How to redeem Bilt Cash for Blade's 5-minute helicopter transfer between Manhattan and JFK, turning a cash-only splurge into a zero-dollar ride.
It sure is fun to fly BLADE, and I got lucky (or planned right) by being one of the first onboard for my JFK-Manhattan West flight (using my Bilt Platinum credit) and getting a seat with skyline views in September.
The only problem: it didn’t save me any time, as my checked bag (which I paid for the Tote Taxi option) arrived at my hotel almost an hour before I did (after accounting for having to wait for my booked time, and the rideshare from BLADE West to my hotel). My biggest mistake? Planning for a slow international arrival sequence and booking a flight an hour after I landed. There was no space on any of the earlier flights, so I was sitting in the JFK lounge for 40 minutes for my scheduled flight.
In the future I will prioritize booking BLADEs for when I depart New York and only book for JFK/EWR arrivals on the absolute earliest flight available.
@samar Niccce. Glad you were able to use the Bilt Platinum credit for your flight, and had great views, too! That's good to know on the checked bag option (I did not have any this flight), and also on the potential wait at the airport lounges (if you're early; though, I suppose that's a good problem to have.) If/when I do this again, I may try EWR next time just to see how it compares to JFK.
@1990_ honestly the JFK lounge felt very bare bones. I think there may have been a coffee maker, but other than that they will offer you a water. And after 16 hours of flying, all I was thinking about was getting to the hotel. You do get to hang out at the Manhattan lounges and get a drink while waiting for a pickup.
I do plan to use my Bilt Cash to book a couple of Max rides (so I don’t have to stress about the 25lb limit) for 2027 and then hopefully move them to dates I actually want.
@samar That is good to know (and a nice plan for 2027!) On arrival at JFK, for me, it was a very quick walk-through that General Aviation Terminal directly to the vehicle transfer, so I didn't even see the lounge area there. I'll set expectations accordingly if doing this in reverse (JFK-Manhattan).
This is incredibly useful, thank you @1990_! Still not not scared of helicopters, though. :p
