Manhattan Helicopters

Manhattan Helicopters

Manhattan Helicopters
4.5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
Our team of professionals at Manhattan Helicopters cares about the experience our clients have. We are committed to having you walk away happy, satisfied and in awe of your one-of-a-kind helicopter tour of New York City. While there are a handful of different Manhattan helicopter tours from which you can choose from, not all of the companies should be entrusted with your experience and safety.
New York City, New York
Tours and Tickets by Manhattan Helicopters

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles423 reviews
Excellent
298
Very good
55
Average
26
Poor
20
Terrible
24

Suzanne
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Myself and bf booked to take a flight on my 40th birthday. On the day, the weather was bad and visibility was terrible. They contacted me a couple of hours before we were due to fly to say it was cancelled and we needed to rearrange, which we did for the next day (which happened to be Valentine's Day) The weather that day was amazing and not a cloud in the sky. We arrived one hour before (as instructed) and flew with 2 other couples on our helicopter. It's the first time either of us have been on one, and the experience was amazing. Our pilot was great and really informative. The service from start to end was really good and the operation is well run. The cost is quite high but as a one-off for a special occasion is absolutely worth it. It was the best experience of our 4 day trip for the both of us and we would highly recommend it!
Written April 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello! Thank you for your review and the recommendation! We're glad you had a great time! Your detailed review will be very helpful to others! Cheers!
Written November 30, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CaryPlanner
Cary, NC224 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2012
A helicopter tour of Manhattan is a magical experience! I took my son, turning 10, to NYC to celebrate his special day! I checked all the helicopter companies on TA, to see if one was a better option than another. It turns out that Manhattan Helicopters and Zip Aviation are one and the same company, despite their different websites and name. Each share a check-in desk and the staff from each help everyone. Liberty Aviation is in the other half of the building and share the same heliport. I can only imagine the main difference between the three is pricing, so I would go with whichever one has the best deal. We chose Manhattan because they had a 20% off discount we found on-line and charged a $25 pp heliport fee instead of the other companies' $30 pp fee.

We took the subway (#1 or R to South Ferry), did the Statue of Liberty Cruise (see my other review) from 9 am to 12 noon, grabbed lunch, then walked over to the heliport for a 1 pm flight. (We got a little lost and ended up taking a cab to find it. When you leave the Statue of Liberty Cruise or subway station, just stay on the sidewalk closest to the water and follow it up the east side of Manhattan--the opposite side of the peninsula than the ferry cruises. It's an easy walk, 10 minutes or less, past the Governor's Island departure building. Just stay in view of the river and you can't miss it.)

We booked the cheapest tour (15 minutes) and it cost about $300 all together for the two of us, including the 20% off and the heliport fee of $25 pp. They charge $2 for a locker to store your belongings and 3% for using a credit card. You can only bring a camera (not camera bag) or cell phone (no purse, bag, etc.) on the helicopter. They use wands to check for metals, weapons. We had a short wait outside to enter the building (5 minutes) to be "wanded" and about a 30 minute wait inside for our turn. The lobby was full of customers, as it was the week before Easter, but we were quickly paired with another couple, shown a safety video, given life vest belts, and put on a copter.

My son was given the co-pilot's seat, as it was his birthday celebration. He loved every minute. Our pilot Dave was very professional. He apologized for using the recorded commentary on our flight, but said the skies were really full as there were many flights that day and he needed to focus on safety. He did interject comments and made sure both sides of the chopper had a good chance for photos of all major sights (Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.).

It took a good 10 minutes for staff to come let us out of the helicopter, and the pilot seemed frustrated that we had to wait so long. He radioed the ground crew several times, politely asking for someone to let us out. But the staff seemed quite busy and a few times staff stood near us (not doing any other tasks) and didn't approach to let us out. The pilot was great and apologized again and again for the wait.

The photographer took shots of us by the helicopter and of my son in the front seat with the pilot. They were out of USBs but a printed photo in a mat frame was $20. It was a great flight and a memory for a lifetime! Be sure to allow plenty of time to wait, as it is unpredictable exactly how long it will be before your flight takes off. We saw some people waiting after us, who arrived before us. I'm sure it depends on which flight you book so that they can match you up with another group of the same lenght flight and when a chopper is available. Also, weather can delay your flight so plan it early in your trip in case you have to reschedule due to rain, wind, etc.
Written April 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jallmark
Wales, UK12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Couples
This was the highlight of our trip to New York.
Can’t thank our pilot Andrew Woods enough, from taking us for a lovely coffee and a chat to then treating us to the breathtaking views of New York.
He went above and beyond for us to have the BEST time and made sure we were able to capture the best shots.
If you’re going to book with Manhattan Helicopters, which I recommend you do, I highly recommend you try get Andrew as your pilot!! What a lovely guy!! Thank you so much!
Written May 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

laura k
Flushing, NY5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2014 • Couples
I booked this tour for my man’s birthday on Sat. Nov 22. For the price paid for 15 minute tour, I was more than disappointed to say the least. If you are lucky enough to get a window seat, it is good, if not it is a complete waste of good money.
Fortunately my man had a window seat and great view along with the lady next to me and the two people across from me. (You are literally sitting knee to knee)

