NY woman heading to airport chooses helicopter over Uber to beat traffic and paid only $30 more

A woman who took a helicopter to dodge the New York City traffic is now viral on social media. Khushi Suri, an employee at Kleiner Perkins, flew to her destination by paying just $30 over a regular Uber cab bill. She paid the extra $30 for a 5-minute Blade helicopter ride that cut her travel time and saved her the hour-long drive. Sharing her experience on X, Suri shocked millions of people who came across her post.

Why To Drive When You Can Fly

Suri was traveling from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. To evaluate all her options, she looked through Uber for the traditional route and the Blade Helicopter app for a quicker means of travel. However, when she came across the surprisingly low-price difference, her choice was clear. She decided to share her experience with the world. She shared the screenshot of the Uber app and the Blade helicopter app comparing the two.

Her photos showed that while an Uber ride would cost her $131.99 for a travel time of about an hour, the Blade helicopter ride was just $165 for just a 5-minute flight.   

''60 min Uber or 5 min helicopter ride - literally a $30 difference,'' she wrote in the caption of the post. Based in New York City, the company mainly uses helicopters for passenger routes and provides helicopter ride services between Manhattan and JFK airport.

The post went viral amassing over 4.3 million views. Suri said that she had been getting dozens of DMs asking her about the ride. She added that she had messaged Blade founder Rob Wiesenthal on Instagram around five years ago and has been a fan. 

Several users shared their own experience in the thread of Suris post. “did this a few years ago, amazing and so fast,” wrote one user, @venturetwins.

Suri also shared some pictures of her trip showcasing the scenic beauty of New York City and the “vibes” of the flight.

Is Flying the Future?

Soon New Yorkers will be able to fly through electric air taxis to beat the traffic. Last year, mayor Eric Adams showed off two huge drone-like helicopters that were ready to ferry passengers around the city.  

Currently, infrastructure to make air taxis a reality is being laid out by two companies, Joby Aviation, a maker and developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and Helo Holdings. Working together, the two companies are set to install the first air taxi charger in the greater New York City region at Helo Holdings’ heliport which can be reached in just a two-minute flight from Manhattan.

This will be the operational base for Joby’s electric air taxis that will fly across the NYC region, as per an Avionics International report.

However, carbon emissions remain a big concern when it comes to flying.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 27, 2024. It has since been updated.