From next month, Uber will offer helicopter transfers to take passengers from Lower Manhattan to JFK Airport.
Uber Copter will take passengers from Lower Manhattan to JFK in eight minutes. Image by Uber Elevate
Uber is planning to drastically reduce the commute from Lower Manhattan to JFK from one hour (or two in rush hour traffic) to just eight minutes with its new platform, Uber Copter. Launching on July 9, the service will provide on-demand helicopter transportation from a pick-up heliport near the Staten Island Ferry terminal to a landing area near JFK airport, bypassing they city’s traffic below and connecting passengers with Uber taxis at both ends of the trip.
The service can be booked on demand or up to five days ahead of your trip. Image by Uber Elevate
Naturally, a service like this doesn’t come cheap and the average ride costs between $200 and $225 per person one way, including ground transportation. Even if you have the cash to drop on such a service, Uber Copter is reserved for Platinum and Diamond members of Uber’s Rewards, the company’s frequent flyer-style rewards program for riders. If you qualify, the rides are available either on-demand, or you can book them up to five days ahead of departure.
Each helicopter has room for up to five passengers but each passenger will be limited to just two items of luggage; a small personal bag and a carry-on bag that can’t weigh more than 40 pounds.
The service includes ground transportation. Image by Uber Elevate
“This is Uber’s first multi-modal option, integrating an eight-minute helicopter flight with an Uber trip on both ends with a single tap of a button,” said Eric Allison, Head of Uber Elevate. “Uber Rewards Platinum and Diamond members will get the first opportunity to try this new fast and seamless way to get between Manhattan and JFK.”
Uber Copter’s boarding card. Image by Uber Elevate
Last month Uber announced a new service called scUber, a personal submarine that takes riders to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It was officially unveiled on Heron Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef at the end of May but will move to Agincourt Reef off the coast of Port Douglas in Tropical North Queensland from June 9-18.
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