It's back: Experience the next-best thing to space travel with Zero-G and Blade

It might still be a while until space tourism becomes a reality, but you don't need to wait to get a glimpse into that zero-gravity life.

Since 2004, Zero-G has offered thrill-seekers the chance to experience complete weightlessness on Earth through parabolic flights (when an aircraft alternates between rapid upward and downward arcs). And now, for the second year in a row, the company is teaming up with Blade to give Manhattan-based passengers the ultimate adventure bundle, including helicopter transfers to and from their flights.

Zero-G will be offering flights in the Empire State beginning Aug. 21 through Sept. 19. Flights will be offered out of Westhampton, New York City and Rochester. However, only those out of the city will include the helicopter transfers (it's available for an additional fee out of the Hamptons). The flights cost $7,500 per person, regardless of which airport you fly out of.

Spots are filling up quickly, so if you're thinking of going, don't wait too long to book. I was lucky enough to join one of these flights when Blade and Zero-G's partnership launched last year and it was a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

Here's everything you need to know if you're thinking about booking a zero-gravity flight.

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What is Zero-G and how does it work?

Virginia-based Zero-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights. It does this by flying a modified Boeing 727 aircraft — known as G-Force One or colloquially as the "Vomit Comet" — in a series of parabolic arcs. Each time the plane pushes over the top of the parabolic arc, flyers experience a brief state of weightlessness in the air. The sensation is so similar to actually being in space that NASA uses Zero-G for training and research.

The experience is available to anyone aged eight and up and has even been enjoyed by passengers in their 90's. Zero-G's flight schedule includes stops in Long Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Las Vegas, Seattle and Newark.

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Flights continue to operate during the pandemic with enhanced safety protocols (more on that later).

Ground experience

My Zero-G experience began at Blade Lounge East, located right off East 34th Street between the East River and FDR Drive. As advised, I arrived well-rested, avoided alcohol the night before and didn't have any acidic drinks like orange juice that morning.

Before I could enter the lounge, a Blade representative took my temperature and blood oxygen level as part of their new safety protocols. To pass, passengers must have at least 95% blood oxygen saturation and cannot have a temperature of 100.4 or higher. In 2021, all passengers will undergo a rapid antigen COVID-19 test.

I then went through a check-in process that involved showing my ID to a Blade representative, a Zero-G representative and a TSA agent — after all, this was still considered a commercial flight. I was handed a bag containing my boarding pass, a flight suit, face mask, socks and goodies, and invited to have breakfast.

Breakfast consisted mostly of carbs and low protein to curtail sickness in the cabin. Although the Blade Lounge usually offers an open bar, alcohol and orange juice were big no-no's.

Passengers got to mingle with one another and then were introduced to their assigned flight coaches, who provided an in-depth flight training session. It's hard to describe the level of excitement that was in the room.

While most flyers were experiencing Zero-G for the first time, there were some second-timers. Anyone who was flying Zero-G for the first time needed to wear their name tags upside down until after the flight.

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(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)

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Before we knew it, it was time to board the helicopters that would be whisking us to our "launch site" at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

Related: Get 2-for-1 helicopter transfers between NYC and JFK

Despite some light rain, we had phenomenal views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and then the airport. I was invited to sit in the front seat of the helicopter, which definitely added to the thrill.

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(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)

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We landed at EWR's private aviation terminal, operated by Signature Flight Support. Before boarding the Zero-G aircraft, we headed inside for another briefing with our coaches and security screening. Despite leaving from the private terminal, the usual TSA guidelines still applied. Carry-on items were limited to items that could fit in our flight suit pockets.

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(Photo by Steve Boxall/Zero-G)

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The aircraft

Finally, it was time to board our flight. While the flight would be far from ordinary, just like any other commercial flight, every passenger got a boarding pass with a seat assignment.

Zero-G uses a modified Boeing 727 aircraft and calls it G-Force One. The plane, registration N794AJ, was over 44 years old and has previously been operated by airlines like Continental, Pan Am and Delta.

In honor of the new partnership, Zero-G emblazoned Blade's logo throughout the aircraft.

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(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)

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We boarded the aircraft using the built-in stairs that dropped from the rear of the aircraft. The 727 is among the few airlines to offer such a feature — also known as rear airstairs.

Once inside, the cabin looked nothing like a normal airliner. If anything, it looked like a spaceship of sorts. Aside from the emergency exit rows, all windows were covered and there were no lavatories onboard.

