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One of the things I love about Bilt Rewards Platinum status is the annual free Blade helicopter transfer. I just used my third free ride on the way back home from New York.
Bilt Platinum also comes with the biggest transfer bonuses. I’ve taken advantage of 100% and 150% bonuses to airlines. It lets you match to Air France KLM Flying Blue Gold annually, which I’ve used for free checked bags, priority boarding and exit row seats on Delta. And there have been plenty of other one-off benefits I’ve taken advantage of (Alaska Airlines MVP Gold, Accor hotels status, etc.).
I wouldn’t normally splurge on a helicopter transfer, but it’s nice not to be stuck in the inevitable traffic between Manhattan and New York JFK (or Newark)! Here’s my trip report from last year.
My New York trip had several purposes, and since I was in town I attended Bilt’s launch event for its new credit cards. That was at the World Trade Center Observatory space, and I booked a helicopter out of Blade’s Wall Street lounge. However, the day before they called and texted to let me know:
- My flight would be cancelled because of planned maintenance on the scheduled helicopter.
- I could take a flight at the same time out of Blade Lounge West. I didn’t know for certain I could make it there on time given the vagaries of traffic. So they offered me a later flight, which still gave me cushion to make my departure.
- They also offered that if I made it to Blade Lounge West earlier there was likely still going to be room on the earlier departure. (I did make it in time, there was not room.)
- I wasn’t offered any sort of consideration or future credit for the inconvenience, just the re-booking or option to refund.
I arrived at Blade Lounge West. The parking lot is by the arrivals side of the building.
It’s a short walk to the departure side. It’s basically a trailer.
Inside is comfortable seating, bathrooms, and a bar. When you enter you’re checked in and given a wristband as your ‘boarding pass’. Bags are weighed.
For a helicopter transfer you’re limited to a carry-on and personal item, the weight limit is 25 pounds, and excess is charged. You can pay for up to 50 pounds total, either in advance or – if there’s room – on departure. More than this has to be sent separately by car (they’ll arrange this at a fee). I had a partial credit on my account from last year, which was applied seamlessly, so I paid for excess luggage at time of reservation. (I had 35 pounds total between my carry-on and laptop bag.)
I pulled up the drink menu, though the bartender was happy to offer me anything I wanted.
Bilt Gold and Platinum members can visit a Blade lounge two drinks even when not taking a trip. Bilt’s Palladium card comes with Gold status.
Here are some other shots of the lounge.
I only had water, took a packaged snack from the bar, sat down and got some work done looking out over the water.
About 5 minutes before scheduled departure we boarded. There were just 3 of us on this trip. Rollaboards were brought out ot the aircraft by staff and stowed, while I took my laptop bag with me. One other passenger sat in back with me (there were two empty seats in front of us). We were told to seat belt and put on the headsets that were behind us, so we could hear and speak to the pilot.
We took off right away for our five minute trip to the basic Modern Aviation teminal at New York JFK.
We landed, and waited a few moments as staff retrieved bags. They opened the helicopter doors, and we headed straight into and through the terminal. Outside there were waiting cars for passengers to head to the different terminals where each would be departing from.
Interestingly, they advertise that you can pay extra for a private ride to your terminal. I suppose they could run a shuttle, where you share a ride with other passengers and make more than one stop. In practice I’ve not personally heard of this happening. If there’s a shared ride it would be for passengers heading to the same terminal, so I don’t think this upsell is really necessary.
Blade is such a fascinating business. Most of their money wasn’t coming from ferrying passengers between Manhattan and the airports (or out to the Hamptons, etc.). That was ess than half their revenue, with the majority coming from moving human organs for medical transplant. They were the largest provider of this service in the country.
Back in August, Blade sold its passenger business to Joby Aviation and kept the organ ferrying, and rebranded it Strata Critical Medical.
Joby bought an operating platform with permits, terminals, customer base, and operations experience with plans to eventually swap helicopters for eVTOLs as certification arrives.
AA used to have a partnership with Blade. One used to be able to redeem AA points for a flight.
Here are a few thoughts:
– You’re allowed a total of 25 pounds of carry-on.
– If your carry-on bag is over 25 pounds, it must be checked.
– Checked bags are forwarded to/from your hotel and there’s an additional cost not covered by Bilt.
– If you’re airport bound, checked bags must generally be collected at your hotel the night before.
– If you’re hotel bound, checked bags will be delivered by that night. If you have an evening arrival, perhaps as late as midnight.
– Actual Blade transit time includes 1) 15 to 20 minutes between your hotel and the heliport, 2) at least 5 minutes of idle time at the heliport, 3) 5 minutes of flight time to/from JFK, 4) 5 minutes at Blade JFK to collect your checked bags, and 5) 5 minutes between Blade and your actual terminal. A total of 35 minutes if you’re lucky.
– If a person’s departure time does not require road travel during rush hour, typical transit time from the City to JFK is about 45 minutes. So, in reality, not that much time savings. Same with Newark.
In the end, Blade makes complete sense if your departure time requires road travel during rush hour. Absolutely. At other times, no.
Gary with all due respect once again you are illustrating how your life differs from the rest of us.
