Rockies Report: Airlines Provide an Expressway to the Slopes

Southwest Charges No Checked-Baggage Fees

No airline levied fees for checked bags during the 2006-07 ski season, but now, nearly all of them do -- except for elite-level and front-cabin passengers. Policies change rapidly but expect theses surcharges to remain this winter. There are two noteworthy exceptions in North America. Southwest Airlines (tel. 800/435-9792; www.southwest.com) does not charge for checked bags. It serves Albuquerque, Boise, Denver and Salt Lake City -- and for skiers heading farther west, Reno/Lake Tahoe. Also, there are no such fees at Air Canada (tel. 888-247-2262; www.aircanada.com), which serves Calgary (for the Banff/Lake Louise resorts, Panorama); Kelowna (for the resorts in and near the Okanagan Valley, namely Alpine Apex, Big White, Crystal Mountain, Revelstoke, Silver Star), Kamloops (for Sun Peaks), and Vancouver (for Whistler).

Crested Butte offers free skiing when flying Delta to nearby Gunnison/Crested Butte Regional Airport. Guests get one day of free skiing for every night's lodging for everyone in the party. There are conditions. The air itinerary must include a connection in Salt Lake City to the carrier's new nonstop Salt Lake-Gunnison flight. Also, the lodging component must be booked through Crested Butte Vacations (tel. 800/927-8883) by Nov. 14 and is not offered on-line. The offer is valid for travel between Dec.18, 2008, and Mar. 30, 2009, including holidays.

With the start of weekly flights last summer, Los Angeles became the newest departure city for seasonal nonstop flights to Bozeman, Mont., 45 miles from Big Sky Resort (tel. 800/548-4486; www.bigskyresort.com). Also serving Bozeman's Gallatin Field are flights Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.

On Dec. 11, United Airlines will add daily flights using a 66-passenger regional jet between Chicago and Montrose/Telluride Regional Airport. The carrier is also upping service from Los Angeles to Telluride to twice-weekly and its Delta flight between Atlanta and Montrose from two to three times a week. The airport is 65 miles from Telluride Ski Resort (tel. 800/778-8581; www.tellurideskiresort.com).

Once the plane has landed and luggage (hopefully) collected, Aspen-bound skiers now can travel to Aspen/Snowmass from Denver International Airport via luxury motorcoach. Gray Line (tel. 877/277-3690; www.grayline.com) has instituted VIP check-in a special concierge facility at DIA. The coaches are outfitted with GPS tracking, on-board entertainment and customized amenities. Six nonstop departures are scheduled every day, including a comfortable night coach for late-arriving passengers. 

In addition to US Airways/AmericaWest from Phoenix and United Express from Denver, Durango-La Plata County Regional Airport now is served by nonstop flights from Salt Lake City via Delta. The airport serves Colorado's snow-laden southwest corner. Durango Mountain Resort (tel. 800/982-6103 or 970/247-9000; www.durangomountainresort.com) is the closest. Also accessed from Durango's airport are Colorado's two annual snowfall leaders, Wolf Creek (tel. 970/264-5639; www.wolfcreekski.com) near Pagosa Springs and Silverton Mountain (tel. 970/387-5706; www.silvertonmountain.com).

On Dec. 17, the Kootenay Rockies Region (tel. 250 427-4838; www.kootenayrockies.com) of British Columbia is welcoming the inaugural flight of Delta's (tel. 800-221-1212; www.delta.com) transborder 50-passenger jet service between Salt Lake City and Canadian Rockies International Airport (airport code XYC). Located near Cranbrook, this airport serves the southeast British Columbia ski destinations of Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Panorama Mountain Village, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Whitewater Winter Resort, Red Mountain Resort and Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, plus Canadian Mountain Holidays and other heli- and cat-skiing operations.