Plan your ski trip using points and miles: How to book flights, hotels, lift tickets and more

The 2024-2025 ski season is sort of upon us. Massive-name U.S. resorts like those in Vail, Colorado; Park Metropolis, Utah; and round Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border are slated to open in mid-November, and Colorado’s Wolf Creek Ski Space is already open because of an October snowstorm. Meaning now is a superb time to start out planning (and budgeting for) a winter getaway.

Even a budget-conscious ski trip can easily cost between $200 and $500 per individual, per day while you embrace elevate tickets, gear leases, meals, lodging and transportation. Tack on some personal ski classes, flights or a splurge on fancy lodging, and that complete can rapidly multiply.

Nonetheless, your subsequent journey to the mountain does not have to empty hundreds of {dollars} out of your checking account. The truth is, you’ll be able to pay for a lot of your ski journey utilizing factors and miles. This is how.

Associated: Everything you need to know about packing for a ski trip

Flights are one of many largest bills when taking a ski journey — and one of many best methods to save money by using points and miles.

When you have a stash of airline factors or miles or a bank card that earns transferable points or miles, you’ll be able to book award flights instantly via airways. You may normally discover the most effective offers both on the final minute (when resort costs might not be equally low-cost) or far upfront, so we advocate beginning your search early. Most airways supply some kind of calendar characteristic, permitting you to see which dates have the most effective costs.

Listed here are some nice choices we discovered.

*Be aware costs have been correct on the time of publishing.

Flights to mountain airports

There are two methods for flying to a ski vacation spot. The primary is to fly right into a small airport that is near the slopes. That is very handy when every little thing goes easily, however take into account that you are much less prone to discover a nonstop flight to those smaller airports and extra prone to see your flight get delayed or canceled on account of unpredictable mountain climate. Just a few years in the past, TPG’s Summer season Hull was caught in Aspen, Colorado, for days on account of a snowstorm (fortunately, she had built-in journey insurance coverage by way of her Chase Sapphire Reserve®).

Every day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication

Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists

Additionally, seats on these flights could be fairly expensive, particularly on weekends or holidays throughout peak ski season. However there are some implausible award offers on the market that may assist you get to your favourite ski slope for (virtually) free.

For example, United Airways persistently gives Saver awards from many U.S. cities to prime ski locations for 15,000 MileagePlus miles (plus $5.60 in taxes and costs) every manner.

You’ll be able to usually get these flights for much less by reserving them via Turkish Airlines’ Miles&Smiles program or Avianca LifeMiles as an alternative. On this case, the very same United flight from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) prices solely 12,500 LifeMiles (plus 51,351 Colombian pesos, or about $12) every manner.

American Airways has January flights to Jackson Gap Airport (JAC) in Wyoming from East Coast airports like Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) and Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT) starting from 8,500 to 11,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and $5.60 in taxes and costs every manner. It additionally has loads of award house for flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) and Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) close to Washington, D.C., for under 6,000 miles every manner. That is an ideal deal for flights that price roughly $200 to $400 one-way, providing you with a worth of over 3 cents per mile. (AAdvantage miles are price 1.6 cents every, per TPG’s November 2024 valuations.)

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has open award house to Vail’s Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) from main airports like Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD), Minneapolis-St. Paul Worldwide Airport (MSP) and Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) for under 7,500 miles and round $20 in taxes and costs every manner. Since these flights price upward of $400 every manner, that offers you a superb worth of over 5 cents per mile.

Southwest Airways does not fly to a ton of smaller ski locations, nevertheless it does serve Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. For instance, you could possibly fly from Houston’s William P. Interest Airport (HOU) to HDN for below 10,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards factors every manner this January — and in the event you maintain the sought-after Companion Pass, you could possibly deliver a liked one for simply the price of taxes and costs. You may additionally get two free checked bags, which is particularly useful when touring with ski gear.

Most airways aren’t so beneficiant on the subject of baggage, however having an airline cobranded credit card will usually get you not less than one free checked bag.

Flights to bigger airports

It’s possible you’ll select to fly into a bigger airport, even when it is slightly farther from the slopes. Some widespread ones embrace Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN), Salt Lake Metropolis Worldwide Airport (SLC) and Reno-Tahoe Worldwide Airport (RNO), relying on the place you are planning to ski. This offers you extra choices on the subject of flights and probably higher award pricing.

