Uber's new helicopter service is an expensive, time-consuming adventure
But for what should be an alternative to waiting in the freeway, it still ends up being a headache. I could have arrived at the hotel in 40 minutes for $ 61 if I had booked an Uber X ride from my original location south of Houston Street. It saves almost $ 145 for faster service. (Full disclosure: I tested Uber Copter late in the morning; Uber usually offers it in high-altitude hours when flying over airport traffic really counts).
"You can imagine that Uber Copter is [as] kind of being the first version of the future product – that's what we think of as multimodal," Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, told The TWA hotel after my Uber Copter flight. "The Copter is not just about the air trip, but the overall journey. [We] can weave our network of cars on the ground with the air vehicles; and in this case the helicopter, allowing you to seamlessly transfer from one car to a helicopter to a car for to reach the ultimate goal. It's completely sequenced and devised by our technology behind the scenes. "
Currently, Uber Copter is a narrow launch in a small slice of a big city. To get its helicopter business off the ground, it relies on a third-party charter company HeliFlite.
The 8 minute flight was the easiest part of the experience; Checking in on a helipad was as easy as scanning a barcode and showing a driver's license. Booking the Copter was easy. Users who have the highest status levels in Uber's rewards program will see an alternative pop-up in the app when planning a trip involving Lower Manhattan.
But here's where it gets complicated: Tours need to start or end in this designated zone in Lower Manhattan. The company will coordinate a pick-up car service to get passengers to the helipad, and add significant minutes to a trip depending on the starting point. (Uber said it plans to open some of the geo-fencing restrictions around pickup locations in the future.)
In accordance with HeliFlite's rules, Uber Copter passengers are only allowed to bring a personal item and one piece of luggage on plane to the airport – a potential deterrent for someone who can travel abroad with multiple bags.
The real highlight of the Uber Copter trip is rising along the stunning New York City skyline, past the Brooklyn Bridge and near the Statue of Liberty – sights alone are worth more than $ 205. After touching me down at JFK just a few A few minutes later, I barely had time to remember the fear of flying.
The service is likely to appeal to Wall Street types conveniently located near the helicopter airport or those traveling to the airport during rush hour who can afford to pay a premium to avoid sitting in traffic. But for the rest of us, an Uber X – or heck, even a $ 2.75 subway ride – will do well.
