Skiing and snowboarding has a reputation for being a pastime of the rich … and the ski industry spent years earning that reputation. The sticker price for a ski vacation might be daunting. Soaring 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. 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 even 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!
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.
Colorado: Denver, 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 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…
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 added flight capacity into both these airports the past few years, prices into both of these mountain towns have been cheap for a trip in 2026.
This roundup of the lowest fares to Vail (EGE) was robust – touching airports all over the U.S. – from Little Rock (LIT) to Sacramento (SMF) and beyond.
The low fares to Vail are thanks to more airlines operating more flights into the airport. In the case of Aspen, this year's low fares are thanks to some larger planes flying in after the airport finished a runway construction project this summer.
This low fare from Los Angeles (LAX) was just the tip of the iceberg. Look at all of these flights in the $200s roundtrip!
We look for fares like this 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 2026, too.
This flight deal connected all over these airports to Seattle (SEA) with flights in the $100s 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!
Big Sky, Montana (in a Lie-flat Seat?)
There's only one airline who flies lie-flat seats to Bozeman, Montana (BZN), and it's not the big guns like Delta and United that constantly brag about how “premium” their brands are: It's 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 more 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.
But for the rest of us, an economy seat will do, and there's plenty of great cheap flight options in and out of BZN all winter long.
Thanks to some competition from Southwest (a rarity in ski towns), Bozeman flights often stay cheap, too. Including, in this case, some fares in the $150s roundtrip!
Lake Tahoe, California
Heavenly, Kirkwood, Northstar, Palisades Tahoe, Sugar Bowl, Mt. Rose … the mountain resorts surrounding scenic Lake Tahoe are nothing short of … well … heavenly.
Skiing the deep powder of the Sierra Nevada mountains under that quintessential California sunshine? Say less.
A cheap flight to Reno, Nevada (RNO) is the best way to get here – leaving just a 90-minute drive to the lake after you land.
And while Lake Tahoe might have a bougie reputation, the airfare to get to its closest airport is anything but!
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson, Wyoming, on Wyoming's western border and in the middle of the Teton Mountains, isn't the easiest place to get to, so a flight into JAC airport is definitely your best bet.
Luckily, as Jackson's popularity has soared over the last few years, more and more airlines are flying to JAC – one of the only airports located on National Park land, by the way!
But more interesting than that are roundtrip flights in the $200s during peak ski season from coast-to-coast. Whether you live in Washington, D.C. (DCA, IAD) or Lubbock, Texas (LBB), Jackson is within reach.
The Alps
A couple of years back, 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.
Just a few weeks ago, we rounded up these low fares flying from 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 when Icelandair and SAS get involved, things can get really cheap…
And if you'd rather fly to Geneva, to perhaps drop down into the French Alps in cities like Chamonix (one of our favorite places on earth to travel to), you'll want to secure a fare that looks like these!
However you want to get to the Alps, 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. But this new SWISS Senses Business Class looks somehow even better…
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.
These fares from all over the U.S. to Tokyo's two major airports could be booked in the $600s or $700s roundtrip. That's normally an awesome deal for flights that routinely peak at $1,400 or $1,500 instead.
But this fall, fares for Japanuary have continued a freefall, into the $500s roundtrip from these U.S. cities for instance!
And for our subscribers in Canada, they were treated to some mind-bending fares in the $400s roundtrip flying WestJet! Insane.
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. (I love my Dakine Fall Line Roller pictured above.) 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.
Don't miss another cheap flight alert to the mountains: Subscribe to our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alerts to get all the deals we find from your airport.
I love Park City, Utah! The slopes are great and they have free bus shuttle service that takes you right to the slopes which saves you having to rent a car when up there! I fly from LAX so the flight is easy (like an hour and a half) to SLC. We typically rent an AirBnB so we can have a kitchen to cook (though there are so many awesome restaurants up there too).