For example, you’ll be able to fly to Denver on Delta Air Strains this upcoming ski season for below 10,000 SkyMiles every manner from locations like Seattle (5,500 miles), Minneapolis (6,500 miles), Chicago (7,000 miles) and Boston (9,500 miles). United is at the moment providing flights to Reno from New York Metropolis ranging from 13,300 MileagePlus miles every manner or from Seattle ranging from 10,100 miles one-way. As for American, the provider has award house to Salt Lake Metropolis from Miami, Dallas and Charleston, South Carolina, for round 10,000 AAdvantage miles every manner.

Since Southwest does not serve many of the smaller mountain airports, flying into an even bigger airport will give Southwest loyalists way more choices to make use of their Fast Rewards factors, Companion Go or credit card perks.

The draw back of this method is that you’ll have to prepare journey from the airport to your vacation spot. Fortunately, many ski locations supply shuttle companies and public transportation choices, and there are a number of methods to e book rental vehicles with factors or miles — we’ll cowl these in additional element later.

Associated: Denver airport gets 17 new security lanes — here’s what you need to know

Bank card portals and perks

When researching flights, do not overlook bank card travel booking platforms, the place you’ll be able to redeem factors for flights at a flat price. For example, many Capital One cardholders can get 1 cent per mile on Capital One Travel purchases, whereas these with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve can get 1.25 or 1.5 cents per level, respectively, utilizing the Chase Travel℠ portal.

On this case, the price in factors or miles correlates to the money worth of a flight. In case you discover a low-cost flight to your ski vacation spot, this could possibly be a good way to e book it with factors or miles. And since airways usually code these flights as paid income flights, you will possible nonetheless earn airline factors or miles on them.

You too can select to e book a flight in money after which redeem your factors or miles for an announcement credit score to cowl the acquisition. For instance, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives a price of 1 cent per mile whereas permitting you to make the most of bank card perks like trip cancellation and interruption.

Remember to make the most of different card advantages, both. Airline playing cards usually present free checked baggage or boarding upgrades. Some playing cards supply money again (within the type of an announcement credit score) on airline incidental purchases; for instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express gives an annual (as much as) $200 assertion credit score towards airline incidental fees (enrollment is required). You need to use this to cowl checked baggage charges (which may actually add up on a household ski journey) or pay for seat assignments to make sure your group can sit collectively.

Merely holding sure playing cards can get you worthwhile reductions on award flights. For instance, Delta’s TakeOff 15 characteristic provides many eligible Delta cobranded cardholders a 15% low cost on flights booked with Delta SkyMiles, whereas the United Quest℠ Card gives two 5,000-mile rebates on award flights every year.

Associated: United Quest vs. Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex: Battle of the mid-tier airline cards

In case you’re a frequent skier, you already know the way expensive on-mountain lodging could be throughout ski season. The excellent news is that many of those lodges belong to main loyalty packages like Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy, which means you should use your hard-earned factors and miles and free night certificates to slash the price of your ski journey.

Even higher, most of those lodges’ websites supply a calendar characteristic that can assist you discover the most effective charges and dates in your wintry trip. Listed here are some offers we have discovered at the preferred packages.

*Be aware costs have been correct on the time of publishing.

Hilton Honors

In case you’re a Hilton loyalist, there are lots of choices for redeeming your Honors Honors points at lodges at or close to ski resorts. With the Hilton Honors program, there is no set award chart. As an alternative, the resort operates utilizing dynamic pricing, besides for traditional room rewards. Every resort has a spread for the variety of factors it costs per evening for traditional room rewards that you’ll find utilizing Hilton’s Factors Explorer software.

Though you’ll be able to count on most dates throughout ski season to fall below peak pricing and thus have the very best award charges, there are some affordable choices on the market. For instance, the Hampton Inn & Suites South Lake Tahoe runs between 47,000 and 70,000 factors per evening in January.

