Helicopter Taxi Debuts in Bangalore
Bangalore, India, is known to be a high-traffic city. So, commutes to the airport can be a headache for travelers because it can take passengers up to two hours by road to reach Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) from the city's tech center, Electronic City. Enter Bangalore's new heli-taxi service, which recently debuted and cuts that long, 40-mile commute to the airport down to 15 minutes flat.
Introduced by Thumby Aviation, the heli-taxi seats up to six passengers, according to Conde Nast Traveller India, and tickets for the service run about $65. That price includes a ride to/from the Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) terminal to/from the helipad in Electronic City and a carry-on bag weighing up to 33 pounds. Anything over that weight limit will have to be shipped on the ground for an additional fee. Flights currently operate in two shifts designed around peak business hours, with about three roundtrips feasible per shift. The first shift is between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and the second is 3:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Customers can book a seat through the Heli Taxii mobile app (available on Android/iOS).
Currently, the heli taxi is only available between Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) and Electronic City. The service will add more drop-off points once it has approval for helipads around the city. In the next two weeks, another airport, Bangalore's HAL, will be added as an additional destination.
Heli taxis are among the up-and-coming helicopter transport services. BLADE Bounce has already been offering transfers for its users between New York's three main airports (and smaller NYC airports) for $295 one way. In February 2017, the company expanded its service in Los Angeles.
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app
