Travel like a monarch for the price of a cab!

This is not an ad, I paid for this with my own money!

[@Noam-Bahar]

Your "Hehehehe I booked a helicopter" is the cherry on top

[@oscarramage95]

He made it sound like he was a child who’d done something he knew was naughty

[@DarnYeet]

Is America allergic to trains

[@kyokkyuu]

Not allergic, but they were largely lobbied out of existence decades ago

[@Magnustopheles]

Yes and I hate it

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

No. There are 5 different train lines from JFK airport to Manhattan and they are just as fast as this helicopter. You can take the AirTrain to Howard Beach station and take the A train (subway) You can take the AirTrain to Jamaica station and take the E train, or J/Z train (subway), or the LIRR to Grand Central or the LIRR to Penn Station

[@grathxvii]

Yes, but NYC is one of the few areas of America that does have a robust train system. Matt could've gotten to the same location for $11.40, albeit it would've taken about half an hour longer than the cab ride because of a couple transfers. He also likely could've ended up much closer to his hotel via the subway system, such that he might not have needed the final cab ride either.

[@riklund691]

​@@grathxviiyes,I think that if I were there I'd gladly take an extra half hour travelling time for the sake of $160 plus!!

[@justinmiller3396]

I sincerely hope that everywhere you travel people are warm, friendly, and say verbatim “AAAY you’re Matt Gray, I’ve seen you on the internet!”

[@Becky_Cooling]

Why does this make me think of penguins?

[@justinmiller3396]

@@Becky_Cooling 🤣🤣😂

[@KingKool2099]

Amazing. That view is worth the cost.

[@JudithOpdebeeck]

Of course the important question is… did it have a string on the front?

[@midiwall]

It's a feature actually - it shows side slip. Kinda' hard to do with instruments. GPS isn't "good" because the data needs to be artificially smoothed to be readable, which can miss bursts.

[@JudithOpdebeeck]

@@midiwall i was referncing a video on the Technical Difficulties channel, where Matt hovered a helicopter, and it was revealed that helicopters have a string doing an important job. So sorry if that wasn’t clear

[@kala_asi]

i appreciated the reference!

[@quinism1136]

Good reference

[@imoutodaisuki]

​@@JudithOpdebeeckOh, hello Mrs. Judith! How are things? Please give my regards to Mr. Kebakko.

[@slobberybog]

If you paid $150 for a cab ride from JFK to Manhattan you were robbed. There is a mandated fixed rate of $70 for this journey.

[@damionlee7658]

I think the problem is Matt saying cab/taxi when he meant Uber. When he did the price comparison he said "Not that much more than the most expensive cab fare", but the text on screen says they were comparing this to an Uber during rush hour. I wonder how many people every day get an Uber for that journey, not realising they will be paying anything up to twice as much as they would if they just walk to the taxi rank.

[@Richardincancale]

Same with the trip from Nice to Monte Carlo - ten minutes in a helicopter (versus 90 minutes by taxi) and the price included a limo to take you where you want in MC! Meant I could pop down for a lunch meeting and get back in the afternoon!!

[@rjfaber1991]

On that trip you can also just take the train though. Not as fast as a helicopter, I grant you, but inevitably much cheaper than both a helicopter and a taxi, and probably a nicer experience than the latter as well.

[@bogdandumitrescu4765]

i’ve done that nice - monaco on the ter, it’s €5 for a 20 minute trip. no one takes a 90 minute taxi

[@subodhpareek18]

Wondering what the carbon cost it for such a ride?

[@Nazuiko]

for a helicopter? probably not much more than a car idling in traffic for 2 hours

[@amos.rand_vfx]

​@@Nazuiko Helicopters have to stay in the air. Cars do not. Helicopters definitely emit more carbon than cars.

[@joem9120]

Google says 500kg of co2 per hour for a helicopter and 4lbs (1.8kg) for a car idling for an hour.

[@foxsimpson8140]

The "beats an uber in rush hour" is so funny to me

[@konsticraft1028]

I am not familiar with the new York transit network, but is there no rail connection to the airport?

[@12799MaDeuce]

Not directly - jfk to Manhattan involves multiple transfers between subway trains and busses and can take in excess of 90 minutes.

[@RedCocoon]

Hahaha train and America in general is like bread and craft glue

[@Sasha-1313]

It can take a long time, and the number of changes depends on where exactly you are going, but it’s always going to be at least a two-seat ride. On the other hand, I once stepped off a plane at JFK and ended up on my brother’s doorstep in northern NJ (an extra level of complexity past Manhattan) in exactly 100 minutes using only public transit, so it’s not always terrible.

