04/27/2017
Delta has introduced a service that integrates helicopter service between JFK International Airport in New York and Manhattan. The partnership with BLADE, a digitally-powered aviation company, arranges on-demand service between its Manhattan heliport lounges and JFK.
Delta's JFK customers can fly from BLADE's three Manhattan heliport lounges, where they may wait in a full-service lounge prior to their five-minute flight. Upon touchdown, a member of Delta's Elite Services team will welcome the customer, collect baggage and es**rt them from the helicopter via waiting ground transportation to the departure terminal, expediting security clearance as they head to their departing aircraft.
When it's time for the Delta flight, the customer is es**rted to his or her seat on board.
Delta is charging $250 for the service, plus the price of the helicopter, which varies by time of day and number of passengers. (The charge for a single traveler during normal business hours starts at $1,095.)
Delta customers arriving into JFK, including those on transcontinental service from Los Angeles and San Francisco and trans-Atlantic flights from London, also can take a helicopter transfer. Delta's Elite Services will meet customers on the jet bridge as they disembark a Delta flight or immediately after they clear customs, reclaim baggage and whisk them directly to a waiting helicopter for the five-minute flight to Manhattan.
"Our customers value speed and reliability, and so do we. We're proud to be the only airline facilitating an on-demand helicopter transfer that is curated specifically for Delta customers and in line with the enhanced premium amenities and services they have come to expect from our brand,
"Partnering with BLADE in the New York City market — home to and destination for many of our most discerning travelers — highlights Delta's commitment to enhancing every aspect and detail of the travel experience, including getting to and from the airport," said Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