Since these are normal room rewards, these with a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (after spending $15,000 in a calendar 12 months) or a Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card may theoretically use a free night reward — however we would not advocate it. These certificates are extraordinarily worthwhile as a result of you should use them for any normal room reward price as much as 150,000 factors. You are higher off utilizing your free evening at a property just like the Waldorf Astoria Park City, which prices 110,000 factors for the standard room reward. Money charges there throughout ski season usually climb to nicely over $1,000 per evening.

The data for the Hilton Honors American Categorical Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Like lots of Hilton’s ski properties, the Waldorf Astoria Park Metropolis is assessed as a resort by Hilton, which means Aspire cardholders can use their semiannual (as much as) $200 Hilton resort statement credit there. Different Hilton ski resorts embrace the DoubleTree by Hilton Lodge Breckenridge, the Hilton Trip Membership Lake Tahoe Resort South, the Homewood Suites by Hilton Mont-Tremblant Resort and the Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa.

Hilton gives a number of cobranded bank cards to fast-track your Honors factors. Many of those present elite status, which not solely provides you perks throughout your keep but in addition permits you to e book a fifth night free with factors.

Associated: Best Hilton credit cards

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt is a popular hotel program amongst vacationers, partially as a result of it nonetheless makes use of an award chart — which can lead to some fantastic Hyatt redemptions.

Whereas the top-notch ski resorts will usually require between 25,000 and 45,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening, there are just a few hidden gems in this system. For instance, Hyatt Place Keystone / Dillon and Hyatt Place Park Metropolis are each Category 4 properties, which means they price solely 18,000 factors per evening on peak dates. For these with the World of Hyatt Credit Card, this can be a nice alternative to make use of your annual Hyatt Category 1-4 free night certificate.

You’ll be able to usually get essentially the most worth out of your factors at higher-category properties. For example, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley is a Class 6 property, which means peak dates will set you again 29,000 factors per evening. Money charges common round $1,300 throughout ski season, providing you with a worth of roughly 4.5 cents per level — nicely over TPG’s November 2024 valuation of 1.7 cents every for World of Hyatt factors.

When checking award charges at a person resort, click on “Factors Calendar” to see which dates are least expensive. Though most dates throughout ski season are inclined to fall below “peak” pricing, it’s possible you’ll get fortunate.

One main good thing about utilizing your factors at Hyatt properties is that resort charges are waived on award stays. Parking charges are additionally waived for Globalist members, even on paid reservations.

Associated: World of Hyatt elite status: What it is and how to earn it

Marriott Bonvoy

If an annual ski trip is in your future, you will most likely need to begin incomes factors throughout the Marriott Bonvoy program ASAP. That is as a result of it gives the best variety of ski-friendly properties throughout out west and past. There’s every little thing from high-end ski-in, ski-out resorts to extra budget-friendly properties not too removed from the primary ski villages.

Marriott now makes use of dynamic pricing, and ski season typically interprets to the very best charges. You’ll be able to seek for the most affordable dates by checking the “Versatile dates” field when setting the dates in your search.

Some fairly priced properties embrace the Residence Inn Steamboat Springs and the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas, the place award charges this winter are principally within the 60,000- to 75,000-point vary. Each lodges supply full kitchens, so you could possibly save much more by eating in.

However as with Hyatt, you’ll be able to usually maximize the worth of your factors at Marriott’s luxurious properties — when you’ve got sufficient factors to e book them. For example, a weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe in January will set you again roughly 125,000 factors per evening. With money charges round $1,300, you may get a worth of over 1 cent per level. That is fairly good, contemplating TPG values Bonvoy factors at 0.85 cents apiece, as of November 2024.

Different upscale resorts to contemplate embrace The Cloudveil, Autograph Assortment in Jackson Gap, Wyoming, and The Sky Residences at W Aspen and The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon, Vail Valley in Colorado.

Sadly, not like Hilton and Hyatt, Marriott costs nightly resort charges, even in the event you e book with factors or maintain elite status. You may obtain your fifth night free when booking with points, nevertheless it’ll take off your least costly evening.

Some Marriott cards present annual free evening awards that you should use at a wide range of properties. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is at the moment providing 125,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases in your first three months from account opening. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has its best-ever supply: You’ll be able to earn 60,000 factors plus one free evening award (valued as much as 50,000 factors) after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first three months from account opening. (Sure lodges have resort charges.)

