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The Uber ride-hailing service is going to new heights, literally, for the Sundance Film Festival. It is offering helicopter service through a temporary "UberCHOPPER" service here.
"We're seeing tremendous interest," said Uber spokeswoman Taylor Patterson. "People seem really excited about this unique and fun way to get from Salt Lake City International Airport to Park City."
But it's not cheap, and it will be offered only through Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
One-way fare is $200 per seat during the day, and $300 at night. Passengers can save a little by pre-booking. That costs $150 during the day and $200 at night.
But the price includes an UberSUV ride from the airport terminal to the helicopter pad in the general aviation area of the airport. And once people arrive in Park City, it includes another Uber ride to their hotel or other final destination.
"We have two helicopters running," Patterson said. "One takes off as another comes back."
In the first day of operation on Thursday, Patterson said the service had numerous pre-bookings and a healthy number of on-demand requests from people who landed at the airport and "instead of requesting a car, they took a chopper" using Uber's app and clicking the chopper option.
"But it's limited to how many seats we have" — five per chopper, Patterson said.
She added that Uber has offered its chopper service at a few other major events and places nationwide on a temporary basis — including from New York City to the Hamptons, from Los Angeles to the Coachella music festival and in Las Vegas to hotels.
"Park City is so close to Salt Lake City that the chopper trips are convenient and desirable," Patterson said. "The geography helps create a nice option."
The helicopters are provided by Air Resources.
Last month, Uber launched another first-in-the-nation service in Utah, called UberSKI. It offers rides in cars that have all-wheel drive and the ability to carry skis and snowboards.
Uber is best known for providing a smartphone app to connect riders with nearby drivers who use their own cars.
Riders can see how others have rated the driver, what they will charge and when they will arrive. Drivers, in turn, can see how colleagues have rated the rider. All payments are made via its online app.
Ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft say they perform background checks on drivers, and they usually provide $1 million in insurance.
Such companies keep 20 percent of each fare, but maintain that the driver is the one providing the service.