Compare

We compare each company by similar competing tours side by side so you can avoid comparing apples to oranges.

Choose departure location

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Grand Canyon National Park is the most visited and most popular portion of the Grand Canyon. These are the longest flights available over the Grand Canyon with flights 2 to 5 times longer than Grand Canyon West flights. Helicopter tours at the National Park can not fly below the rim of the canyon.

LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas is a very popular tourist destination with close proximity to the Grand Canyon. Helicopter tours are the fastest and most unique way to see the Grand Canyon in one day with tours as short as 4 hours from hotel to hotel. Grand Canyon West is the only place tour helicopters can fly and land inside of the canyon.

GRAND CANYON WEST

Grand Canyon West is the closest access point to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. One way to save on the cost of a helicopter tour and see more viewpoints is to drive to Grand Canyon West and take a helicopter from there with less time constraints

Quick Comparison

PAPILLON

MAVERICK

Papillon is the largest and oldest sightseeing helicopter company in the world. They have traditionally been the price leader with more flight times and tour options than any other competitor

Maverick is the premium helicopter tour operator focusing on the most popular tour options using the best equipment and most experienced pilots

43 Tours

22 Tours

Similarities

These are essentially the same between both companies

Both companies

Require government issued photo ID for all passengers 18 years of age or older
Require weigh in upon check in including personal items
Require passengers over 300 pounds (136.36kg / 21.43 stone) body weight to purchase a comfort seat
Require purchasing a seat for children two years of age or older

Both companies

Customers can not choose seats. The helicopter company determines seating based on weight balancing of the aircraft. Seating is determined after all passengers check-in and weighs in. Both helicopter companies will make all attempts to have parties seated together and not separated unless absolutely necessary.

All Companies

Flight paths are essentially the same between all helicopter companies because flight paths have to be FAA approved and coordinated to ensure safety. Variations between companies will be strictly based on differences in destinations such as Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon National Park, Horseshoe Bend, Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Hawaii, etc. The cooresponding flight paths in those destinations will be the same

FAA laws apply to helicopter tours

Federal law prohibits hazardous materials from being transported on aircraft including checked and carry-on baggage. Items such as explosives, ammunition, compressed gases, aerosols, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers organic peroxides, toxic and infectious materials, radioactive materials, corrosives, poisons, wet and lithium batteries, e-cigarettes, dry-ice and many other articles are considered hazardous. Personal items such as deodorant, hairspray, nail polish, perfume and certain medicines although considered hazardous are permitted in baggage in limited quantities. Some items such as spare lithium batteries and e-cigarettes are allowed as carry-on but are forbidden in checked baggage. For a complete list of permitted hazardous materials and the limits and restrictions for each, visit the FAA at the button below

FAA Site

Differences

These are the differences between both companies

Papillon requires 48 Hours cancellation for full refund
Maverick requires 72 hours cancellation for full refund

Papillon offers customers an option to request front seats for additional fee (only applies if weight balancing of helicopter allows seating request)
Maverick does not offer seating requests as weight balancing ultimately dictates seating

While many tours may appear or be assumed to start in the same location, there are some major differences in where the helicopter flies from

For Las Vegas tours, Maverick only flies from the Las Vegas Strip while Papillon has two options with their lower price flights flying from Boulder City (32 miles away from Las Vegas Strip)
Papillon has locations in Page Arizona (Antelope Canyon/Horseshoe Bend/Lake Powell)
Maverick has locations in Hawaii

There are different types of helicopters with dramatic differences in price, seating, visibility, climate controls and more.

Maverick only uses top of the line EcoStar EC130 helicopters developed exclusively for sightseeing tours
Papillon uses three types of helicopters to offer tour options at lower price points including A-Star, EC-130, and Bell Ranger helicopters