After dominating America’s roads with its ride sharing service, Uber is now looking to the skies. Yes, you can now start flying with Uber in an helicopter.
Uber Copter will be available in New York City first, to Uber Rewards members who’ve obtained Platinum and Diamond status. It will launch July 9th. The rides will have dynamic pricing that changes based on demand, but the average ride will cost between $200 and $225. Uper Copter will act as a pilot program for Uber’s air-based division, Uber Elevate.
Uber Copter will not pick you up in your front lawn though. It will have a predetermined route that runs between a location near the Staten Island Ferry in Manhattan and Kennedy Airport with a flight time of about eight minutes. That surely cuts down travel time tremendously for those in Manhattan. Flights will have space for up to five passengers (don’t expect to bring along much baggage) with two pilots. Helicopter will be operated by the Heliflite charter service.
“Uber Copter offers the first real demonstration of the Elevate experience,” head of Uber Elevate, Eric Allison said in a statement. “We’ve built Uber Copter to provide us with insight and real-world experience as we continue to lay the foundation for Uber Air.”