Updated August 7, 2026 02:15PM
For all the talk of easy access, getting to most ski resorts still requires a little logistical gymnastics: a flight followed by a rental car and a drive, or an added connecting flight that only operates a few days a week. But as skiing has grown in popularity, airlines have responded by adding nonstop service to regional airports near ski towns and boosting flight frequencies to larger gateway airports.
That’s apparent for the coming 2026-’27 ski season, with several airlines announcing new direct flights into ski country, including routes to ski towns like Bozeman, Montana and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Plus, skiers looking to book that big ski trip to Japan will find new nonstop routes to Tokyo and Sapporo.
If all else fails, we suggest checking United Airlines’ list of served ski destinations. The airline offers more flights to ski markets than any other airline, including direct service to ski towns such as Jackson Hole, Aspen, and Missoula. (Plus, they don’t charge oversize bag fees for skis and let everyone bring two pairs of skis and a boot bag for the same cost as a standard checked bag.)
Below are the new U.S.-based ski destination flights for the 2026-’27 ski season.
Bozeman, Mont.
Airline: Delta
Nearby ski resorts: Big Sky and Bridger Bowl
New from Delta Air Lines this year is a daily direct flight between Austin, Texas and Bozeman during ski season. The route started in June 2026, but amps up starting Dec. 19, 2026, with daily service for skiers that runs through March 28, 2027. Bridger Bowl is under 30 minutes from Bozeman by car, while Big Sky is around an hour.
Steamboat Springs, Colo.
Airline: Alaska Airlines
Nearby ski resorts: Steamboat and Howelsen Hill
Starting in February 2027, skiers in Portland, Oregon will be able to fly direct to Steamboat Springs (home to Steamboat Ski Resort and Howelsen Hill Ski Area)—no Denver connection required. The new nonstop Alaska Airlines flight runs every Thursday and Saturday between Feb. 11, 2027 and March 28, 2027. Plus, Alaska Airlines transports ski and snowboard equipment for the standard checked bag fee.
Denver, Colo.
Airline: Frontier
Nearby ski resorts: Winter Park, Loveland, and Arapahoe Basin, among others
Skiers in and around Fort Lauderdale will have an easier time getting to the slopes this winter, thanks to new daily flights from Frontier. The airline is connecting Fort Lauderdale and Denver through daily, nonstop flights.
Loveland is around one hour from the Denver airport by car, while Arapahoe Basin tends to be around 90 minutes without traffic. You can also avoid the ski traffic completely by booking the Winter Park Express, a ski train that connects Denver’s Union Station with the resort several times a week, with one-way fares historically starting at $9.
Burlington, Vt.
Airline: Breeze
Nearby ski resorts: Stowe, Mad River Glen, and Sugarbush, among others
Starting Oct. 4, 2026, Breeze Airways, a low-cost carrier, is adding two new nonstop flights to Burlington. There’s a new direct flight from Baltimore, along with a route from Vero Beach, Florida that includes a stop, but no change of planes mid-route (à la the airline’s BreezeThru service). Both flights run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays starting Oct. 4, with one-way rates starting at $49. From Burlington airport, Stowe, Mad River Glen, and Sugarbush are all within an hour’s drive.
Provo, Utah
Airline: Breeze
Nearby ski resorts: Snowbird, Alta, Sundance, Park City, and Deer Valley, among others
Most people coming to ski Utah fly into Salt Lake City, but just south of the metro is the college town of Provo, which is similarly close to some of the state’s best skiing. New this winter from Breeze Airways are two additional flights into Provo.
There’s a nonstop flight from the airport serving Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and another BreezeThru flight from Vero Beach, Florida (see more on BreezeThru here). The new routes both start Oct. 2, 2026, with the flight from Raleigh-Durham running nonstop on Mondays and Fridays and the Vero Beach flight operating Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Tokyo, Japan
Airline: United
Nearby ski resorts: Nozawa Onsen, Naeba, and Hakuba Valley, among others
United Airlines has long been the leading carrier between the U.S. and Japan. And starting Oct. 24, 2026, United is offering daily nonstop service between Chicago and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, building on its existing service between Chicago and Tokyo-Haneda.
This winter, United runs up to 13 daily flights from the continental U.S. to Japan, including routes into Osaka and Sapporo. From Tokyo, skiers can hop on a bullet train to ski areas like Nozawa Onsen (around 3 hours by train), Naeba (around 3.5 hours), and Hakuba Valley (4 hours).
Sapporo, Japan
Airline: United
Nearby ski resorts: Rusutsu, Kiroro, and Niseko, among others
In addition to new flights into Tokyo, United is launching new flights into Sapporo from San Francisco starting Dec. 11, 2026. From Sapporo, ski areas like Rusutsu, Kiroro, and Niseko are about two hours away, with Rusutsu being the closest of the three.
