Where to board the new seaplane service between New York and Boston
Tailwind Air launched its new seaplane service between New York City and Boston this week, finally bringing much-awaited downtown-to-midtown service to the cities' respective shorelines.
TPG was aboard Tailwind's first flight — you can read more about it here.
As I flew from Boston to New York, and back the next day, I was impressed by the service — even though the price is fairly high — and by how quickly the trip between the two cities takes door-to-door.
The only bump in the program was that it was a little bit tricky to find the airline's bases at first — though once you've been once, it'll be a piece of cake the next time.
Boston
Tailwind's seaplanes land at a floating pier in Boston Harbor. To get to and from the plane, passengers must take a six-to-seven-minute ferry ride.
The ferry departs from a small lounge at the Fan Pier Marina, located at the end of a pier that's situated roughly between the Institute of Contemporary Art and the federal courthouse.
There's a small lounge and office at the end of the Harborwalk where passengers can check in, have a snack and board the ferry. Here's where it is on Google Maps.
What makes it tricky is that there's construction in the area, so it can be a bit disorienting. If you walk past the nearby Waterfront Park toward the pier with the construction on your left, you can't miss it.
New York City
On the New York side, Tailwind departs for its shuttles and charter flights from the New York Skyports Seaplane Base, a small facility at the very eastern end of 23rd Street.
The entrance is on FDR Drive all the way to the east. The best option here is taxi or Uber — you can use the address 2430 FDR Drive — although you can also take the bus to 23rd Street and Avenue C and then walk over.
But even so, it's a bit tricky to tell where to go. There's a parking garage and a gas station. And plenty of road work.
But if you look ahead toward the river, to the left of the garage, you'll see banners for several small air charter companies including Blade and Tailwind.
Follow the signs and walk through the "Seaplane Terminal" doors, and look toward the right. The office and lounge are just past the outdoor area that Blade maintains.
There's another small lounge here — though bigger than the Boston one — where you can wait for your flight if you arrive a few minutes early.
More: First look: The new seaplane service between New York and Boston on Tailwind Air
There's no ferry on this end — once it's time to board your flight, the Tailwind crew will walk you right down to the plane, just a few steps away.
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