Associated: The best Marriott all-inclusive resorts for a perfect vacation

Different lodges and trip leases

We have lined among the hottest factors lodges, however they don’t seem to be the one ones to contemplate in your ski journey.

IHG Lodges & Resorts gives a handful of properties conveniently positioned close to ski resorts, just like the Vacation Inn Steamboat Springs, the Vacation Inn Categorical & Suites Park Metropolis and the Vacation Inn Membership Holidays Tahoe Ridge Resort. Many of those price 40,000 IHG One Rewards factors or much less per evening, which implies you should use your annual anniversary reward evening certificates (capped at 40,000 factors) that comes with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. Cardmembers additionally get a fourth evening free on consecutive award stays.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has a number of choices which can be slightly outdoors of standard ski resorts, leading to a lot decrease costs. For example, the Tremendous 8 by Wyndham Dillon/Breckenridge Space is inside a half-hour drive of Breckenridge and Keystone, Colorado, and prices solely 15,000 Wyndham Rewards factors per evening. Some Wyndham resorts require a two- or three-night minimal keep, so it might assist to test for award availability for a number of nights.

Alternative Lodges’ portfolio features a handful of properties close to ski slopes, like Consolation Inn Close to Vail Beaver Creek in Colorado and High quality Inn Close to Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort in California. The draw back is which you could’t e book with Choice Privileges factors till 100 days upfront.

In case you’d favor a trip rental — maybe since you’re touring with a big group or hoping to save cash by eating in — there are just a few methods to e book vacation rentals with points via locations like Vacasa, Marriott Homes & Villas, Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt and Bluegreen Vacations. Moreover, some bank card journey portals, like Capital One Journey, now supply a selection of vacation rentals. Another choice is to e book a Vrbo or an Airbnb with money and use your bank card factors or miles to repay the acquisition.

Associated: Planning for ski season: How I booked a $1,500 vacation rental for just 45,000 points

Bank card journey portals

As with flights, you’ll be able to e book lodges instantly with factors or miles by way of your bank card’s journey portal. This feature is engaging in the event you maintain Chase’s Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, as they provide you a redemption worth of 1.25 cents per level and 1.5 cents per level, respectively, while you e book via Chase Journey.

Moreover, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives a $300 journey credit score every cardmember 12 months; nevertheless, you have to e book via the Capital One Journey portal.

Get elevate tickets and ski gear utilizing factors and miles

As soon as your flight and resort are taken care of, you would possibly suppose you’ve got lined the majority of your ski journey bills. However remember about the price of elevate tickets, ski passes and gear. These bills are simple to miss, however they’ll rapidly stack as much as tons of of {dollars} per individual. Fortunately, there are methods to cowl some or all of them with factors and miles.

Elevate tickets and passes

One tip to save cash (or factors and miles) and assure a day on the mountain is to buy elevate tickets earlier than the season begins. You are able to do this via advance single-day ticket reservations or a bigger bundle or go, which typically supply higher charges than shopping for your ticket on the mountain. A season go is sensible in the event you plan to take multiple ski journey, and it might even be definitely worth the cash for a single weeklong journey. Bear in mind that go costs usually rise as ski season nears, and gross sales normally finish sooner or later in fall.

With regards to utilizing factors for elevate tickets and passes, you’ve just a few choices. Many rewards cards supply a strategy to put your factors or miles towards earlier purchases, providing you with an announcement credit score that successfully cancels the acquisition. Nonetheless, the classes you are able to do this with — and the worth you will get out of your factors or miles — depend upon what card you’ve.

For example, Capital One helps you to pay with miles for journey purchases at a price of 1 cent per mile. Nonetheless, ski passes usually do not code as journey purchases; they usually code as leisure. You may redeem your Capital One miles for money again to cowl the price of your ski go, however that may offer you half the worth at 0.5 cents per mile.

One strategy to get round that is via a website referred to as Undercover Tourist. A number of big-name ski passes, such because the Epic Pass, can be found for buy by way of the positioning. In case you purchase your go via Undercover Vacationer, the acquisition will code as journey, providing you with extra choices to redeem factors and miles.

