Today marks the inaugural flight for Tailwind between Manhattan and Boston Harbor. The experienced seaplane operator has flown the route for the first time as a scheduled service, cutting flight times between the cities dramatically.
Tailwind takes off
The new solution to the horrors of commuting between Boston and New York has taken off today. Tailwind’s seaplane service, operating between Manhattan in New York and Fan Pier in Boston, will shave hours off the usual commute, delivering passengers between the cities in just 75 minutes.
The flight will operate several times a day from August to November. Departures from New York at 08:00 and 14:30, and from Boston side at 10:05 and 17:20. From August 21st, two additional departures will be included: 09:30 and 16:45 from Manhattan and 07:00 and 14:10 from Boston Harbor.
Alan Ram, Tailwind CEO, told Simple Flying,
"We [Tailwind Air] are excited to officially start our Boston-Manhattan service today. Our goal has long been creating an alternative that cuts travel times between the city centers in half. It's pretty amazing to see that realized today as our flights hit their marks. We appreciate all the support we've received in Boston and New York, and look forward to growing our base in both cities."
The flights
Tailwind's inaugural flight took off from Manhattan at 08:10 this morning. After a short 70-minute flight, it touched down in Boston Harbor at 09:20. The return flight is currently en route, having departed Boston at 10:59.
One-way fares start from $395, which will get you a seat on the Cessna 208 Caravan turboprop. These small seaplanes have a total of eight comfortable seats onboard, set out in a 1-1 configuration. Passengers can choose their seat on arrival but may be asked to move for balancing purposes if the pilot deems it necessary.
Regardless of where you sit, you’re guaranteed a window and some breathtaking views throughout the journey. If you love your planes, you’ll appreciate the open cockpit where you can see Tailwind’s two pilots hard at work. Passengers can bring a standard carry-on bag, but with no overhead lockers for storage, these will be placed in an area at the rear of the plane.
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Is a promise of a 50% reduction in travel time enough?
Tailwind has a unique proposition for passengers needing to get between the two cities. While it’s not a cheap mode of transport, it is significantly more convenient by anyone's measurement than any of the alternatives. With a flight time of 75 minutes and a promise of 90 minutes ‘dock-to-dock, this is a model keenly geared at the business traveler segment.
Flying on a regular jet from, for example, Newark Liberty to Boston Logan is a shorter flight time; around 45 minutes usually. But that’s not all that goes into the journey. There’s the 90 – 120 minute check-in requirement to consider, as well as the lengthy transfers from city centers to the airport.
Amtrak is another option, with the high-speed Acela cutting down journey times between the cities. However, the journey from Boston to New York is still around three hours and 45 minutes. Business Insider compared the two modes of transport and found that the train versus plane ended up taking about the same amount of time out of the day, somewhere between three and four hours.
You can see how Tailwind aims to take the sting out of that journey with its 90-minute dock-to-dock promise. While the costs are likely to be prohibitive for infrequent leisure travelers, for corporate people needing to attend half-day meetings, the service is going to be a Godsend.