Blade Helicopter is an urban air on-demand helicopter service that makes it possible for users to book personalized journeys.
So whether you need a customized airport journey to an NYC-area airport or you want to book a personalized charter flight across the country, Blade can do it all.
What is Blade?
Blade Helicopter is an urban air mobility service that lets people book a chartered or private short-distance helicopter flight in available cities.
Those who want to travel in style and get from Point A to Point B quickly can book a private helicopter flight between popular locations, such as downtown Manhattan and nearby New York airports.
Blade allows users to commute via helicopter or seaplane around cities.
Some of the most popular destinations include flying between Teterboro and Montauk, Manhattan and East Hampton, Manhattan and the NYC area airports, Nice and Monaco, and Manhattan and Philadelphia.
Furthermore, Blade urban air mobility also offers Blade Continuous, a shared flight that runs every 3 minutes between the heliports in Manhattan and JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark International Airport.
How Does it Work?
Blade works by offering on-demand heli transportation or airport transportation for users in participating cities.
A passenger can use the online website or the app to book the Blade service by inputting their pick-up and destination for a charter service or booking a time slot for the Continuous ride.
Where Can You Get a Blade Helicopter Ride?
Blade is currently available in the following cities:
- New York City, New York
- Los Angeles, California
- San Francisco, California
- Hamptons, New York
- Miami, Florida
- Aspen, Colorado
- Nantucket, New York
- Jersey Coast
- NYC area airports
How Far Can You Go in a Blade Helicopter?
Users can book a private charter through Blade, which services a variety of destinations.
Users can book Blade as a bespoke private charter service that lets you choose between jets, helicopters, seaplanes, and turboprops.
Blade lets you customize and personalize your journey to ensure you can make it from Point A to Point B quickly and easily.
Plus, Blade lounges across different cities make it easy for you to get through an airport terminal or into a city without any congestion or crowds.
Users should check the charter cost estimator to see the price of their trip and travel distance.
For example, users can book a charter flight across the country (ex: Philadelphia to Los Angeles or Las Vegas) for approximately $45,000 to $56,000 for 1-6 seats.
Blade Comparisons
Users who are curious about the pricing of Blade and how it stacks up to other helicopter-pool or personal charter services need to compare the benefits of Blade to other popular options, such as UberCopter and Airbus.
Blade vs UberCopter
UberCopter is Uber’s on-demand helicopter service.
UberCopter does not have fixed prices, but it does offer on-demand options.
UberCopter is not as flexible and is costlier than Blade’s services, with prices ranging from $200 to $225 per seat.
The Ubercopter deal includes booking an Uber to get to the copter from locations in New York City.
Ubercopter is only available to Uber Platinum Diamond Reward members but plans to grow its user base in the upcoming years.
It can be booked in advance and allows passengers to bring one 40-pound carry-on bag.
Blade offers reserved time slots for airport transportation, making the app easier to use and the booking process seamless.
The flight from downtown NYC to one of the New York-based airports is just under 8 minutes long.
The total cost for the Blade airport commute was around $212, whereas the UberCopter price was $228.57 for the airport journey.
Blade vs Airbus
Airbus Helicopters aims to help people book on-demand helicopter services for urban air transportation.
Like Blade, Airbus has its own booking platform that makes it easy to reserve a ride and use the event-based helicopter shuttle service.
It will partner with Blade to allow Airbus to utilize the technology platforms, while Blade will then be able to gather new customers.
How Much Does a Blade Helicopter Ride Cost?
Before booking your first Blade helicopter ride, it is helpful to know how much this service costs for personal charter service and Blade Continuous to get to/from New York City airports.
Flying between Manhattan and JFK or Newark costs $195 for users.
Furthermore, private and shared charter flights are available between downtown and commercial airports for between $795 and $995, depending on the number of people and the destination airport.
Users can also choose to charter their own private helicopter for between $1,575 to $1,775 to get to an airport in the area.
Lastly, users can also charter private flights between a customized pick-up location and drop-off point anywhere in the United States, reaching upwards of approximately $65,000 for cross-country flights.
