Skiing and snowboarding has a reputation for being a pastime of the rich, and the ski industry spent years earning that reputation. But things are changing for the better as millions of Americans take to the hobby.
The sticker price for a ski vacation might be daunting. Soaring day lift ticket prices and expensive gear have made a ski trip seem frightening. But if you remove high airfare from the equation and follow a few simple steps, ski or snowboard trips can be within reach for most travelers. Trust me: I do this several times every ski season.
Despite some mountain towns being in far-flung, relatively remote locations, you'd be surprised how frequent and reliable cheap fares can be to some of those destinations. People want to visit these towns in the winter, and the airlines know that. This year especially, airlines like Delta have been beefing up their routes to popular ski areas. When the number of seats climbs higher and higher, the prices fall downhill like an avalanche.
Whether you're aiming for a cheap flight to Colorado, Utah, Montana or across an ocean to the Alps or Japan, it's likely that you can find low fares to your snowy, wintry paradise for less than you'd expect for this upcoming ski season. And the best time to book is right now.
A ski or snowboard trip is a little bit trickier than throwing a pair of swim trunks in your carry-on and flying away, but if you follow our tips and tricks on how to save money on your next ski trip and take advantage of one of these flight deals, you'll be making your way down a snowy slope without breaking the bank this winter.
See our guide to the best mountain resorts for your ski or snowboard trip!
Why are Ski Destinations Cheaper to Fly to This Year?
Seemingly all at once, the airlines decided to pour more flights into some of the best ski destination airports throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here are some of the new routes, additional flights, or exciting new products you can expect flying to your ski town of choice in 2025:
- JetBlue will fly its lie-flat Mint Business Class from Boston (BOS) and New York (JFK) to Big Sky, Montana (BZN) and added new service from BOS and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Steamboat, Colorado (HDN).
- Alaska added service to Vail (EGE), Lake Tahoe (RNO), and Revelstoke, British Columbia (YLW) and increased flying to both Sun Valley (SUN) and YLW.
- United increased frequencies between Los Angeles (LAX) and Aspen (ASE) and between Chicago (ORD) and Jackson Hole (JAC), added Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Salt Lake City (SLC) and Big Sky (BZN), and added Newark (EWR) to Jackson Hole (JAC) frequencies.
- Delta added Seattle (SEA) to Sun Valley, Idaho (SUN) flights this February and March, started JFK and BOS to Big Sky (BZN), and added another daily flight from Atlanta (ATL) to Aspen (ASE).
- Frontier added Vail (EGE) to its route map with service from Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), and San Francisco (SFO).
Airlines have long struggled with what to do with their planes during the slower winter travel season. The answer for most of them is simple: More Florida, more Arizona, more Mexico, etc. But those markets are all saturated with air service, while mountain town airports only see a few flights a day. Well, it appears the lightbulb went off at JetBlue, Alaska, United, Delta, and Frontier all at once this winter.
The past three winters are all in the top five for total skier and snowboarder visits to U.S. ski areas since the National Ski Areas Association started keeping track in 1978. The winter of 2022/23 saw 65.3 million skier and snowboarder visits – the most ever – which was up by more than 10 million from the three years pre-pandemic.
Skiing and snowboarding is more popular in the United States than ever before, and the airlines are not vying to be the ones to feed your new hobby.
Where to Find Cheap Flights to the Mountains
There are hundreds of ski areas across the globe – and just as many airports that serve them. Here are a few options to consider, both near and far, to start a search for your next ski trip.
And as luck would have it, our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert service is constantly looking for the best deals to get to all of them.
The Rockies: Denver, Steamboat, Vail, & Aspen
Whether you want to chart a course for Denver and choose your own adventure from there, or you want to fly right into the legendary mountain towns of Steamboat, Vail, & Aspen, Colorado flights are some of the cheapest in all of skiing.
Denver's (DEN) an easy starting point because the massive international airport has nonstop flights all over the country that routinely go on sale like this…
Get flight deals like this one to your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
But if you're planning to fly to Aspen (ASE) or Vail (EGE), I'd recommend skipping the awful, sketchy drive up I-70 and just fly over the Rockies instead. Thanks to the added flight capacity into both these airports that I outlined in the section above, prices into both of these mountain towns were cheap just a few weeks ago.
