Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Revenue

v3.24.3
Revenue
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue Revenue
Revenue Recognition
Blade operates in three key product lines across two segments (see Note 7 for further information on reportable segments):

Passenger segment

•Short Distance – Consisting primarily of helicopter and amphibious seaplane flights in the United States and Europe between 10 and 100 miles in distance. Flights are available for purchase both by-the-seat and on a full aircraft charter basis. Short Distance products are typically purchased using the Blade App and paid for principally via credit card transactions, wire, check, customer credit, and gift cards, with payments principally collected by the Company in advance of the performance of related services, with the exception of Europe where institutional clients pay after the performance of related services under payment terms. The revenue is recognized when the service is completed.
•Jet and Other –  Consists principally of revenues from non-medical jet charter and by-the-seat jet flights between New York and South Florida (discontinued in November 2023), revenue from brand partners for exposure to Blade fliers and certain ground transportation services. Jet products are typically purchased through our Flier Relations associates and our app and are paid for principally via checks, wires and credit card. Jet payments are typically collected at the time of booking before the performance of the related service. The revenue is recognized when the service is completed.
Medical segment
•MediMobility Organ Transport – Consisting primarily of transportation of human organs for transplant and/or the medical teams supporting these services. Blade also offers additional services including donor logistics coordination and support evaluating potential donor organs. MediMobility Organ Transport products are typically purchased through our medical logistics coordinators and are paid for principally via checks and wires. Payments are generally collected after the performance of the related service in accordance with the client's payment terms. The revenue is recognized when the service is completed.

The Company initially records advance payments for passenger flights in deferred revenue, deferring revenue recognition until the travel occurs. Deferred revenue from advance payments, customer credit and gift card purchases is recognized as revenue when a flight is flown. Deferred revenue from the Company’s passes is recognized ratably over the term of the pass. For travel that has more than one flight segment, the Company deems each segment as a separate performance obligation and recognizes revenue for each segment as travel occurs. Fees charged in association with add-on services, changes or extensions to non-refundable seats sold are considered part of the Company's passenger performance obligation. As such, those fees are deferred at the time of collection and recognized at the time the travel is provided.
Disaggregated Revenue

Disaggregated revenue by product line and segment was as follows:

 Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024 2023 2024 2023
Passenger Segment
Short Distance
 $ 32,352  $ 30,388  $ 63,070  $ 59,997 
Jet and Other 6,463  7,607  20,837  23,092 
Total $ 38,815  $ 37,995  $ 83,907  $ 83,089 
Medical Segment
MediMobility Organ Transport $ 36,062  $ 33,447  $ 110,429  $ 94,613 
Total $ 36,062  $ 33,447  $ 110,429  $ 94,613 
Total Revenue
 $ 74,877  $ 71,442  $ 194,336  $ 177,702 
Contract Liabilities

Contract liabilities are defined as entity’s obligation to transfer goods or services to a customer for which the entity has received consideration (or the amount is due) from the customer. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company's contract liability balance is $6,681 and $6,845 respectively, and is recorded as deferred revenue on its unaudited interim condensed consolidated balance sheets. This balance consists of payments from customers received in advance of the actual flight, prepaid monthly and annual flight passes, customer credits for flight reservations that were cancelled for good reason by the customer, and prepaid gift card obligations. The customer has one year to use the credit as payment for a future flight with the Company. The table below presents a roll forward of the contract liability balance:
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024 2023
Balance, beginning of period $ 6,845  $ 6,709 
Additions 61,177  58,492 
Revenue recognized (61,341) (58,366)
Balance, end of period $ 6,681  $ 6,835 
For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized $4,470 of revenue that was included in the contract liability balance as of January 1, 2024. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recognized $5,213 of revenue that was included in the contract liability balance as of January 1, 2023.

Certain governmental taxes are imposed on the Company's flight sales through a fee included in flight prices. The Company collects these fees and remits them to the appropriate government agency. These fees are excluded from revenue.
The Company’s quarterly financial data is subject to seasonal fluctuations. Historically, its second and third quarter (ended on June 30 and September 30, respectively) financial results have reflected higher Passenger travel demand and were better than the first and fourth quarter financial results.