Check with your calendar, and winter begins in December. Check with skiers and snowboarders, and they’ll tell you winter begins when the mountains open for skiing. That’s this month for many U.S. ski resorts. “Now that we’ve changed the clocks back, it’s time to start planning ahead for your winter vacations,” says Carl Schwartz from Cheapflights.com.
Find the best ski and snowboard vacation deals this winter at Cheapflights.com, where you can quickly search one million airfare deals from hundreds of different travel providers, plus hotel deals, too. Travelers can search by specific travel dates or by destination — especially good for those with flexible schedules. “The more flexible your travel dates, the better deal you’re likely to get,” says Schwartz, who notes that flexibility is also key when booking ski getaways, since many mountains offer mid-week ski discounts and multi-day packages.
“Booking early almost always gets you the best vacation deal, plus it gives you something to look forward to as the days get longer and darker. Save money by booking your first trip ahead, and use the money you save to ‘follow the snow’ and book a last minute deal later in the season,” advises Schwartz.
Cheapflights.com compiled a list of the 25 top U.S. ski-by-airport destinations based on the most frequent airport searches on the site. Information is listed alphabetically by state and was compiled from resort Web sites. Cheapflights flight deals are for round trip fares, exclusive of taxes and fees, and were available as of November 5, 2007, 9:00 a.m. EST. For more ski deals, visit www.cheapflights.com.
25 Great Picks for Winter Ski Getaways
Colorado: Aspen Airport, Denver International Airport, Vail/Eagle County Airport
Great Colorado flight deals under $300 available on Cheapflights.com:
• New York, NY (JFK) to Aspen, CO (ASE): $259
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Denver, CO (DEN): $178
• New York, NY (JFK) to Vail, CO (EGE): $326
Aspen and Snowmass: A ski resort pioneer, around for 60-plus years; 20 minutes from Aspen Airport, 220 miles from Denver Airport
Beaver Creek: World Cup racers’ favorite race spot; 20 minutes from Vail/Eagle County Airport, 100 miles from Denver Airport
Breckenridge: Some of the best learning terrain anywhere; 104 miles from Denver Airport
Copper Mountain: 100 percent wind powered; 75 miles from Denver Airport
Vail: Largest U.S. ski resort; 30 minutes from Vail/Eagle County Airport, 120 miles from Denver Airport
Nevada: Reno/Tahoe International Airport
Great Reno flight deals under $300 available on Cheapflights.com:
• Boston, MA (BOS) to Reno, NV (RNO): $330
• Chicago, IL (ORD) to Reno, NV (RNO): $197
• New York, NY (JFK) to Reno, NV (RNO: $226
Boreal Mountain: Operates on 100 percent green power; 45 miles from the airport
Diamond Peak: Fourth longest vertical drop at Lake Tahoe, 32 miles from the airport
Donner Ski Ranch: One of California’s first ski resorts; 46 miles from the airport
Mt. Rose: Tahoe’s highest elevation base; 22 miles from the airport
Soda Springs: Take your children for their first day out on snow; 48 miles from the airport
New Mexico: Albuquerque International Sunport/Santa Fe Airport
Great New Mexico flight deals under $300 available on Cheapflights.com:
• Newark, NJ (EWR) to Albuquerque, NM (ABQ): $245
• Chicago, IL (ORD) to Santa Fe, NM (SAF): $218
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Albuquerque, NM (ABQ): $127
Angel Fire: New ten-acre glade skiing area, 158 miles from Albuquerque Sunport
Red River: About 90 percent of lodging is within walking distance from the slopes; 168 miles from Albuquerque Sunport
Sipapu: Ski oasis between scenic Taos and trendy Santa Fe; 22 miles from Taos Airport, 65 miles from Santa Fe Airport, 114 miles from Albuquerque Sunport
Taos: Skiers only; 135 miles from Albuquerque Sunport, 72 miles from Santa Fe Airport
New England: Fly into Boston’s Logan International Airport, or aim for one of the area’s regional airports.
• Manchester Regional Airport, New Hampshire
• Portland International Jetport, Maine
• Burlington International Airport, Vermont
Great New England flight deals under $300 available on Cheapflights.com:
• Chicago, IL (ORD) to Portland, ME (PWM): $183
• Baltimore, MD (BWI) to Manchester, NH (MHT): $90
• Seattle, WA (SEA) to Boston, MA (BOS): $239
• New York, NY (JFK) to Burlington, VT (BTV) $138
Bolton Valley Resort: Night skiing Wednesday through Saturday and nightly during holiday periods; 30 minutes from Burlington Airport
Bretton Woods: New Hampshire’s largest ski area; 115 miles from Manchester Airport; 160 miles from Logan Airport; 95 miles from Portland Jetport
Killington: Largest ski and snowboard resort in the eastern U.S.; 84 miles from Burlington Airport; 115 miles from Manchester Airport; 158 miles from Logan Airport
Mad River Glen: Offers some of the finest lift-served Telemark skiing in the East; 32 miles from Burlington Airport; 160 miles from Manchester Airport; 206 miles from Logan Airport
Okemo: The big mountain that gets the little things right; 114 miles from Burlington Airport, 121 miles from Manchester Airport; 164 miles from Logan Airport
Sunday River: Eight peaks and infinite terrain; 65 miles from Portland Jetport; 161 miles from Manchester Airport; 172 miles from Logan Airport
Waterville Valley: Sax & Swizzle Sunday Brunch has the largest Bloody Mary Bar in Ski Country; 70 miles from Manchester Airport; 130 miles from Logan Airport
Wildcat Mountain: First ski area established in the White Mountain National Forest; 79 miles from Portland Jetport; 124 miles from Manchester Airport; 149 miles from Logan Airport
Utah: Salt Lake City International Airport
Great Salt Lake City flight deals under $300 available on Cheapflights.com:
• Newark, NJ (EWR) to Salt Lake City, NV (SLC): $250
• Chicago, IL (ORD) to Salt Lake City, NV (SLC): $132
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Salt Lake City, NV (SLC): $110
Deer Valley Resort: Consistently rated the top North American ski resort by SKI magazine readers; 43 miles from the airport
Snowbird and Alta: Named top US ski resort by SKIING magazine four years running; 25 miles from the airport
Sundance: Majesty, beauty and convenience; 56 miles from the airport
Travel Checklist
Once your trip is booked, you will want to think about packing. Cheapflights’ new handy travel checklist is just the ticket to keep you organized. Visit www.cheapflights.com/PDF/US-Travel-Checklist.pdf to link straight to the printable checklist, or link to it from http://www.cheapflights.com/travel-tips/.
About Cheapflights.com
Cheapflights.com is the place to find the best flight deals and the best travel information. The site publishes more airfare deals from more flight providers than any other travel-search engine in the world. Every day, travelers can search nearly one million flight deals from both traditional and low-cost airlines, as well as smaller specialty-travel providers, plus handpicked deals and exclusive flight offers not available anywhere else. The site’s Useful Flight Tools section and Flight News blog are packed with travel tips, news and information to help flyers enjoy the best possible travel experience, every time they fly.
