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It’s been a long time since I took a helicopter to the airport. I was in New York this week and booked my flight home through John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in order to try our BLADE’s service to the airport. The six-minute ride was a lot of fun and it’s going to be tough going back to Uber.
I booked my helicopter ride from West 30th Street to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) for $195. Since this was my first ride with BLADE, I was able to take $50 off using a code. If you book with code AnthonyL325, you’ll also get $50 off and I’ll get a $25 credit for future use.
To pay $145 to fly to JFK is not bad, considering that Uber was quoting me $98.97 for UberX and $127.37 for Uber Black when I was ready to leave. Not to mention, that I would have spent over an hour in the car.
I arrived at the BLADE Departures Lounge around 3:10 PM (my trip was scheduled for 3:40 PM). The lounge has moved from West 30th Street and 12th Avenue up a block. When I arrived, a BLADE employee was waiting and walked me to the new lounge (it opened two weeks ago).
Inside, I was quickly greeted by an employee at the desk. She took my ID, weighed my bag (a maximum of 25 pounds is allowed between your personal item and carry-on bag), and gave me a wristband (it was color coded to identify the trip I was booked on).
My wristband was white. This indicated I was on the JFK helicopter.
I was offered a drink at the bar. There was a photo shoot going on during my visit for 818 Tequila and the lounge was offering cocktails made with it. The lounge only had eight other people in it during my time there.
I skipped the tequila and had my usual: ginger ale. The drinks are served in plastic cups with a lid like a child’s sippy cup. These can be brought onboard the helicopter.
I found a small room with two chairs and sat there to wait for my ride. The decor throughout the lounge is fun and funky.
There was a small, phone booth room near the one I sat in for private calls.
The lounge also offers two private restrooms. I loved the fun, tropical decor.
When it was time to board, our bags were loaded and then we were asked to line up. One of the employees asked if I was okay sitting up front with the pilot. I can’t believe this was a question as I giddily said “yes.”
We were walked out single file to board the helicopter.
The front seat was spacious and I had amazing views.
Mandatory helicopter selfie.
The views were incredible as it was a perfectly clear day.
When we landed, we were again walked into the nearby building.
The building was filled with waiting airline pilots.
My carry-on bag was loaded into a waiting vehicle and I was driven to my Delta Air Lines flight in Terminal 4.
A Cadillac Escalade drove me directly to the insanely busy Terminal 4.
It’s been since 2007 when I last took a helicopter to the airport. Continental Airlines (rest in peace) used to have a partnership with US Helicopter. They would send elite members discount offers and some of these were so cheap (I want to say $50) that I took rides several times. I was often alone on the helicopter. US Helicopter went out of business not too long after.
Anthony’s Take: This was a great way to get to the airport. I found the service to be great and every employee smiled and seemed to genuinely enjoy their job. I found the experience stress-free and a lot of fun. Rates are not much more than Uber and you’ll be able to relax in the lounge beforehand.
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4 comments
Location of Blade lounge really sucks.. yes, I still do it, but then I end up taking another 20-30 mins in a car to get to my hotel.
The fact they have essentially managed to make this like “Uber Helicopter” at a price point that is competitively slightly over Black Car amazes me.
I like the cop/pilot mirror sunglasses in the selfie.
How do you work it if you have a good bit more than 25 pound in baggage?
Excess baggage can be driven to the airport. They did not seem too strict while I was there. My bags weighed in at 28 pounds, which is close. The guy in front of me had 43.5 pounds and they let that go.