In the 21st Century this is the next best thing to a real flying car, or flying taxi, if you will. Near the end of March, US Helicopter will commence a helicopter shuttle service to JFK and LaGuardia Airports in New York City from the two major heliports at West 34th Street and downtown Manhattan. Flight time is about eight minutes, and flights will leave every 30 minutes between 7 AM and 7 PM. So for all you business travellers who have to get on the tarmac ASAP to make a flight, an airborne shuttle is no longer the sole province of VIP executives and billionaire CEOs who can afford their own personal whirlybird. But you'll still experience the same quality of travel in an executive-class Sikorsky S76B. Rates start at about $140 a person for one-way or $290 for round-trip service. How decadent.

[image via US Helicopter]