[@grathxvii]

He could've gotten there 15-30 minutes slower via trains for $11.40, albeit he would've had to take a couple transfers and he wouldn't have had an excuse to ride in a helicopter.

[@gargargargar]

@@12799MaDeuceThe LIRR from Jamaica to either Penn Station or Grand Central takes maybe 30 mins. Where is this 90 mins from?

[@mojosbigsticks]

You jammy sod! That's brilliant.

[@NicolaSturgeon-pl4bs]

A face that looks like it's in a perpetual state of surprise.

[@thomasdalton1508]

When I did that journey by cab there was a standard fixed fare. It didn't matter what the traffic was. Do they not do that any more?

[@ArdisMeade]

That's only for actual cabs that follow the law. Special snowflake "we don't have to follow the law because we're tech companies" Uber and Lyft and whatnot charge whatever they want because the city can't be bothered to treat them like the cab companies they obviously are.

[@Sasha-1313]

From JFK the fixed taxi fare is $70, plus any surcharges and tolls, plus tip. It’s easy to get over $100 even with the flat fare. Uber and Lyft are highly variable prices. I usually take the subway into Manhattan from JFK, unless it’s broken (again). That’s $11.40, including the AirTrain fare. If you are REALLY frugal, you have a lot of time to spare, and very little luggage, you can take the city bus from the airport to connect to the subway. That’s $2.90, as long as you use the same contactless or Metrocard for both the bus and the subway. Nothing is as cool as a helicopter, though.

[@thomasdalton1508]

@@Sasha-1313 Prices have gone up a lot - I think it was $55 when I was there (admittedly, that was 12 years ago). He said he's paid over $150. I don't see how you can reach that.

[@Sasha-1313]

@@thomasdalton1508 Honestly, I don’t see how it could be $150 either. The last time I took a taxi from midtown to JFK, last month, it was about $90 with tip, tolls, and the tax surcharge ($3). If I’d gone at peak hours, or had more surcharges, it would have been about $100. If one has a lot of bags, it’s nice to throw a few more dollars on the tip, so easily over $100, but not $150. I think someone got ripped off (if he took a yellow cab).

[@damionlee7658]

​@@thomasdalton1508he reached that because whilst he is saying cab/taxi, what he really means is Uber.

[@ellismiddleton7125]

Love the Enter Shikari Shirt

[@unspeakablevorn]

The real downside is now your hair is utterly helicoptered

[@sourcererseven3858]

not sure I see a difference 😆

[@unspeakablevorn]

@@sourcererseven3858 Well, now it has an excuse

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Now, that does get a YES!😅

[@peterclarke7240]

There's trains from jfk to the city that take less time and cost half the price. I'm assuming there's a good reason why Matt didn't take it?

[@myladycasagrande863]

Yes, there is a very good reason: the helicopter is more fun!

[@Schwammi451]

Love the shirt! 🔻

[@lauragiletti]

Hi and welcome to (relatively speaking) my back yard! I hope you have a great time while you’re here.

[@davidz2690]

But did you get in the background of any live news?

[@roberttalada5196]

It only takes me 40-50 minutes to get to Bryant park from the turnpike via Lincoln tunnel…..

[@OctagonalSquare]

Honestly $200 isn’t bad when I’ve spent $60 for a 10 minute Uber after a flight (company reimbursed though)

[@blauw67]

Okay now that is interesting

[@Cowboydjrobot]

Poor guy spent all his money on helicopters and couldn’t afford a haircut

[@GenericSweetener]

Oh helicopter airlines, how I love thee. Maybe one day you will be affordable without massive government subsidies

[@JewishMusicToronto]

I always wondered how much Casey Neistat paid for his rides.

[@ThePeadar2211]

Why aren't people taking the air train to Jamaica and taking the LIRR?

[@KastorFlux]

Nice! Now that everyone knows, your life hack will stop working.

[@jamesnewham7125]

I think I'll just take a hard pass on New York.

[@octubre_lilaka]

Did they let you fly? I'm guessing no, unfortunately

[@SamUploads420]

Calm down Taylor Swift

[@daveash9572]

Casey neistat did this...

[@Aldrahill]

But it was double the price of a cab :P and took just as long! And you could just the subway for I think like 20?

[@NotKyleChicago]

It took just over an hour from getting off the plane to arriving in Manhattan, compared to an hour cab ride plus the time to get luggage, etc.

[@davidshi451]

Also, its a helicopter!!!

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

The subway is $11.40 including the AirTrain from the terminal to Jamaica or Howard Beach

[@RyanMutton]

What are you trying here in NYC?

[@Blegueni]

And soon eVTOL services will be even better

[@john.dough.]

soon™

[@jameskent8gmail]

Erm just get the air train and subway