25 lbs is not normal if one is using JFK. I cannot remember ever going international with such little TOTAL weight.
You love Hyatt and will get value from Bilt. Most people wont.
I loved Bilt 1.0
Bilt 2.0 is a fools game for most potential customers. Pitching the joys of a helicopter ride most people will never use does NOT change that.
I just did this 3 days ago – I hadn’t used my 2025 credit and it worked to use that credit booking in 2025 for a 2026 flight, so I was happy about that.
I would echo everything Jack noted above. From my hotel pickup with Lyft to my curbside drop off, it was just over an hour. Even at rush hour it’s not much of a time savings when you have to factor in Manhattan traffic to get to the Blade Lounge and the fact that it’s impractical to take the subway there.
I misread a note in the email about luggage policies. It read to me like if you packed a Rimowa carry-on side luggage you would not be subject to the 25 lb limit, but their “guarantee” is just that the SIZE of the Rimowa bags meets their criteria. OK. They were good sports about it though. Just note that 25 lbs between carry-on and personal item is nearly impossible to meet unless you’re going for a day trip.
The ride was great, I love it for the experience, but it’s really not practical, nor much of a time saver unless you’re located very close to one of their departure lounges.
It took us 2 hours to get to JFK by taxi from the Thomson fka Parker Meridien in rush hour so a copter would be a godsend.
But 25 lbs is a nonstarter as both my bags weigh more than that on an average trip
@Boraxo
It would have been half that time and probably 1/10th the cost to just take the train
LOL: The Bilt transition is such a mess that I am not entangling my finances in it, even for many helicopter rides. QED.
Taking a helicopter over NYC is IMMORAL. Helicopters have destroyed the quality of life for MILLIONS of New Yorkers. There is legislation in Washington and NYC to ban these flights. Check out the information at https://stopthechopnynj.org/ Please stop promoting these flights. Thanks.
@Gary – Super smart move using this credit before Bilt nerfs it in their ongoing confusion.
@Andrew Rosenthal – are you an actual New Yorker? This is a major city with road noise throughout the middle of the night. These helicopters add almost nothing to that background. Also, in DC most helicopter flights are military and aren’t going to be banned. The major issue there is they’re permitted to operate in the approach path at DCA, which is stupid. Noise is not the issue.
@Andrew Rosenthal, although I am a West Coast native, I lived in NY for a time & I have never heard a single helicopter. The noise from cars, trucks, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, traffic, horns, sirens, machines, truck gate lifts and people made the city sound alive 24/7. I’m not sure you would be able to hear an entire Marine Corps Assault Helicopter Squadron until it was feet from you & only if you’re on a rooftop or extremely high balcony. That has to be a satirical site, there’s no common sense in stop the chop.
Saw the comment asking Andrew if he was an actual New Yorker after he complained about the noise. I am – and I split time between NY and Arlington VA (read DCA). Two things:
1. He’s not wrong about the noise; between Blade and the tourist helicopters, they contribute to this, especially if you’re anywhere near a heliport (Hell’s Kitchen or FiDi). Sure, there’s other elements that add to the noise, but it adds up.
2. Noise isnt an issue for the approach to DCA. We’ve been here for a few years; I work from home when we’re here, and we’re in the flight path if the approach takes them along the Potomac (north to south). The bigger concern for us is having an overwhelmed ATC make an error juggling passenger and military traffic and having another catastrophic accident.
@Stu – the issue with the Potomac River mid-air collision last year wasn’t overwhelmed ATC.
Garsh. Both times Gary visits NYC and takes Blade the weather is trash. Sorry, bud. Better luck next time! (I can see my home in your photos!)
@Gary, I am an actual New Yorker and part of a very active group of residents working to shut down the 80,000 nonessential helicopter flights over NYC each year. You are very wrong about the negative impacts of helicopter noise on New Yorkers.
The Blade flight you took flew at approximately 600 feet above the residents of Brooklyn. It woke people up including babies, interrupted people on Zooms working from home. It flew next to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, destroying the peace and quiet of both. I know of Grammy nominated musicians who have moved out of the City solely due to the helicopter noise and many others who want to but can’t. Helicopter noise was the #2 complaint to 311 in 2024 behind only rats. Please take a look at our website for some facts. This is a real health issue too. We have thousands of members from all 5 boroughs and New Jersey.
There is a reason Disney Corp paid millions to lobbyists to get a no-fly zone over Disney World and Disneyland–people on the ground hate it! NYC and NJ have spent billions on some great waterfront parks which the helicopters have made unusable for many. The Central Park Conservancy has a full webpage devoted to supporting our efforts.
Mayor Giuliani shut the East 60th Street Heliport because of noise. Mayor DeBlasio reduced flights by 30,000 in 2016 and the City Council passed a law last May banning noisy choppers starting in 2029. There is action in Congress, Albany, Trenton and the City to address this problem which you are promoting. The 99% absolutely does not want this.These heliports would have been closed long ago if not for the many federal preemptions making it very difficult. Do you not care about the suffering of your fellow man? I am happy to discuss further.
@Gary – Never said it was overwhelmed ATC that caused the last crash. Implied that this will be the cause for the next one.