At the rear of the aircraft were a couple of rows of standard airplane seats for use during take-off and landing. The seats were 16.75 inches wide and offered surprisingly decent legroom.

The rest of the cabin was wide-open, with heavily padded walls, floor and ceiling. The floating zone was divided into three sections — gold, silver and blue — but they all provided the same experience. To prevent any injuries, everyone had to take off their shoes when entering the floating zone.

Take-off

Shortly after boarding, the flight attendant gave a brief onboard safety demonstration. Unlike other commercial aircraft, the oxygen supply was located beneath the center seat in each row rather than overhead.

Passengers were required to be seated for take-off and landing. We remained seated until the aircraft reached its designated airspace and was level with the horizon at an altitude of 24,000 feet. Our airspace was over the Atlantic and was approximately 100 miles long and ten miles wide.

Once it was safe to move to the floating zone, we were briefed by our coaches once again. There were very clear communications throughout the entire flight.

Zero-G experience

After leveling off at 24,000 feet, the pilots began to gradually increase the angle of the aircraft to about 45 degrees until the plane reached an altitude of 32,000 feet. During this pull-up, we felt extra gravity — around 1.8 Gs. The plane then slowed down and was "pushed over" to create the zero-gravity phase of the parabola.

Being the AvGeek I am, I looked up the playback of our flight on Flightradar24 and could actually see these parabolas in the speed and altitude graph.

There were a total of 15 of these parabolic maneuvers, with each weightless segment lasting about 20 to 30 seconds. Zero-G picked 15 parabolas, typically the optimal number before flyers begin to feel motion discomfort. By comparison, NASA's research and training flights typically perform 40 to 80 parabolas. Only two flyers on our flight experienced discomfort and that was only toward the end of the flight.

We began the flight with one Martian gravity parabola, where our weight was around a third of that on Earth. This was when I got to do the easiest push-ups of my life.

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(Photo by Steve Boxall/Zero-G)

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That was followed by two lunar gravity parabolas, where our weight was around a sixth of that on Earth, and then 12 zero-gravity parabolas. This incremental approach allowed us to get better acclimated to the reduced gravity.

Everything felt completely effortless during the zero-gravity parabolas. You could fly like Superman or tuck your legs to your chest and just float in the cabin — anything was possible.

Unlike riding a roller coaster or sky diving, there was no point where I felt like I was "falling." Although exhilarating, all the movements were smooth and peaceful. It's like laying on your bed and being pulled up towards the ceiling or floating in a pool, but without the water.

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Click through to see how we flew like Superman. (Photo by Steve Boxall/Zero-G)

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The coaches handed out various objects throughout the flight and were able to assist with any tricks we wanted to do.

We got to play with hula hoops and slinkies...

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(Photo by Steve Boxall/Zero-G)

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...and tried to catch pieces of candy and droplets of water.

Toward the end of each parabola, the words "feet down, coming out" were relayed through the plane. This was our cue to get on the ground as gravity would be returning in seconds.

In-flight service

In addition to the coaches and flight director, there was one FAA-certified flight attendant in the cabin. The attendant's main duty while in flight was to assist passengers feeling discomfort. However, much to my surprise, there was also a light snack service at the end of the flight, just before landing.

Post-flight

Upon touching down in Newark, helicopters were waiting to fly us back to the Blade lounge for our "Regravitation Celebration." Everyone received a certificate of weightless completion and first-timers were able to flip their name tags right side up

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(Photo by Benji Stawski/The Points Guy)

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COVID precautions

Safety has always been the top priority for Blade and Zero-G and even more so now during the pandemic. As previously mentioned, all flyers underwent pulse and temperature checks immediately upon arrival. All passengers and crew were required to wear face coverings throughout the entire experience, and — from what I saw — compliance was 100%.

For 2021 flights, all passengers will undergo a rapid antigen COVID-19 test (included in the ticket price).

Onboard, flight capacity was reduced by 30%, so there were a total of 24 floaters allowed on the flight as opposed to the usual 36. Additionally, as with most modern aircraft, G-Force One was equipped with HEPA filters that replaced all in-cabin air with fresh air every three minutes.

Both the helicopters used by Blade's operators and G-Force One were cleaned and sanitized before our flights.

Bottom line

I survived the Vomit Comet!

No words are enough to describe the feeling of complete weightlessness. This Zero-G flight was truly one of the most unique experiences of my life and I highly recommend it to anyone dreaming of going to space.

Check back next week for the review of my trip to space with Virgin Galactic! (Just kidding, commercial flights aren't expected to commence until next year.)

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