Fly Mint, Skip Traffic: JetBlue Offers Free Helicopter Rides from NYC Airports
Premium flights through JFK or Newark booked between certain dates in February come with a free helicopter ride
Photo: Courtesy of Blade
Get to the chopper: travelers booking seats in JetBlue’s premium Mint class on flights to and from New York can enjoy a free helicopter transfer to or from Manhattan through a thrill-seeking promotion until February 21.
The traffic-beating rides are operated by Blade, a charter helicopter company offering airport transfers in New York, London, Monaco, India, and other locales.
JetBlue’s Airbus A321LR is fitted with 24 Mint Business Class seats and two Mint Studios at the front of the cabin / Photo: Courtesy of JetBlue
In New York, Blade helicopters take off twice hourly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Five-Minute Ride to the Airport?
After sky-scraping rides, as quick as five minutes, they land on helipads at either West 30th Street or East 34th Street in Manhattan. Travelers can also be whisked from Midtown to the airport in record time to catch their flights before the gates close.
Tickets on Blade helicopters in New York usually cost $195 per person. But some JetBlue travelers will nab seats for free over the next few weeks.
To qualify, you must book a seat in JetBlue’s Business Class cabin, Mint.
Photo: Courtesy of JetBlue
With aisle-access suites and lie-flat seats, it is available on all transatlantic flights and select coast-to-coast and Latin American routes.
The flight must be paid for at a cash rate, with award flights and upgrades excluded. Up to four Mint travelers per reservation can board the helicopter.
The flights must be booked between February 13 and 21 to depart from February 15 to March 8, excluding Saturdays and Sundays. Roundtrips during this window will come with two transfers to and from the airport.
Schedule Details
The flight also must arrive or depart from New York within Blade’s hours of operation:
- JFK <—> West 30th Street: Monday to Wednesday,7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Thursday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
- JFK <—> East 34th Street: 2:45 PM to 6:00 PM on weekdays
Newark <—> West 30th Street: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays
Once you book a qualifying flight, you’ll receive an email telling you how to book your helicopter transfer, which must be done at least 48 hours before departure.
On the day of the journey, if you’re taking off from New York, you depart from Blade’s swanky departure lounges in Midtown. A Blade car will drive you to the terminal once you land at the airport.
Photo: Courtesy of JetBlue
If you land in New York, a Blade car will pick you up from the terminal and whisk you to the helipad.
With so many exclusions and narrow windows for booking and departure, the promotion won’t be available to many travelers. However, if you’re eyeing up an impulsive flight to New York, you can make the schedule work and bag a free helicopter journey.
