Next Month Uber Will Start Offering Helicopter Rides in New York City (fortune.com) 35
An anonymous reader quotes Fortune:
Uber Technologies Inc. is testing a helicopter service in New York City, according to documents outlining the program obtained by Bloomberg. Passengers will be able to use the Uber app to book a flight through the service, called Uber Copter, the documents show. Tests flights took off from a Manhattan heliport near Wall Street to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
After Bloomberg asked Uber for comment Wednesday, the New York Times published a story about the program. It says customers will be able to book flights starting July 9 in New York City and that the average ride will cost $200 to $225 a person. Eric Allison, the head of Uber's flight business, told the Times that the company plans to eventually offer helicopter rides in other cities... Each helicopter can accommodate five passengers, and like Uber car rides, prices will fluctuate based on demand and other factors.
After Bloomberg asked Uber for comment Wednesday, the New York Times published a story about the program. It says customers will be able to book flights starting July 9 in New York City and that the average ride will cost $200 to $225 a person. Eric Allison, the head of Uber's flight business, told the Times that the company plans to eventually offer helicopter rides in other cities... Each helicopter can accommodate five passengers, and like Uber car rides, prices will fluctuate based on demand and other factors.
History (Score:2)
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Of COURSE they have a better business plan! It's called "use other people's money"... It's how they built their empire, buying cab rides for people. Now they'll use stock market investors to buy helicopter rides for other people! It's not about making money, it's about spending other people's money to give benefits to a select, small group - and keep the stock price high just long enough that you can cash out.
Uber's business model is just a re-spinning of the truism: you can sell an infinite number of $
Re:History (Score:4, Informative)
they already have helicopter services in NYC for quick luxury trips to JFK. Had them for years. Uber is just partnering with the existing companies
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they already have helicopter services in NYC for quick luxury trips to JFK. Had them for years. Uber is just partnering with the existing companies
Interesting - I've been reading a story in Smithsonian Air and space that says otherwise. Perhaps you might etll them.
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Maybe you should try google?
https://pointsmilesandmartinis... [boardingarea.com]
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>damn sight better business plan.
lol no they don't. they've been in the red since the start and only exist thanks to a steady stream of investor cash. Unless each building has a readily-accessible public heli-pad or they limit their passengers to people who know how to fast rope, this service will go the way of its predecessors pretty damn quick.
Countdown... (Score:2, Insightful)
Maintenance? Hasn't NYC learned its lesson in 2001 (Score:2)
Like... back around September of that year?
You know... Regarding giving any unregistered moron an ability to reenact scenes from Black Sunday. [youtube.com]
At $200 to $225 a person it'd be really cheap for certain gentlemen out there to pack a bag or three of ball bearings and explosives and go for a ride.
Shared rides, no doubt. (Score:3)
I own one, and I can land on your roof and pick you up if you're going in the same direction, right?
Totally not a taxi company.
I see the business model (Score:4, Interesting)
Work hard.
Become millionaire.
Get a helicopter license.
Buy helicopter.
Fly people around for spare cash.
Re:I see the business model (Score:5, Insightful)
Still, a low-end helicopter costs less than a NYC taxi medallion...
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Not unless you're looking for a used piece of shit two seater. And, then you'll have to add the cost of maintenance, fuel, taxes, landing fees, etc., all of which cost as much, if not more than the chopper itself.
I am down for that (Score:2)
Kind of expensive but have you tried to get to and from any airport in NYC? Absolutely hellish, even taking things like trains (last time I tried flying into Jersey, train got stuck in a tunnel for 40 minuets). The combination of saving hours of time, along with a "free" helicopter sight-seeing tour makes Uber service almost irresistible!
The only thing better would be an airport Hyperloop straight to Times Square.
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Back before EWR was viable, my father would have to travel out of LGA or JFK to get anywhere. Rather than make him drive all the way out there from north Jersey, his company let him take New York Airways helicopters from MMU. I never got to, though. :(