How time-starved skiers can gain ten hours on the slopes

Minimising travel time is a priority for any short break. With only three or four days’ away, who wants to lose a third of that time travelling and waiting around at the airport? And for short ski breaks, careful travel planning can make the difference of ten hours on the slopes, according to analysis by PrivateFly. The private jet booking service has produced a comparison of travel times for a short ski break to two of Europe’s premier ski resorts, Verbier and St Moritz, using airlines versus private aviation from London.

Adam Twidell, CEO of PrivateFly, comments: “Many ski travellers no longer have the time to take a whole week off to head to the slopes. More and more people are looking to take three or four-day breaks, over a long weekend. That’s when planning to minimise travel time becomes a key priority. Airline travel can often wipe out half a day each way or more of the trip, once you add in airport check-in times, baggage reclaim and ground transfers – even if the flight itself is fairly short.

“On any ski trip, private charter will save considerable time, as you can arrive just 15 minutes before takeoff; get away immediately at the other end; and choose early and late departure times - for a full day of skiing each end of the trip. But for some destinations, the time savings can be even more dramatic, by using smaller airports closer to ski areas, which are not used by airlines. “For example the door-to-slope time from London to St Moritz can then be just over two hours by flying privately into Samedan-Engadin airport, versus seven hours using scheduled airlines to Zurich. That’s a saving of over ten hours on a return journey – a whole extra day of skiing.

“A similar time saving can be made when travelling to Verbier, Zermatt or Les 4 Vallées by flying into Sion airport instead of Geneva. “These smaller airports see a huge increase in flights over the ski season, with a 207% increase on average monthly flight volumes to Samedan-Engadin in February*. “Of course the VIP luxury of private jet travel adds considerably to the enjoyment of a ski trip, but it is the compelling time-saving benefits that attract many customers.”

Prices start from £2,582 per person return, based on 4 people travelling in a Cessna Mustang jet from London to Sion airport (total aircraft charter £10,331). Or £3,355 per person on the same basis, from London to Samedan Engadin airport (total aircraft charter £13,423). Helicopter transfers cut some journey times even further and start from £200 per person (£800 total) each way for Sion to Verbier.

*COMPARISON 1 – London to St Moritz

COMPARISON 2 – London to Verbier

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Notes to editors: For more ski airport facts and statistics, see PrivateFly’s infographic guide to European ski resorts: http://www.privatefly.com/inspirational-jet-flights/europes-top-ski-resorts-by-private-jet.html