Blade resumes continuous helicopter service to NYC-area airports after one-year hiatus
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Travel is back. Middle seats are being filled, airport lounges have reopened and security lines are long again. However, it’s not just the inside of airplanes and airports that are crowded. There’s also a lot more traffic to and from the airport.
Luckily, New Yorkers won’t need to deal with the congestion any longer.
Blade has announced that it’s resuming its continuous by-the-seat helicopter transports from Manhattan to New York’s JFK Airport on June 1. In the fall, it will restart service to Newark (EWR) LaGuardia (LGA) airports. This news comes just over a year after Blade first suspended the service due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The route to JFK will be offered from Blade Lounge West (West 30th Street Heliport) across from Hudson Yards and Blade Lounge East (East 34th Street Heliport). Flights will operate every weekday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The flight takes about five minutes, and upon arrival at the airport, passengers will receive ground transfers between the helipad and all commercial terminals.
Related: Are flying taxis the future of commuting? Blade thinks so with an announcement to go public
Flights can be booked directly through Blade or Kayak. As before, they cost $195 per seat each way. However, frequent travelers can save by subscribing to the BLADE Airport Pass ($295 per year) or BLADE Airport Pass Plus ($795 per year). Both passes enable unlimited BLADE Continuous flights for a discounted price, starting at $95 per trip. Here are the details of each pass:
BLADE Airport Pass: $295 per person per year
- Get $50 off every BLADE Airport flight within the next 12 months for you and $25 off one companion seat per flight
- Valid for BLADE Continuous trips between the three BLADE Manhattan Lounges and JFK, Newark or LaGuardia Airports
- The pass pays for itself after six one-way trips
BLADE Airport Pass PLUS: $795 per person per year
- Get $100 off every BLADE Airport flight within the next 12 months for you and $50 off one companion seat per flight (unlimited flights to or from airports for $95)
- Valid for BLADE Continuous trips between the three BLADE Manhattan Lounges and JFK, Newark or LaGuardia Airports
- The discounted cost can fit within most corporate expense account limits for airport transports
- The pass pays for itself after eight one-way trips
Related: Blade now requiring pre-flight COVID-19 testing for scheduled jet flights
Bottom line
If you’re a first-time flyer, you can use the promo code BRIANF&F – you and TPG will each earn $50 in Blade credits. You can also save on your flight by using your fixed-value miles to “erase” the travel purchase from your statement if you pay with a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Uber used to also offer helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK, but as of now, there’s no telling when it might resume.
According to Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal, “Given the significant increase in ground congestion in New York City and the strong desire to return to travel we are seeing among our fliers, we are confident that this is the right time to relaunch our flights between Manhattan and JFK.”
Featured image of BLADE One by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy
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