Direct Ski Flights to Salt Lake City to Open up Utah Resorts

March 11, 2016

Photo by Freeimages.com/Derek Jones

The Daily Telegraph, March 11, 2016

For the first time skiers and snowboarders will be able to fly direct to Salt Lake City from the UK, allowing easy access to some of Utah’s – and indeed North America’s – best resorts.

The new service from Delta will operate three times a week from London Heathrow during the winter, giving a shot in the arm to British interest in Utah.

The nearest resort to Salt Lake City, Park City, is a mere 45-minute transfer away. Last year it merged with neighbouring Canyons after being purchased by Vail Resorts, creating the largest ski area in the US.

Also easily accessible from Salt Lake City are the mainstream resorts of Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird, each offering extensive skiing and snowboarding in their own right. With further, smaller but equally impressive resorts to explore such as Snowbasin, Sundance, Solitude and Powder Mountain, Utah is a compelling offering for British visitors.

The new direct flight, following the investment Vail Resorts has made in Park City, could be a game changer. British visitors who might have been tempted to visit more accessible resorts such as Whistler in Canada, with a direct flight to Vancouver, or Colorado resorts with direct flights to Denver, are likely to look again at Utah.

Previously, skiers would have had to fly to Salt Lake City via Chicago, Dallas or another hub.

It’s certainly a view shared by VP of Marketing & Operations for Ski Utah Raelene Davis who said she was confident it would increase the numbers of British skiers coming to the state. “We’ve waited a long time for this flight,” she told Planet Ski .

UK tour operators are equally enthusiastic with Marion Telsnig from Crystal Ski, the UK’s biggest ski operator, telling Telegraph Ski that it will make a huge difference to customers, who previously had to fly via Chicago or Dallas.

“We are just waiting to see which weekdays this new flight will operate and how the operation will work, then we can confirmed what we are doing,” she said.

Nick Laver from specialist operator Ski Independence said: “We’re delighted to be able offer this fantastic new service to our customers for next winter.”

Delta’s Heathrow to Salt Lake City route will depart at 11.30 and arrive in Utah at 15.40, with the return flight departing Salt Lake City at 15.05 and arriving back in London at 09.30 the following day. The flight is likely to take about 10 hours.

In addition to the new Heathrow flights, Delta will also be running daily direct flights from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City, adding more flexibility for regional connections. Links are also possible from Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford and more.

This article was from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.