The Best Flight Passes for Skiers
Ski vacations. We all love them. But for most winter trips, there’s an unsettling degree of uncertainty. We plan, usually months in advance, fully aware that the snow might suck when we arrive. Just about every skier has shown up at a ski resort only to hear the following from a local: “You should’ve been here two days ago.”
Flight passes could be the solution to avoiding disappointing ski trips.
Photo: Adie Bush/Getty Images
This is particularly true for excursions that involve flying. The closer a departure date becomes, the more plane tickets usually cost, meaning—unless you have unlimited coffers or miles—treating airlines like Uber isn’t financially responsible.
So, with the unfortunate knowledge that weather forecasts plunge in accuracy beyond the 10-day mark in mind, most of us accept that the trip we have planned weeks from now might involve skiing refrozen moguls instead of fresh pow. Such is life.
What if there was a workaround, though? What if, days or hours before a storm hits your favorite spot, you could just drop everything, book a flight, and go—without dropping $1000 on a ticket?
This is the promise espoused by these flight passes from Frontier Airlines and Alaska Airlines. They provide greater flexibility in booking flights on short notice and could be the key to actually catching storm days at your favorite, far-flung resort. Well, kind of. Each pass has its own caveats that could complicate trip planning, from geography to tight booking windows.
Here’s the rundown.
Prices accurate as of August 15th, 2024. They may be subject to change.
Frontier Airlines GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass
Cost: $299 a year, renews at $399 a year
A Frontier Airlines jet waits on the tarmac in Denver, Colorado.
Michael Ciaglo/Stringer/Getty Images
Currently priced at $299, Frontier Airlines’ GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass allows travelers to fly Frontier as much as they want between September 1st, 2024, and February 28th, 2025.
With the pass, airfare costs $0.01, but travelers will still need to cover applicable taxes, fees, and bag expenses, which, if you’re bringing your ski gear along, could add up. You can only book most domestic flights the day before flight departure (select flights can be booked before the 24-hour window, but early booking fees may apply). Like some ski passes, the GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass also features a large number of blackout dates. You can review blackout dates at the bottom of this webpage alongside additional details about the pass.
Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado, are among Frontier’s domestic destinations. Both cities have easy access to numerous ski resorts.
Who is the Frontier Airlines GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass For?
Given its booking window, the GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass is truly for spur-of-the-moment powder hunters who don’t mind pairing their ski trips with ambiguity. It would work far, far better if you have a few couches to crash on and a flexible work arrangement.
Alaska Airlines Flight Pass
Cost: $49 a month to $749 a month
An Alaska Airlines flight departs from San Francisco, California.
China News Service/Contributor/Getty Images
The multi-tiered Alaska Airlines Flight Pass is region-specific, offering a select number of flights throughout the Southwest, subscription plan dependent. The cheapest $49 plan provides six round-trip flights every year—the most costly tier provides 24 trips.
Due to taxes and fees, flights with the Alaska Airlines Flight Pass cost around $15, not including any bags you check. The Alaska Airlines Flight Pass doesn’t have blackout dates, but popular flights may have a premium access fare.
In addition to the tier system, there are two overarching Flight Pass categories. With the standard Flight Pass, you can only book up to 14 days before your flight, which could lead to missed powder days.
The considerably more expensive Flight Pass Pro circumvents this issue, allowing travelers to book up to two hours in advance for some real flexibility—and storm chasing. Between these two categories, you can choose how many flights you want each year.
Who is the Alaska Airlines Flight Pass For?
The scope of the Alaska Airlines Flight Pass is quite limited, but it could be a good option for California-based skiers seeking greater flexibility in their winter plans. While the Flight Pass doesn’t net you unlimited flights, it does allow you to plan ski trips in a much smaller window of time instead of hoping for the best months in advance.
As with the GoWild! Fall & Winter Pass, having a couch to crash on—instead of shelling out for a hotel—would help you get the most out of the Flight Pass.
There are two primary routes that skiers could take advantage of: San Diego to Salt Lake City and San Francisco to Salt Lake City. If you live in San Diego or San Francisco—and miss the mountains—the Alaska Airlines Flight Pass could be a good bet, particularly if you pair it with a ski resort multi-pass. To view the flight paths available with the Alaska Airlines Flight Pass, click here.
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