How to save 10 hours on the slopes this ski season
Minimising travel time and hassle is always a priority, but for ski travellers taking shorter breaks, every minute on the slope counts.
If you’re taking a three or four-day break to ski over a long weekend, wiping out half a day each way for airline travel – once you add in airline check-in times, baggage reclaim and ground transfers – can feel particularly painful. And moving through a busy hub airport, with the risks of delays and overcrowding, and with family and luggage in tow, doesn’t exactly put you in the holiday mood.
On any ski trip, private jet travel makes things a lot easier and saves considerable time. Arrive just 15 minutes before takeoff; get away immediately at the other end; and choose your own departure times – many skiers fly out early and back late 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, not widely used by airlines.
We did 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.
The door-to-slope time from London to St Moritz can then be just over two hours by flying on a private jet to 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 (which has very limited airline options from the UK), instead of the main airline option of Geneva.
Of course the luxury of private aviation adds considerably to the enjoyment of a ski trip, but it’s the compelling ease and time-saving that attract many customers.
And the price can be lower than many people think, especially if you fill all the seats on the aircraft, as private charter is always priced for the whole aircraft, regardless of the number of passengers.
Private jet prices London to Sion
Citation Mustang (4 seats)
3-day return
Total aircraft charter price £10,800 (or £2,700 per person, based on 4 people travelling)
Helicopter transfers cut some journey times even further and start from £1000 each way for Sion to Verbier.
Private jet prices London to Samedan-Engadin
Citation Mustang (4 seats)
3-day return
Total aircraft charter price £13,750 (or £3,438 per person, based on 4 people travelling)
COMPARISON 1 – London to St Moritz
| Airline | Private jet | |
| Route | London – Zurich | London – Samedan St Moritz |
| Check-in time at airport | 2 hrs | 15 mins (can be as little as 5 mins) |
| Flight time | 1 hr 40 mins | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Baggage claim/arrival airport waiting time | 30 mins | N/A |
| Ground transfer to resort | 3 hours | 10 mins |
| Total journey time each way | 7 hrs 10 mins | 2 hrs |
| TIME SAVING BY PRIVATE JET | 10 hrs 20 mins return (5 hrs 10 mins each way) | |
COMPARISON 2 – London to Verbier
| Airline | Private jet (+ helicopter transfer) | |
| Route | London – Geneva | London – Sion |
| Check-in time at airport | 2 hrs | 15 mins (can be as little as 5 mins) |
| Flight time | 1 hr 40 mins | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Baggage claim/arrival airport waiting time | 30 mins | N/A |
| Ground transfer to resort | 2 hrs 30 mins | 50 mins (20 mins by helicopter) |
| Total journey time each way | 6 hrs 40 mins | 2 hrs 40 mins (2 hrs 10 mins with helicopter transfer) |
| TIME SAVING BY PRIVATE JET | 8-9 hrs return (4 hrs each way – or 4 hrs 30 mins each way with helicopter transfer) | |
Speak to our Flight Team for advice on the best airports and prices for your ski resort. Contact us or call (24 hours) +44 (0)20 7100 6960.
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