pleasant man, that he will get no tips and they refused to believe him when he claimed that their experience was unusual, as it is obvious that he must get similar complaints daily. I hope these passengers read these comments and know that at least their frustration is being vented and will get wide publicity.
I still recommend the tour, the IMAX, the lookout points. Do yourself a favor and: have your own breakfast before or pack it with you, do not listen to anything the dispatcher at AirBridge says, and do not take the Papillon Helicopters ride: they define what “being taken for a ride” means!