A Blade Helicopter Ride To and From JFK

If you want to have a memorable arrival and departure to New York City, Blade helicopters are the way to go. Offering service between Manhattan and JFK/EWR airports, you can skip the traffic and fly to the airport in just five minutes from East 34th street or West 30th street. Prices start at $195 per seat, which can beat the price of a ride-share during the rush hours.

Since I live on the West Side, I always opt for the West 30th Street Heliport, which is located next to the Hudson Yards neighborhood. Buzzing with restaurants, shops and offices, it's a very go-go NYC vibe. One of my favorite NYC hotels (the Equinox) is right there, and Pendry West Manhattan is just steps away.

I recently took the blade helicopter for my long weekend trip. I arrived 15 minutes before my 1:40 pm departure which gave me plenty of time to take a few lovely photos, enjoy a glass of rosé (in Blade's iconic to go cup nonetheless) and relax in the beautiful lounge overlooking the Hudson River. The check-in process was super smooth. I just showed my ID and got a boarding pass, which is a cute wristband! It comes in many colors, and for that day's flight it was green. My carry-on bag was tagged with a matching green label as well. Since it was just for a weekend, I didn't bring my big luggage, but if I had one that would have to be picked up prior as there are weight restrictions for the helicopter.

When it was time to board, me and the other three passengers were quickly briefed on safety and headed towards our helicopter. Once seated and buckled in, we all put our headsets on and listened to the pilots safety briefing! Moments later we are taking off and heading towards JFK. Flying over the Hudson River with the stunning views of Manhattan was amazing! I almost wish the flight was longer. Once we landed at JFK, we were met by Blade's ground team that safely escorted us to our cars that took each passenger to their terminal. Did I mention the car was a Mercedes-Maybach? Talk about luxury travel! Minutes later I arrived at my terminal and off I went!

The weekend flew by (literally!), and I was back at JFK. My original flight with Blade was supposed to be at 4:40 pm, but since my commercial flight got in 30 minutes late, I was automatically put on a 5:20 pm flight. I received the text message from Blade while still in air and was only asked to inform them when I'm deplaning so they could dispatch the pick-up vehicle. Minutes later, the driver picked me up and we headed to the heliport. I think the flight back had even better views as it was sunset time! During check-in I had asked to be seated in front because I think that's the best spot for taking photos and videos. We landed back at West 30th Street heliport and I couldn't be happier to get home so quickly as the rush hour traffic would have taken so much more time.

I'm always impressed with Blade's impeccable service and I recommend it to anyone. I think it's an absolute must for people coming to Manhattan, whether they live here or are just visiting for a New York City minute. If you want to see my experience, check out my reel on Instagram and email me agnese.rozite@fora.travel and I will book your trip!

Insider tip: Kindly ask if the pilot would like a co-pilot, meaning you get a seat up front, which I think has the best views.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to New York. In need of further inspiration? Check out Claudia Love’s guide, Solo Weekend in New York.