Meanwhile, I am petite and was sandwiched in a so called middle seat between a very nice but very very large lady and I literally could not move!! This “seat” was not big enough for a toddler! I could not buckle my seat belt nor turn to get my headphones, both of which the attendant had to do for me before the flight even got under way. That is how tight and distressing it was. I was almost in tears.
I could not take photos as all I got was glare off the windows and photos of my two seat mates on either side of me and a very poor view of the sites. I was so miserable and uncomfortable, I could not wait for it to end.
Liberty crams as many people in as them can, by weight, with no regard for discomfort and poor to non existent viewing for those unfortunate enough to be stuck in the middle.
Conclusion: it is a way overpriced tourist trapand a most miserable experience for those unfortunate enough to be stuck in the middle. I would not recommend.
Written November 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laurie L
Lille, France19 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Couples
If you want to spend 500 dollars in the wind this activity is for you ! one hand, the flight time stated on the website is not honored, it takes less time , and secondly if you shipped to four people in the helicopter is very simple two out of the 4 will have a miserable flight ! ! the best person that is housed in front next to the pilot in the rear is the best place that behind the driver then left not great you miss among other status of freedom to the nearest you will see the return of very far sic ... and the prize for the most crappy site is the middle front with a pillar of the structure of the helicopter and left and right you will see something if the people on each side are not too huge and not clog completely the view!
arrival especially not claim anything that is useless you are taken for fools because all the excuses that are given are false and refutable example you are told that it is a matter of the smallest size being to FALSE since j ' was the smallest and the person in front was large and blocked up the entire view then it is a question of weight FALSE again because we asked to share my spouse and myself so that I can see minimum and this has been possible despite our 30 kilos difference !
it's hard- flight is a tourist trap ! it is true to be forgiven they offer us a 20% discount on the next flight . Too nice these Americans !
Written December 27, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Valued Guest, Because this message was put through an online translator, it is a bit unclear what specific concerns you have. I gathered notes on your flight time, seating, and price. Our flight times vary depending on what tour you choose, and the duration of the flight varies based on a number of factors such as weather, air traffic, flight routes, etc. Seating is absolutely arranged by weight, as the helicopter's center of gravity must be balanced to safely fly. The prices are listed on our website as well as our partner sites. We are happy to help make it good! We always strive for the best customer service. Please email us at info@manhattanhelicopters.com with any concerns you have. Sincerely, Meagan Manhattan Helicopters
Written January 6, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lee052
Manchester, UK640 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Couples
My wife and I went on a 12 minute tour on 15/12/13. Firstly at a cost of $250 prebooked three months in advance. Also had to pay a further $60 on the day of the flight. Having never been in a helicopter before It was to be the highlight of our trip. VERY WRONG. Firstly the flight was good,and I enjoyed the ride. But that was the only thing that was good. Understandabley you are seated by weight to balance the craft, we had four passengers and I was placed the rear left my wife central. the other couple had rear right and the front seat. So My wife saw sweet f/a. All the helicopter did was fly up the Hudson and back. A smooth journey how ever two minutes into it the windows began to mist up and you are constantly wiping them to try and get good pics. You could get a closer and better view of liberty from the free Staten island ferry. The views of the newyork skyline are better seen and photo graphed from the top of the rock or empire state, $27, hell of a difference in costs. You are briefed not to speak with the pilot whilst flying. But are asked before take off by them in our case a female if we have any questions. I wonder if I had asked to fly near liberty what would have been the reply. After the flight the explaination I was given is I only payed for a basic tour, specific photo requirements would have been a different tour. they also tell you not to take pictures on the helli pad, then take your pictuire so they can charge another $20 for it rather than give it you for free. I have put a cople of pics on hear so you can see our view and distances. I will put further pics on fom the ferry and the rock so you can decide yourself
Written December 18, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Lee052, We understand your frustrations and would like to make it good with you. It looks from your pictures that you may have flown on a foggy day, and sometimes that limits the views/causes fog on the windows. We apologize for that inconvenience. Also, the heliport regulates the passengers taking pictures on the ramps for safety reasons, so those rules cannot be changed by us. We do, however, offer you a photo to purchase because we do not want you to miss out on the image of you and your friends/family next to the helicopter. Please let us know how we can help you further by emailing us at info@manhattanhelicopters.com. Thank you for visiting! Sincerely, Meagan Manhattan Helicopters Guest Relations
Written December 20, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

PimlicoPalace
London, UK129 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Something which was supposed to be one of the highlights of our engagement trip to New York turned out to be a grave disappointment - and daylight robbery...