The same goes for the northern Colorado town of Steamboat Springs, where a cheap flight to nearby Hayden (HDN) is easier than ever thanks to service from Southwest Airlines that helps drive down prices on several airlines, including Delta and JetBlue.
These nonstop rates didn't stick around for very long, but we look for them every day for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members, so they'll get a notification as soon as prices dip again.
The Cascades: Washington and Oregon
The Cascade Mountains of the U.S. Pacific Northwest are some of the finest and most scenic that we have. From Mt. Bachelor, Oregon all the way up to Mt. Baker, Washington, the Cascades have some of the best snowfall and easiest-to-access ski mountains in the country.
Best of all, hub airports like Seattle (SEA) and Portland (PDX) have made getting there even easier in 2025, too.
This flight deal connected all over these airports to Seattle (SEA) with flights in the $70s and $90s roundtrip! It was one of our favorite deals we sent over the last few weeks and could make for the cheapest ski trip of your year.
With resorts like Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie, and Mt. Baker nearby, a trip to Seattle can cross a bunch of resorts off your list – all within driving distance of the city. Plus, you can make the road trip up to Whistler, B.C. (about 4 hours from Seattle) to ride one of the largest ski resorts on earth, too!
Just south of Washington, in Oregon, is the city of Portland (PDX) which is another perfect jumping off point for a ski adventure.
These fares would put you in a rental car in Portland in no time. From there, you only need an hour's drive to Mt. Hood or a few hour's drive to Mt. Bachelor!
Lie-Flat Seats to Big Sky, Montana
There's only one airline who flies lie-flat seats to Bozeman, Montana (BZN), and it's not the airlines like Delta and United that constantly brag about how “premium” their brands are: It's low-cost JetBlue!
JetBlue, looking for something to do with its awesome Mint lie-flat seats in the winter months, has pointed a few aircraft at Bozeman in the search for some high-paying customers heading to the famously costly Big Sky and its surrounding luxury resorts. But right when the seats went on sale, they could be booked for wallet-friendly points and miles rates.
We sent this deal alert to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members the day these flights went on sale, including peak ski season availability in February and March. There were several ways you could snag these flights starting at 40,000 points each way, whether you had American Express, Capital One, Chase, or Citi points.
Fly to Utah Using Points & Miles!
Travelers who live in Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC) don't need me to tell them that finding a cheap Delta flight out of that fortress is dang near impossible. Salt Lake City residents are the definition of hub captives (i.e. when a single airline dominates an airport so much that there's not enough competitive pressure to keep fares affordable). When flying from SLC, you pretty much have to fly Delta.
The same goes for travelers who want to visit Salt Lake to ski legendary Wasatch slopes like Alta, Snowbird, Park City, Deer Valley, and more.
But there is something they can do. You just have to work around Delta to get the Delta flight that you want. That workaround is by booking Delta through one of their airline partners Virgin Atlantic and Air France/KLM.
You'd almost never find nonstop Delta flight to Salt Lake City for this few SkyMiles. No, these rates for Virgin Atlantic points, which you can use to book short Delta flights for much, much fewer points than Delta charges. And you can transfer credit card points to Virgin from all the major banks: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo.
Read more: Save Big on Short Delta Flights: Book Via Virgin Atlantic Instead!
Ditto with Air France and KLM's joint Flying Blue program, which charges similar rates to Virgin (if not better) and like Virgin, you can transfer credit card points to Virgin from all the major banks.
The only way to beat Delta's stranglehold on Salt Lake City is to use their partners instead.
The Alps
Last year, I made the argument that a ski trip to the Alps might be cheaper than a ski trip here in the United States, and that same set of circumstances has lined up perfectly again this winter.
The dollar is still stronger than the Euro, leading to favorable exchange rates in France, Austria, and Switzerland, and with flight prices so low across the pond in Europe, it's a perfect time to go!
Just a few weeks ago, we rounded up these low fares flying from all over the U.S. to Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH) this winter during peak ski season. Thanks to competition from airlines like SWISS, SAS, and the North America trio of Air Canada, Delta, and United, Zurich flights usually stay cheap, even during this peak winter season.
But just a few days ago, we found something even sweeter: A way to use just 40,000 Alaska Miles to fly roundtrip to Austria or Switzerland.
This Alaska promotion could take you to ski destinations all over the world, but the best value is certainly to Geneva (GVA), Vienna (VIE), and Zurich (ZRH) from all of these destinations.
