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The Department of Homeland Security want to help New Yorkers - New Yorkers who can afford $140 helicopter rides from downtown Manhattan to JFK Airport that is. It seems that the Downtown Heliport at Wall Street will be the
When we map from the Downtown Heliport to JFK Airport Parking (sorta near the aiport), it takes 25 minutes, but that's on a clear day, so we assume it would usually take more like 40 minutes. Hmm, that's a difference of 31 minutes to yell on the phone about deals and stuff. However, we do like the biplane at 77 Water Street.
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Taking a helicopter ride is an amazing experience. I once splurged and took a friend for his birthday and we had so much fun! You should definitely try it at least once.
I can understand splurging for a ride around the city - but a 9-minute ride to the airport that's $140? I guess that'll wait till I go into arbitrage or something!
The real story here is the fact that the Fed Gov't is installing the security checkpoint at the heliport (and soon at the other heliports in the city) by reducing the # of workers at JFK, La Guardia, and Newark. Due to regulatory constraints, those workers cannot be replaced at the airports. The net effect is that for you and me, the wait to check in at the airport is even longer so that the exceptionally wealthy (or at least those willing to pay $160 + tax, fees, etc.) can have another means of bypassing the masses. One hell of a federal subsidy to the group operating the helicopter service.
$140 helicopter rides outrages Gothamist? How about $50 for a cab ride in traffic? Is that a deal? How about the outrageous rents and selling prices for homes? The rich taking helicopter rides is the least of our problems. That every construction project is for "luxury" condos concerns me more.
Only suckers take helicopters to commercial flights. Flying the private jet out of Teterboro is the way to go.
I might try that sometime....is it only for March? I don't think I'm flying again until May.
Seriously, though....airport cab rides are $40 from Brooklyn Heights....I can get the local car service to take me to LGA or JFK for around $30, but Newark is $63 each way. I pay $70 or the equivalent in miles to upgrade to first class without thinking twice, so going from $63 to $140 seems pretty darn reasonable.
I'm not a rich guy (28%er) but it doesn't strike me as that extravogant. Its fun to treat yourself to something like this once in awhile.
OK, start the flogging.
Gotta say I am with Jo. Hell, I can get a great experience (never been in a heli), cut travel time to the airport, cut time off from having to wait in a long line at security and pay only twice what it costs me usually? Done deal. Hell, it is almost less than the taxes you have to pay on an airplane ticket.
Does it stink of elitism and what not- yes, but as an above poster pointed out, the real elite have private jets.