White Collar Travel Extra: Helicopters signal return of the good life

What do you think a New York area commuter's time is worth? Some of these guys will spend 14 hours a week or more sitting in buses, trains and cars just getting to and from the city. It adds up quickly. Well, if you take a look at what Liberty Helicopters is charging, a New Yorker's commuting time is worth $100 an hour.

Ferrying people six at a time from Manhattan into New Jersey, Liberty is charging $200 a day for freedom from gridlock, not to mention the sheer frustration of not seeing the car in front of you move or the agony of being held captive by public transportation schedules. By helicopter, the hike from Port Monmouth, New Jersey to Manhattan takes as little as eight minutes ... and the satisfaction of seeing the bumper-to-bumper below is a perk.

The fact that people are choosing this rather pricey form of daily transportation is leading some to believe that the worst of our economic woes are in the rearview mirror. Of course, it doesn't hurt that compensation at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley ticked 14 percent higher last year.

If you have to get out of the city for a Newark flight, this might just be the way to go.

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Filed under: Business, North America, United States, Transportation