Manhattan to JFK in 6 minutes: review Blade Helicopter (+ discount code from 50$)
There are 5 ways to get from New York airports to Manhattan, and vice versa. In order of cost they are: [...]
JFK
There are 5 ways to go from the airports in New York to Manhattan, and vice versa. In order of cost they are:
- Airtrain + Metro, cost 10.50$ and about 60 minutes of travel time
- Shuttle bus, approximate cost 45$ the trip takes no less than 50 minutes up to 2 hours and more
- Cab. Flat rate 62$ + tolls traffic is the big unknown, from city to JFK no less than 45minutes, but often 2 hours
- Uber/Lyft no less than 100, often 150/200 $ temps see cabs
In this article:
Then there is helicopter and Blade is one of the pricipal operators that fontains this service.
Blade Helicopter
The service has a base cost of 195$ for the cheapest and obviously least flexible ticket. Blade operates from two city heliports one in Tribeca, the other on the opposite side of NYC Brooklyn Bridge area.
If you want schedule flexibility you have to be willing to spend 50$ more, and if you also want the ability to cancel/rebook without penalty the price goes up to 300$. I personally believe that the basic ticket is the only solution that makes sense.
Using Matteor503 as a discount coupon yes Will save 50$ on the first flight, so if you want to try this way of arriving or departing from New York you can save a quarter of the cost of the ticket.
There is one major limitation
Before we continue reading and jump right into the reservation system, I want to explain very well For those who do not fit this service.
- There is no point in booking Blade when you arrive/depart at/to JFK o Newark off-peak hours.
- If you have boarded suitcases Blade is not the right service. The extra charge for the suitcase is 130$ and it is good to know that the suitcase will travel overland, because there is no space on board the plane. Carry-on luggage travels with the same rules as the airlines, indeed here we are at Ryanair's level in terms of zero flexibility in size and weight.
- The total weight of hand luggage cannot exceed 25 pounds, a little more than 11kg, otherwise it's "bitter cabbage", if you exceed it you will have to pay extra 150$ to avoid being stranded, such as booking a second trolley seat
While I was waiting to board my flight, two passengers arrived with over 30 pounds and had to change flight plans.
How Blade Works
It's like booking a plane ticket, you go to the site and choose the itinerary, the preferred time and you select the rate.
Any options are added and paid for. You receive an email with flight details, directions to the heliport.
Be careful because there are two Blade Heliports, one on the Eastside and one on the Westside, if you get it wrong you will hardly have time to move from one side of Manhattan to the other.
One should arrive approximately 15 minutes before the flight, documents are checked and luggage is weighed. One is offered a drink and waits for the flying cab to arrive.
Small side note, all the reception staff were female and carefully selected according to obvious aesthetic standards, while the ground staff were all male.
When the helicopter arrives you are escorted to the runway, and you get on board. There are 5 seats besides the pilot and co-pilot (who is nothing more than a potential sixth passenger).
On board you put on your seatbelt and headphones, the headphones more for noise than for chatting since you don't know each other and the pilot speaks only to say, "put on your seatbelts and don't open the doors," and 5 minutes later, "Okay we are landing, wait for them to come and open the doors for you. Thank you to have a good continuation."
At the private flight terminal, luggage is taken and you are escorted off the runway. One exits the small building where Cadillac SUVs are waiting to load passengers and luggage toward the various terminals.
The whole thing takes less than 15 minutes from the time you board to the time you arrive at the terminal Of the departure of the flight.
In conclusion
For whom this service is suitable. Let's say that if you take advantage of the coupon and pay then 145 per person it is a treat that as a couple you can take off, it does not replace the eventual helicopter ride over Manhattan, but it is still an experience.
If you are traveling alone, it is competitive with Uber, It costs twice as much as a cab and 15 times as much as the subway, but it is the only one that has no problems with traffic and gives spectacular views. However, it takes a really short time, and that means you can enjoy your New York City vacation to the last.