However you want to get to the Alps – using points or cash – these are some of the very cheapest options. But there is a best option…
SWISS Business Class is worth every single point…take it from me! Flying SWISS Business was one of the best flight experiences of my life, and if I had the chance to fly it again – especially for a ski trip – I would do it in a heartbeat.
Luckily, thanks to partners like Air Canada Aeroplan and Avianca LifeMiles, it's often really cheap to fly SWISS Business Class using points and miles. As you can see from the flight deal below, Aeroplan offers consistently cheap fares if you can transfer your points there from multiple bank programs. The same goes for the quirky Avianca LifeMiles program with its super-cheap rates, too.
However you book it, you'll love SWISS and its onboard experience. There's no better way to start a ski trip.
Japan: Hokkaido and the Japanese Alps
If you're looking for the weightless, blissful feeling that is skiing powder, then put Japan on your bucket list. During ski season, the snow seemingly never stops falling in the mountains there, hence the nickname “Japanuary.”
Last year, I got to experience “Japanuary,” for the first time, and I'm obsessed…
The Niseko region (which is included on the Ikon Pass) on the island of Hokkaido averages about 46 feet – yes, feet – of snow per year, meaning any trip during ski season is bound to be powdery. From Tokyo (HND, NRT), where you're most likely to find a cheap flight from the U.S., Hokkaido is just a 90-minute flight away. It's one of the most trafficked flights in the world, with dozens and dozens of options every day.
All you have to do is get to Tokyo first, where you can find some nice bargains if you know where to look.
And if you snagged this recent deal, you could fly roundtrip to Sapporo (CTS) from many of these cities, too! Still, the easiest way to get to Japan is to target Tokyo – either Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) and then connect from there. And when it comes to Japan flights, there's been some great ones.
But then United said, “Hold my Sapporo” with this low fare flying from Los Angeles (LAX)!
Tips to Save on a Ski/Snowboard Trip This Winter
Even if you get a great fare and buy the perfect pass, the costs of ski vacations can add up if you are not careful. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan.
Fly with Bags in Mind
If you have ski equipment, make sure you are booking flights with bags in mind. Budget airlines may entice you with low fares into mountain towns, but then charge you up to $100 for baggage when you get to the airport.
When you are booking airfare, consider upgrading to a ticket that includes bags so you don't have the hassle of paying for them in the terminal.
Two things to keep in mind as you check ski bags:
- Don't pay for “oversized baggage” for ski and boot bags if you don't have to. Most airlines price ski bags as regular luggage, although they come out in the oversized baggage areas at baggage claim when you arrive.
- Some airlines will consider your ski bag and a separate boot bag as one bag, so make sure you don't overpay to fly your gear to the mountains!
Southwest Airlines in particular is a great option for skiers, as every passenger gets two free bags.
Otherwise, consider getting an airline co-branded credit card like the *delta skymiles gold card*, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, or the *united explorer*. All three cards get you a first checked bag free.
If you want to consolidate your boot and ski bag, buy a wide-bodied rolling ski bag with a boot compartment. It could save you money – not to mention the hassle of carrying around multiple bags during your travels.
Bottom line: Be sure to check the airline's baggage policies before booking. You don't want to be stuck ponying up at the terminal.
Plan Trips Around Your Ski Pass
Skiing within your pass can save you hundreds of dollars – even after factoring in the cost of the pass itself. But maximizing the value requires some planning.
Let's say you are thinking of a week-long getaway to the Cascade Mountains outside of Seattle with your Epic Pass in tow. You ski a few days at Stevens Pass but then you want to try something new, so you head to nearby Crystal – an Ikon location. On top of the $783 you already spent on the Epic Pass, you'd be spending more than $100 a day to ski at Crystal … while your Epic Pass collects dust.
Instead, head north from Stevens Pass and spend a few days at Whistler-Blackcomb in Canada, another Epic location, which means you can ski for free.
Ikon Pass offers a handy guide to string together a few of its resorts at a time, helping you squeeze some more value and ski days out of your winter.
Buy your pass first and then plan your trips. If you ski two, three, or even four-plus resorts on one pass, you are beating the ski conglomerates at their own game.
Bottom Line
Your next ski trip is well within reach thanks to these inexpensive fares we have been finding into the mountains for this upcoming ski and snowboard season.
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