If you live out west and you want to slip in a weekend ski—or just a cozy snowy mountain—trip before or after the holidays to one of the best ski resorts in the country, now is the time to book.
Value Destination
Because the First Class fares from eight western cities to Salt Lake City, jumping-off point for Deer Valley, and many other hot spots, have rarely been better. In fact, they’re so low that it doesn’t make sense to use miles. Buy the ticket and earn redeemable and elite-qualifying miles.
Costly Destination
The best First Class fare, $400 round trip (plus taxes), is from Las Vegas. To put the deal in perspective, consider that a First Class seat from San Francisco to Reno, Nevada (for Lake Tahoe), is $1,630. That’s 74% more for a flight that is a half hour shorter than the one from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. See the fare chart below for the other great First Class fares to Deer Valley, which is about a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City. None of these fares have an advance-purchase requirement.
From the East and Midwest
If your time and fare budget are bigger, you can get a great deal from eastern and midwestern cities to Deer Valley as well as other top western ski resorts (see table to the right). For example, a First Class fare from Tampa to Reno (Lake Tahoe) is $878 on most major airlines. The flight nets you 6,801 miles on an American flight itinerary (that includes the 50% First Class mileage bonus), which offsets the cost of the ticket by $175 (that’s what it would cost to buy 7,000 miles from American), making your actual ticket cost only about $700.
Low First Class Fares to Deer Valley (Salt Lake City)
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Elite (Discount) Prospective
The return for elites is even greater. Top-tier ones on AA (Executive Platinum and Platinum) earn another 4,534 miles, a $112 offset, making the First Class ticket cost from Tampa to Reno only $590 for top elites. Bottom tier elites earn a 25% bonus. (Other elite mileage programs offer bonuses ranging from 125% to 25%.)
Elite (Status Run ) Perspective
Do the trip now instead of putting it off until January or February so you can rack up Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs). Most elite-mileage programs give you a 50% EQM bonus on top of the redeemable-miles bonus. For some of you, that could mean the difference between keeping or losing your current elite status or even move up to the next level. Even if you only retain bottom-tier elite status, that’s a major benefit. You avoid pesky airline fees (such as those for baggage), get to jump long check-in and security lines, and have a shot at a free upgrade for yourself and a companion.
Example of Winter First Class Fares
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