Forms of transportation for getting around in a large city metro area has just gotten even more interesting—Uber interesting to say the least.
Earlier last month, Uber has officially added their latest project known as “Uber-Copter” to their portfolio. The helicopter transportation services will begin to operate out of Lower Manhattan to JFK, but have plans to expand to major cities nationwide.
Flying high
In order to obtain access to this feature, Uber users must be enrolled in the company’s rewards program as either a Diamond or Platinum status. The helicopters are currently available on weekday afternoons. Riders can expect to pay an average of $200-$225 per ride.
In population-dense metros, such as New York, commuting by car can take up to an hour, if not longer, in rush-hour traffic. Uber’s innovative mindset has found yet another strategy that solves this issue for commuters. Uber-copters are predicted to cut travel time down by nearly 50%. This equates to an estimated 30 minute commute for those using the service in Manhattan.
Futuristic strides
Despite the enormous leap forward into the future, Uber-copters also raise concern in potential safety risks.
In early 2018, Uber was under scrutiny for one of their self-driving vehicles had taken the life of a pedestrian in Arizona. Additionally, Uber’s top competitor, Blade, offers similar helicopter services at a competitive price. However, it has most recently made headlines for a flight crashing into the Hudson River.
With the growing market for on-demand transportation services, consumers worry that the company might be getting too ahead of themselves.