$99 ‘affordable’ helicopter rides to the airport now available to schlubs like us

Ah getting to the airport, the bane of the modern traveler’s existence. Well that and the security line. And the waiting around the board the plane. And the plane seats themselves. OK maybe it’s all really bad, but one of those bad things is getting to the airport. One well-off man used to riding helicopters, inspired by the plight of his friend in Guns ‘N Roses, told the New York Post he’s bringing “affordable” helicopter rides to the airport to the masses. So now for $99, you too can pretend to be Mike Bloomberg for a few minutes.

Gotham Air is a new chartered helicopter service aiming to bring regular schlubs like you and me to JFK or Newark, where we can sit and wait around to get on another airborne transportation method. The selling point of the service is that at $99, it’s supposed to be cheap enough for everyone, which seems like kind of a stretch given that public transportation will take you to both airports without having to go to Manhattan and wait around on a heliport.

That being said, CEO Tim Hayes has an origin story for the company that’s just dripping with common man grit:

The idea took flight after Hayes chartered a helicopter to get his pal, Duff McKagan of Guns ‘N Roses fame, to the airport on time. He was stunned to get a $2,000 bill for a six-minute ride.

“I felt that there should be a better way,” Hayes said. “Chopper rides shouldn’t be reserved for the super-elite.

Yeah, the regular elite deserve helicopter rides too! With a totally relatable story like that, how could we NOT be inspired to try the company instead of laughing and calling it superfluous and ridiculous?

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