Chartered Flights
Package operators offer flights from a wide range of regional airports across the UK including London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton and Edinburgh.
Certain operators will only fly from one airport (usually London Gatwick) so make sure that you check which flights are available before booking to make sure that they are convenient for you. Operators may also be able to buy in flights for you, too, so always make sure that you ask if you don’t see your first choice flight available at first glance.
Several operators use chartered flights, so passport details are not required at the time of booking – however they will always require full names of all passengers travelling. Hold baggage is always included in the price, however ski carriage is not – so make sure that you add this on at the time of booking as it is limited to availability. The ski carriage supplement varies with each flight but it will be approximately £50 return.
Return chartered flights typically operate from Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday. Some ski chalet operators will also offer short breaks or weekend breaks, but these are less common. For that, we can recommend hotels.
If you book a package with a chartered flight, you will not be able to check in online in advance as you do with online flight purchases. Instead, you will receive your flight ticket from your holiday operator 5-10 days before your departure date. Once received, make sure to check that all the information is correct. When you go to the airport, all you will need to do is take the ticket to the airline check-in desk and they will print your boarding pass for you. Please note that charter flights are always subject to change, even within a few hours of departure, and this can include times, airlines and very occasionally destination airports.
Booking your own flights
You may choose to book an independent chalet where the travel isn’t organised for you, and book your own flights independently. This can be favourable if you want to fly from a particular airport that doesn’t have chartered flights, and there are many flight paths available. Booking your own flights also gives you more flexibility with timings, which helps if you’re keen to avoid those early-morning starts.
It’s also worth noting that airlines such as EasyJet are now voluntarily offsetting the carbon emissions from their flights, and for this reason, many people prefer to book their flights to reach the Alps. Sustainability within the ski industry is a hot topic these days, and this initiative is proving popular among skiers and snowboarders keen to help ensure future generations can enjoy the snowy Alpine playground.
Transfers
If you have booked a package with flights included, then your airport transfers will also be included in the package. This will be a coach transfer from the airport to your resort. Certain operators will be able to organise a private transfer for you, but this will come at an extra cost.
When your flight lands, you will need to collect your bags from the baggage conveyor and go through to the arrivals hall, where you will see your tour operator representative. Tour operators make efforts to streamline the transition from flight to transfer coach to resort for their guests, sometimes with a couple of flights arriving with guests for the same coach/resort. As a result, you may end up waiting a little while at the airport, but the operators do try to ensure that they time it as best as possible. Obviously if there are flight delays this may cause the transfer leaving later than planned, but the operators will do their best to make sure that the process runs as smoothly as possible.
If you have booked your own flights then you may need to organise your own airport transfers as well, though many independent chalet operators do provide a transfer service for an extra cost. Alternatively, there are several transfer companies that offer both shared and private transfers from a variety of airports to all resorts. Ski Lifts took the top prize in the World's Best Ski Transfer Operator at the World Ski Awards 2019, and come highly recommended. Private transfers will only work out better value if you are a larger group. If you are planning on booking a shared transfer, then do make sure that you check the transfer times before booking your flight.