Ski season underway in the United States, with The first resort to announce its opening season last week. And while there are deals on flights to domestic destinations that will take you up short driving slopes, you won’t pay more to fly internationally.
Take it Switzerland as an example, you can get under $500 by air right now – and in some cases less than that – and these flights will give you plenty of time to enjoy the ski season snow.
If skiing in the Swiss Alps already on your bucket list, this could be a great opportunity. Not to mention, in addition to getting some incredible runs across the Atlantic, you’ll get to experience all that Switzerland has to offer in the winter, and so much more.
Depending on which US city you’re departing from, you may be able to find a better price when flying to Geneva, as opposed to Zurich (or vice versa). Scott’s Cheap Flights Be the first to flag great ski season flights to Switzerland. The site offers premium memberships starting at $49 annually for economy class deals and $199 annually for premium economy and business class deals.
Whether you’re hoping to travel this fall, catch the peak skiing months in the winter, or book a spring break trip, this deal will get you cheap airfare.
Basic knowledge of trading
Airlines: Delta, Air France, KLM, Icelandair, Aer Lingus, TAP.
Routes: Boston / Miami / New York to Geneva; Chicago / New York / Washington to Zurich.
Date of department: November 2022 – March 2023.
How to set: We recommend finding your itinerary with Google Flights, then booking directly through the airline.
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Sample flight
We mark fares to Geneva and Zurich for less than $500 round-trip. However, we should note that if you don’t see your favorite Swiss city or destination listed and are hoping to book a ticket, there are quite a few rooms available right around (or slightly higher) $500.
If you’re a Delta Air Lines loyalist, there’s sure to be good news with this deal. The Atlanta-based airline and its SkyTeam partners like KLM and Air France have plenty of tickets, especially when flying from the Northeast.
Most of these journeys involve a connection somewhere, and where that connection is really depends on the airline you’re flying: If you’re flying Air France, it’ll be in Paris; if KLM is in Amsterdam; TAP in Lisbon, etc. However, sometimes when we talk about connections abroad, it can be a long stop for many hours. That’s not the case here – we found plenty of short passages available, so you’ll be well on your way to your final destination once connected.
However, if you want to pull out a little more stopover so you can enjoy your time in your connecting city, that can often happen when you book your tickets and can be a way to enjoy second city at no extra charge. After all, there are some pretty compelling connections here – from Paris to Dublin and Iceland.
Here are just a few of the itineraries and prices we found:
- Boston to Geneva for $479 on a combination of Air France and KLM
- Chicago to Geneva
- Miami to Geneva for $479 on Air France
- New York to Geneva for $479 on a combination of Delta, Air France and KLM
- Washington to Zurich for $414 on Icelandair
Let’s start by looking at a potential cruise out of the New York area. Those hoping to make it to Geneva can do so with a combination of Sky Team partners. Traveling just after the new year, you’ll depart John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on a Delta Boeing 767, flying overnight to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), where you will arrive at noon the next day. An hour later, you’ll depart on Air France for a short 70-minute trip to Geneva (GVA).
On your return trip, you’ll start with an 80-minute short return flight to Paris by Air France, before a 65-minute stop and an afternoon intercontinental flight back to JFK with Delta.
On the other hand, New Yorkers hoping to get to Zurich can find even cheaper flights on Aer Lingus. This early February itinerary includes an overnight flight to Dublin Airport (DUB) and the remainder of the trip to Zurich after a two-and-a-half hour pause. A slightly longer stop on the return trip; 3 hours 50 minutes.
One option for Washington, DC area visitors hoping to visit Switzerland this ski season is a round trip on Icelandair out of Baltimore/Washington’s Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI). After an overnight flight to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland, you just need to stop 55 minutes before en route to Zurich. It was another short stop of just over an hour in Iceland on the return trip.
Finally, here’s another combination of Sky Team flights en route out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in a trip that can serve as a spring ski getaway. For $477, you’ll depart on an Air France Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Logan for an overnight flight to Paris. After a short one-hour stop, you’ll be on your way to Geneva. On your return trip, you’ll fly with KLM, stopping in Amsterdam before making the overseas leg on an Airbus A330 back to New England. Hopefully in the spring activities at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) will looks a lot better than last year.
Maximize your purchases
Don’t forget to use your reward card when buying airline tickets, such as Platinum Card® from American Expressearn 5 points per dollar on airline tickets booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 for these purchases per calendar year). The Citi Premier® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve earn 3 points for every dollar on airline tickets and American Express® Gold Card also earn 3 points for every dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel. Meanwhile, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Earn 2 points for every dollar while traveling. Find out more here about maximizing your airline ticket purchase.
Key point
Ski season isn’t just “coming up”. As of this weekend, we can officially say it’s here. And there are few better places to cross the slopes than Switzerland. For less than $500, you can check out the ski bucket list for many, with pretty impressive availability in Zurich and/or Geneva throughout the season.
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