We arrived at the Southferry Heliport last Sunday (amazing day) to go on a helicopter trip and get some stunning aerial views of Manhattan... We specially selected Manhattan Helicopters as the operator of choice because we were told that we get a 20% discount on presentation of a valid Explorer Pass card (as per the website)... Upon arrival we were met by somebody that definitely didn't look fit to be selling helicopter trips with a turned around baseball cap and listening to rap music on his phone.... The gentleman tried to tell me that there def. isn't a discount and that the price he offered was by far the best value (he proved this to me by taking out brochures from the other operators and slaining them).... Not very professional

Either way - we negotiated a price of $195 pp for a 20min trip.... There were a number of shady characters hanging around the Manhattan Helicopters counter all joking around and not half concerned with safety precautions... We were told our helicopter would depart in 20mins... So we sat around on old airliner seats waiting... About an hour later I asked the guy behind the counter what's going on and was told that the pilot was taking a break (they only have one helicopter...) later I overheard the pilot telling someone else that they're fixing something on the helicopter which broke during the previous flight... Not a good sign...

Either way about 2hours after our scheduled departure - another chap with a turned around baseball cap in gangsta wear gave us a 2min safety briefing (basically saying that an accident is not likely to happen and that we are good to go)... According to Aviation Safety Act - the takeoff weight of each helicopter needs to be determined - I saw the scale standing in the corner, and overheard baseball cap saying to his mate "nahhh - not necessary".

We were told that the trip would be 20mins long and that the pilot would be providing commentary and information... Our pilot said hi - and asked where we're from, and that was it.... He said once here's Statue of Liberty and there's Central Park...

The flight was still cool - and great to see Manhattan from an aerial perspective..., A pity the flight was only 16minutes long.... You might say what's 4 minutes... But at nearly £200 for 20mins, that's $10 per minute.... Not Cool.