In addition, a BLADE Bounce scheduled between 7 PM and 7 AM will incur additional charges in New York City for late operation.
The fees vary depending on the helicopter charter booked and the landing point.
Lastly, additional fees for BLADE services are scheduled outside of normal heliport hours.
Is Blade Worth It?
It is helpful to know if Blade is worth the price you will pay for this on-demand helicopter shuttle service.
Pros of Blade
- Fun – One of the main perks of using Blade is the fun factor. Many people do nth have the funds or the means to charter a private helicopter for urban transportation. Blade makes it slightly more cost-effective to take an exciting helicopter ride by offering airport shuttle services.
- Avoid traffic – Taking a rideshare service from downtown New York City to one of the airports can cost approximately $80 to $100 during high-traffic times, including surge pricing. It can be worth the extra price to avoid traffic and make for a more seamless transportation experience.
- Less time – Blade helicopters are faster than public transportation or a rideshare service. Whereas taking the A train or the Long Island Railroad would take around 1 hour to an airport, Blade takes approximately 10 minutes.
Cons of Blade
- Expensive – Blade urban air mobility is the most expensive option for getting to and from the airport. Compared to public transportation, which comes to approximately $12 or $5 for the AirTrain or the A Train, Blade comes to at least $200 for an airport transfer.
Plus, it is extremely expensive if you book a charter RC helicopter.
For example, a cross-country flight is at least $45,000, whereas a commercial one-way flight (ex: American Airlines) is around $500.
How to Book a Blade Helicopter Ride
The first step of using Blade is downloading the app and making an account.
After that, users who want to fly Blade will have to input their personal information, such as First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone number, and Password.
Once users have signed up in the app, they can go to the home screen and look for ‘Blade Airport’ or ‘Blade Continuous’ to book the helicopter “pool.”
Or, users can click on one of the cities, featured destinations, or input their own destinations into the top search bar.
Some featured destinations include continuous flights between NYC and the airports, the Hamptons, or other vacation destinations near New York City.
Users can then choose when they want to book the flight, choosing a same-day option, tomorrow, or a later date.
Users who wish to choose a same-day flight need to consider that some of the more popular commute times may already be taken.
For example, Blade Continuous might already be fully booked for a same-day flight.
Users can then choose a specific time or time slot for Blade Continuous.
For example, booking Blade Continuous lets you choose what time you wish to touch down at your terminal, holding 40-minute time slots (ex: 12:51 PM to 1:30 PM touch-down time).
For Blade Continuous, users can input their flight information.
The next step includes Blade add-ons, such as BLADEFlex (change your BLADE flight without incurring any change fees), meet and greet personal escort at the terminal, or expedited luggage pick-up.
Next, users will enter any promo codes and accept the terms of use, accept the baggage policy, and pay for the flight.
Piloting for Blade
Blade lists job openings on its website for those who are interested in piloting for Blade.
Does Blade Hire Pilots?
As an indirect air carrier for charter flights, Blade does hire pilots to operate their aircrafts.
What are the Blade Pilot Requirements?
To legally fly an aircraft, individuals must obtain a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine airplane privileges, complete the required number of flight hours (usually 1,500 hours), and meet the minimum age requirement (21 years old).
How Do I Apply for Blade?
Those interested in piloting for Blade should look at the open jobs available on the website.
Blade Helicopter FAQs
Users interested in using Blade Helicopter for the first time need to know a few commonly asked questions and answers before booking.
How far in advance do you have to book a Blade ride?
Users can book a charter service to use ASAP and airplane transportation that gets them into the airport at least 20 minutes before they would like to arrive curbside at the terminal.
Then, users can utilize their Blade airport pass to quickly get through the airport.
What kinds of helicopters does Blade use?
Blade uses seaplanes, helicopters, and jets for long-haul services.
Wrapping Up
Blade Helicopter is a convenient, on-demand helicopter service that makes it possible for users to book seamless airport transportation or personalized charter flights.
Although not for budget shoppers, this customized option is great for those who need to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible — find out more here.
