Photo: Uber
Last week, Uber announced a new era in air transportation, thanks to Uber Copter, which would operate in New York and take riders from Manhattan to JFK airport, and the other way around.
One of the main selling points of Uber Copter was that it was more time-efficient than on-the-road variants, since, obviously, it would fly in the air. Uber said all rides to and fro JFK would last about 6 minutes – and there’s no exaggeration about that.
However, everything else drags on, so the journey may end up lasting more than it would if you took the subway. Two journalists from the New York Post decided to pit Uber Copter against subway and see which was more time efficient. Spoiler alert: Uber Copter lost.
Each trip by Uber Copter costs between $200 and $225, depending on the time of day. If you’re in a hurry and you wish to cut a 2-hour trip down to 6 minutes, you could argue that this is not too high a price to pay.
However, as one journalist found out, there is a catch: you have to get yourself to the helipad in order to be able to make the journey by Uber Copter. Depending on where you are, this could translate into a huge delay, as it happened in this case: the journo had to take 2 separate Ubers there, which meant additional costs and 37 minutes more spent on the road.
After the helicopter ride, which was preceded by a 2-minute viewing of a safety view and which was loud and dizzying (riders don’t get ear protective gear), the same journalist had to catch another Uber to make her way to the airport. She got there after 1 hour and 25 minutes, at a cost of about $270.
Meanwhile, the other reporter used New York City Transit, and with a lot of luck, was able to make it to the destination 3 minutes earlier than the Uber Copter – at a fraction of the price, $7.75.
The Post admits that the train-bound reporter was lucky to have caught connecting trains without having to wait too much. However, given how much money the Uber Copter one paid and the overall duration of the journey, it’s clear that, for the time being, Uber Copter is not the time- and money-saving solution the world needs.
However, everything else drags on, so the journey may end up lasting more than it would if you took the subway. Two journalists from the New York Post decided to pit Uber Copter against subway and see which was more time efficient. Spoiler alert: Uber Copter lost.
Each trip by Uber Copter costs between $200 and $225, depending on the time of day. If you’re in a hurry and you wish to cut a 2-hour trip down to 6 minutes, you could argue that this is not too high a price to pay.
However, as one journalist found out, there is a catch: you have to get yourself to the helipad in order to be able to make the journey by Uber Copter. Depending on where you are, this could translate into a huge delay, as it happened in this case: the journo had to take 2 separate Ubers there, which meant additional costs and 37 minutes more spent on the road.
After the helicopter ride, which was preceded by a 2-minute viewing of a safety view and which was loud and dizzying (riders don’t get ear protective gear), the same journalist had to catch another Uber to make her way to the airport. She got there after 1 hour and 25 minutes, at a cost of about $270.
Meanwhile, the other reporter used New York City Transit, and with a lot of luck, was able to make it to the destination 3 minutes earlier than the Uber Copter – at a fraction of the price, $7.75.
The Post admits that the train-bound reporter was lucky to have caught connecting trains without having to wait too much. However, given how much money the Uber Copter one paid and the overall duration of the journey, it’s clear that, for the time being, Uber Copter is not the time- and money-saving solution the world needs.
Google News