Blade
80
RecommendBlade sells short helicopter flights and airport transfers, including hops into and out of Manhattan.
High confidence Sell-by-seat
Facts
| Website | https://www.blade.com/ |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Ownership | Joby Aviation, passenger business, since August 2025 |
| Who it is for | Travelers who want a short helicopter hop |
| Pricing model | By-the-seat helicopter, plus limited jet seats |
| Specialties | Sell-by-seat |
| Industries served | personal travel |
Verdict
The seat is booked on a set route. It suits a traveler whose trip is the hop, not a cross-country cabin.
The trade-off is distance. This is an urban or short-haul product, not on-demand jet charter.
Blade scores 80 and ranks 7 in this set. The number is a weighted composite, not a star average.
Approach
The company is a booking platform for short flights. The carrier is someone else.
What they offer
- Founded in 2014 by Rob Wiesenthal.
- Sells seats on short helicopter flights. It does not own the aircraft.
- Passenger business sold to Joby Aviation in August 2025.
- Medical organ transport is a separate company.
Score breakdown
Each criterion is scored out of 100 from public product facts. The composite weights customer experience at 30%, booking transparency at 20%, aircraft and airport access at 20%, flexibility at 15%, and safety standards at 15%.
Customer outcomes
| Dimension | Score | Bar | Vs. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer experience and service | 78 | = | |
| Booking and pricing transparency | 88 | +12.0 |
Company and commercial
| Dimension | Score | Bar | Vs. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft and airport access | 74 | -4.0 | |
| Flexibility and commitment | 78 | = | |
| Safety standards | 84 | -3.0 |
Pricing
The company brand page lists Manhattan to JFK or Newark from $195 a seat. Hamptons seats are seasonal and higher.
| Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan to JFK or Newark | From $195 a seat | About five minutes. Weekday schedule. |
| Manhattan to Westchester | From $225 a seat | Listed on the brand facts page. |
| Hamptons | Seasonal | A 2026 report put some seats between $795 and $1,795. |
Best at / Poor fit when
Best at
- A New York airport transfer when the car is the real delay.
- A seasonal Hamptons hop.
- A flyer who will book the onward flight first, then the helicopter.
Poor fit when
- A national jet card.
- A whole cabin across the country.
- A traveler who needs a landing site Blade does not have.
Use-case fit matrix
| Use case | Fit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Airport helicopter in the New York area | Strong | Book the transfer, then the flight. |
| Whole cabin across the country | Weak | Wrong product. |
Where it sits in the field
Price band on the horizontal axis. Editorial composite on the vertical axis. Bands are product types, not invoices.
Blade scores 80 and ranks 7 in this set. A tie shares the rank. The number does not measure market share.
Timeline
- 2014: Manhattan to the Hamptons.
- August 2025: Joby buys the passenger business.
- 2026: electric aircraft are the stated next step, not the current ride.
Leadership
| Name | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rob Wiesenthal | Founder | Still the public face of the passenger service. |
Methodology and sign-off
Overall = (Support + Reliability + Flexibility + Value + Booking clarity) / 5.
Each input is an editorial read of public terms, not a mean of star ratings.
Reviewed by The Private Jet Index desk.
Conflicts: none are disclosed for this company.
Blade did not pay for this review.
Updated September 27, 2026. Methodology.
Related
Wheels Up
This U.S. membership sells a fund and then either dynamic or fixed hourly rates, not a fractional share.
Good fit for: Members who will fund an account and accept either a floating or a fixed hourly rate.
VistaJet
This global operator sells prepaid hours on a fleet it flies, and the public Program is not a share purchase.
Good fit for: Flyers who want prepaid hours on a fleet they do not own.
Surf Air
This membership sells scheduled turboprop seats, with a monthly fee that is not a $100,000 deposit.
Good fit for: Travelers who fly the same turboprop routes often enough to justify a monthly fee.