Manhattan to JFK in 8 Minutes? Hail an Uber Copter

STARTING THIS MONTH, you can summon a chopper with the tap of an app to whisk you from a lower Manhattan heliport to John F. Kennedy Airport in just 8 minutes. But Uber Copter isn’t for the average traveler fed up with gridlocked roads to Kennedy. Initially, the service is limited to Uber’s Platinum and Diamond members, the top tiers of its loyalty plan, and will cost an average of $200 to $225 one-way, or more depending on demand pricing. The choppers are owned and operated by HeliFlite, based in Newark, N.J., with a two-pilot crew. You can arrange for a car to pick you up from your home and drop you at the heliport.