Scottish snow lovers Jet2 the piste

It may be the summer holidays, but for avid skiers and snowboarders the real highlight of the year - the winter season - isn’t that far away. Bargain hunters dreaming of heading to the snow can now book great value flights from the North’s leading leisure airline Jet2.com to top ski resorts in the Alps from December 2011 to April 2012.

Jet2.com will start flying a new direct route from Glasgow to Geneva this December flying up to three times per week during the season and from Edinburgh to Chambery and Salzburg up to twice a week. The flights mean that some of the Alps’ most extensive ski areas and with the best snow records will be just a couple of hours away and from the wallet friendly price of just £29.99 one way including taxes. With long range weather forecasts predicting cold weather and lots of snow this winter, what better reason to head for the hills and get a ‘piste’ of the action?

Geneva is close to some of the best resorts in the Alps including Morzine – Avoriaz, Chamonix, Verbier and Italy’s Courmayeur, at the base of breathtaking Mont Blanc.  Meanwhile, Chambery is the gateway to some of the most superb skiing in France – including the resorts of Tignes, Val d'Isere, Meribel and Val Thorens. 

Finally, Salzburg is ideal for the snow-capped peaks of Austria and with 130 resorts in a three radius, including Schladming, Zell am See, Kitzbuhel and Saalbach, there is something for all abilities.

Ian Doubtfire, managing director at Jet2.com said: “We’re delighted to offer a new route to Geneva from Glasgow this winter and flights to Chambery and Salzburg from Edinburgh – there are a great range of resorts for Scottish skiers to choose from.

“We’re proud of Jet2.com’s generous 22kg baggage allowance which means there’s plenty of room for bulky ski gear. The friendly flight times are all carefully scheduled to get passengers to the resorts and out on the snow the day they arrive. And with all Jet2.com flights, customers don’t need to rush for a seat as they are pre-allocated - we want to make sure any racing is done on the piste and not to get on the aircraft!”

Flights to all three destinations start in December 2011 and run until April 2012, so there’s plenty of time to squeeze in a weekend break with friends or a week-long family holiday with the kids.

Jet2.com has selected the best destinations to suit all types of skier:

For the best weekend break with friends, sample Ellmau’s buzzing après ski scene. The Austrian resort has a heady mix of traditional bars and a modern cosmopolitan atmosphere, making it the perfect resort to relax in after a hard day on the slopes with friends.  Fly to Salzburg from Edinburgh and then drive for an hour to get to Ellmau.

For the best family fun, Flaine, in France boasts a variety of kids clubs, ski schools, and family entertainment to keep the kids happy whilst you’re enjoying the slopes. There’s even a bowling alley, climbing wall, and swimming centre to keep everybody happy when skiing gets too much. Flaine is only a short trip from Chambery, fly there from Edinburgh.

Perfect for snowboarders, Verbier in Switzerland is a boarder’s paradise, with more than 250 miles of slopes, including the famous Mont Fort - a 4,291 feet ride that’s not for the faint hearted. Fly to Geneva from Glasgow and then hop on the train to Verbier.

For more information visit Jet2.com or the Jet2.com microsite - Jet2.com/ski.  The site contains detailed information on every resort, including slope difficulty, downloadable piste maps and drive times from the airport, as well as weather reports and even live ‘snow cams’ so conditions can be viewed in real time.