All in all - I will never recommend this company to anyone, and I'm seriously considering reporting these chaps to the relevant safety board... I felt unsafe from the word go, and should have bailed, but didn't want to forfeit my nearly $400... Also all the hustling about pricing made me think of negotiating with an unlicensed cab driver - rather than a professional sight seeing outfit.
Written November 16, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir or Madam, I am very sad to hear you were not 100% satisfied with your Manhattan Helicopters flight. I would like to respond to some of the points you made and clear up any misunderstandings that may have arisen. *We fly out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, which is currently the only departure point for helicopter tours in Manhattan, and which houses five separate tour companies. While most of our business comes from reservations, the heavy competition for walk-in sales requires the use of a street sales team. However, this is only an advantage for you because it lets you access steep discounts that you could not have received otherwise. *Our fleet of helicopters is top-of-the-line and maintained regularly to industry standards to ensure your safety. While unexpected maintenance issues may pop up from time to time, we have not had any within recent memory, which makes me suspect that you may have overheard another company's employees speaking about their own aircraft. Please keep in mind that we operate out of a busy heliport with several other companies in close proximity. While we regret any time our valued customers are exposed to another company’s misbehavior, such moments are unavoidable. If you ever have any questions or worries, please feel free to ask our desk agents who can address your concerns and give you the correct information. They would have also informed you that our lightest helicopter has a maximum passenger load capacity of over 800lbs (depending on fuel), which allows for four passengers at 200lbs each. Given an average adult weight of 150lbs, it is not necessary to weigh unless we might be outside those bounds. Since our ramp and desk agents have years of experience working with customers, I am absolutely certain of their ability to estimate a 50lb difference. If you are ever unsure of our procedure, please know that we will never have a problem taking extra steps to ensure your comfort. Additionally, all safety briefings have been given by video for the past four months. It plays almost constantly, so if you were in our waiting area for any amount of time you should have seen it more than once. Ultimately, we take responsibility for the task of keeping you safe. From strapping your life vests on you pre-flight, to leading you on the ramp, operating the helicopter doors, and buckling you in, we take all the necessary safety precautions so that you don’t have to. *Tour time is approximated at 20 minutes which includes the time from when the helicopter takes off to when its skids touch the ground again, not from when you see the first attraction to the last attraction. Unfortunately, due to variables such as high winds, route traffic, or other flight restrictions, we cannot guarantee that every flight will be the same exact length. *Our guided tours are now fully automated and should have been audible to you through your headsets. If at any time you were unsatisfied with the narration or could not hear it, I wish you had mentioned it to your pilot so he could fix it. While our well-trained pilots have years of experience and exemplary safety records, they won’t know to fix a sound issue like that unless you tell them it exists. It may have been something as simple as a volume control being accidentally turned down during the flight. Of course, now that you have brought this to our attention we have inspected all our headgear to make sure they are in proper working order; I only wish you had given us the opportunity to do this for you. Please let us know if you have any more questions about our service. Best, Melanie Managerial Representative
Written November 30, 2010
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CHRISTIAN D
Bangkok, Thailand8 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2012 • Couples
An helipcoper tour over Manahattan it's a MUST when visting the Big Apple, indeed the view is great and seing the the city from the sky is flabbergasting, 20 mn is not too much but pricey. However to do it you must do it in a relaxed mood without feeling that somebody has been pulled your leg. It started first when we arrived in the front of the Manhattan downtown heliport pier 6 east river; you are indeed ''caught'' by some kind of guy explaining you that you cannot select by yourself which company you will take as there is a ''turn'', i could not even ask question to another guy of the same kind, and we were directed inside the heliport to a desk without being able to check with other operators???. we were ''accompanied'' to the desk of Manhattan Helicopters (at least our voucher were having this name) and were sold a tour on a top of the line helicoper with large windows and so on...We end up on a Bell 206 BIII JR built in 1979 with very small windows, as we were in the back wich is made of narrow 3 alligned seats, this means that the person in the middle, my wife in this case were not able to see on her left (there were another passenger), on her right it was me and right in front of her there were a large pillar from the cabin ceiling to the floor, definitely this old helicopter type is not nicely designed for such tour; anyway what is extermly annoying is to read in their brochure and being told at the entrance and at the desk that they ''fly only the most modern fleet of helipcopters'' and be seated in something looking really outdated. Even on the business card of this day manhattan heliport manager they namely advertise ''2010 Bell 407 with customs-size large windows 350''. Back we reported our disappointment to the manager who didn't care at all as tourists queue up and business goes on.
Written July 29, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Christian: We are sorry to hear about your negative experience. There are a few things in your review that I’d like to clarify. The 5 tour companies operating at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport are subject to a new rotation system supervised by Heliport security to avoid chaos and customers getting lost. (Customers with reservations are automatically escorted to the company they’ve booked with.) Before this system was put in place, walk-in customers often ended up missing their flights and/or waiting for many hours. Rest assured that this system does not intend to deprive you of your rights to shop around; it serves only to maintain order and harmonious flight operations. Advance reservations are recommended. Our fleet consists of different helicopters including the Bell 407, an AStar 350B2 and the Bell 206B JetRanger (4 seats) that you flew in. Aircraft availability varies day to day, so there is no guarantee that you'll fly in a specific helicopter. All helicopters are maintained following the highest standards, however, to ensure a pleasant tour experience. We hope that despite of the inconvenience you enjoyed the flight over New York and will visit us again in the near future. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at info@flymh.com. Thank you for your feedback! – Anna M.
Written August 1, 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

rastumon
Rio de Janeiro, RJ12 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
You 260 + 30 dollars (fee) for the VIP 25-30 minutes. The flight only took 20 minutes from take-off to landing. And it didn't go to Yankee Stadium. Don't recommend the VIP. Do the standard one.
Written June 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gem55555
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Ok first of all, they cancelled my first reservation with them for no reason. So I wasted my time and money just to be told I couldn't fly that day. I left customer service my phone number to call me about cancellations, which they didn't. The kid at the front desk was a complete moron and had no idea about the package I purchased to fly with this company. No safety procedures, no real communication with customer. REALLY sketchy people. Wouldn't recommend them at all but the helicopter trip was ok. Flight was way expensive and not worth it.
Written July 11, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Gem5555: I'm very sorry to hear that you were not 100% satisfied with our service. I wish that you pointed these things out to our staff at any point during your visit, rather than after the fact, to give us a chance to remedy the situation. I would like to get more details regarding your reservation, when your flight took place and who you spoke to, so I can look into this in depth. Please feel free to contact me at 212-845-9822 at your earliest convenience. Manhattan Helicopters has maintained a flawless safety record to date due to the rigorous safety procedures that are being enforced prior to boarding as well as in-flight. Passengers are always welcome to ask questions if any portion of the safety briefing is unclear or feels incomplete. Thank you. Anna @ Manhattan Helicopters
Written July 20, 2011
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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