LeBron James will helicopter from New York to Philly for work — here's what that commute costs vs. driving or taking Amtrak

And while James is set to pull in $8 million for the next two years with the 76ers, the helicopter commute could run up a sizable tab.

Philly Voice estimated that, between the team’s 41 home games and roughly 26 home practices, James could be looking at around 67 round-trips. And while New York-based helicopter charter company Wings Air Helicopters touts that their services will “bring you significantly closer to your destination” and reduce “total door-to-door travel time,” the company’s general manager, Anna Macsai, told Philly Voice that flights could start at $6,000 and double for a round-trip.

Some quick math landed the outlet on the potential helicopter commute price tag of around $804,000 for the next two years. Playoff runs not included.

Neither James nor the 76ers replied to Moneywise’s request for comment, but it may be worth price shopping for other commuting options.

King James’s commute: pricing out the options

The issue with helicopter travel isn’t just the price. Bad weather can impede travel, while New York has passed strict laws against “non-essential” helicopter flights (though the definition of “non-essential” in this case might depend on whether you’re a 76ers fan or not).

Even with elevated gas prices, driving is obviously a far more affordable travel option. The cost could depend on which luxury car LeBron decides to drive, but assuming he chooses a Mercedes, AAA’s gas cost calculator says that the 194 mile round trip would use about 9.70 gallons of gas and cost $43.53 — as of Sept. 30. Multiply that by 67 and you get $2,916.51.

Taking the Amtrak train, meanwhile, could offer even more savings. As of Sept. 30, coach tickets are roughly $25, which work out to only $1,675 across the 67 trips. Upgrade to $81 business class and you’re looking at a $5,427 total bill. Private rooms, which are probably more to James’ liking, can run between $296 and $346, putting the cost for 67 games between $19,832 and $23,182.

However, with the team’s season schedule mapped out far in advance, booking early could allow for even better deals.

For now, though, it seems as though James is opting to take to the skies for his commute.

Which means that Philly fans may have to get used to hearing the familiar refrain “Get to the chopper!” echo through the Xfinity Mobile Arena after each home game.