As an example you got a three-day Epic Pass for $330 on Undercover Tourist together with your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Since Capital One considers this a journey buy, you could possibly redeem 33,000 miles to cowl it. In case you purchased the identical go elsewhere and it coded as leisure, you could possibly nonetheless redeem your miles for money again, however you’d have to redeem double the miles to cowl the acquisition.

Associated: What’s the best ski pass this season? Comparing Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective and Indy passes

Redeem factors for ski reward playing cards

Alternatively, you’ll be able to put your factors towards elevate tickets by redeeming them for related reward playing cards. For instance, Chase helps you to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards factors at a price of 1 cent every for reward playing cards at numerous retailers, together with REI. Citi helps you to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards factors for reward playing cards on the identical worth, and you may generally stand up to 1.11 cents per point throughout gross sales.

You too can redeem 28,600 American Express Membership Rewards factors for a $200 Aspen Snowmass reward card, however we do not advocate it. At lower than a 1-cent-per-point redemption, this is not an ideal choice for vacationers, particularly when TPG values these factors at 2 cents every as of November 2024. Normally, you are higher off utilizing your factors for flights or lodging.

Ski free of charge

Along with utilizing factors and miles, there are lots of methods for youngsters and seniors to ski free of charge (or at a drastic low cost). Focusing on resorts the place not less than among the household can ski for much less can prevent critical money and/or factors and miles.

Hire ski gear utilizing factors

As with elevate tickets, you’ll be able to redeem your factors and miles for reward playing cards or assertion credit to place towards ski gear purchases. However when you’ve got Chase Final Rewards factors, you can even use them to lease ski gear in lots of areas.

Within the Chase Journey portal, you’ll be able to redeem factors instantly for journey. Ski gear leases are included below the “Actions” tab.

Simply enter your vacation spot and dates, then filter the outcomes for phrases like “ski.”

It is a fairly good use of your factors since you’ll get a worth of greater than 1 cent per level. Sapphire Preferred cardholders can redeem factors at a price of 1.25 cents every; these with the Sapphire Reserve get a fair higher price of 1.5 cents every.

Guide floor transportation in your ski journey with factors and miles

Final however not at all times least is getting from the airport to the mountain (and again).

Rental vehicles

In case you want a car throughout your ski trip, there are a number of methods to book rental cars with points and miles. As with flights and lodges, you should use rental car rewards factors to e book your car instantly, or you’ll be able to e book it with bank card factors or miles via your issuer’s journey portal. You too can use cash-back rewards towards assertion credit to cowl the price of a rental automotive (in addition to associated purchases like gasoline and parking).

And remember that many travel rewards cards supply car rental insurance, so you will not have to pay further for it. Some playing cards present elite status at sure rental companies, which regularly comes with perks like car upgrades or a free second driver, saving you much more cash.

Associated: What I’ve learned from multiple car rentals with the Capital One Travel portal

Shuttles and public transportation

In case you’re balking on the considered paying for a rental automotive (or navigating snowy mountain roads), a shuttle service or public transportation could also be simpler in your pockets and your nerves.

Epic Mountain Express gives van service (with free Wi-Fi) from the Denver airport to many Colorado ski areas, comparable to Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper Mountain — and Epic Go holders get a 20% low cost. The Snowstang bus runs to a number of ski hills in Colorado, and Amtrak gives a Winter Park Express prepare.

Similar to with gear leases, you’ll be able to generally e book these shuttles and airport transfers via the Chase Journey portal. And since many ski villages supply free shuttles round city, you most likely will not miss having a automotive when you get there.

Associated: The best credit cards for Amtrak and train travel

For flights, lodging, rental vehicles, and anything that codes as journey, use a card that offers you bonus rewards on journey purchases. Many journey playing cards include built-in trip protection, eliminating the necessity to purchase travel insurance and providing you with a security web in case your journey does not go easily. Listed here are a few of our favourite choices:

For nontravel purchases like elevate tickets and ski gear, take into account a card that earns bonus rewards on each buy:

*Eligibility and Profit degree varies by Card. Phrases, Situations and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance coverage Firm, an AIG Firm.

Associated: Best credit cards to use on ski trips