Head to the Slopes with United Airlines

CHICAGO, Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines will add flights to popular U.S. ski destinations for the upcoming winter and spring ski season, with three new routes and increased service on several existing routes.

New Service
On Dec. 12, 2013, United will launch nonstop service from its San Francisco hub to Sun Valley, Idaho, with daily flights offered through March 30, 2014. 

United will also begin nonstop service from its Chicago hub to Gunnison/Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs/Hayden, Colo. The Gunnison/Crested Butte flights will begin on Dec. 21, 2013, and the Steamboat Springs/Hayden flights will begin on Feb. 15, 2014. The Gunnison/Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs/Hayden flights will operate through March 29, 2014.

Additional Service on Existing Markets
United will also add flights to existing ski market routes from several of its hubs:

• Denver to Kalispell/Whitefish, Mont.
• Houston to Aspen, Colo.
• Houston, Los Angeles and New York/Newark to Jackson Hole, Wyo.
• Los Angeles to Steamboat Springs/Hayden
• New York/Newark to Bozeman, Mont.

"United is offering skiers even more options to head to the slopes this ski season with three new ski-destination routes and more flights to some of the ski markets we already serve," said Vic Kerckhoff, United's director of leisure sales. "This new service provides travelers from across the country with frequent, convenient access to some of the best ski areas in the West."

United Express carrier SkyWest Airlines will operate the new routes, using CRJ700 regional jet aircraft with United First, United Economy Plus and United Economy seating.

SkyWest's CRJ700 aircraft are among the first being outfitted with United's new signature seat design that is focused on customer comfort and environmental responsibility.

The multi-tonal leather seats on the CRJ700 aircraft will have more ergonomic and supportive cushioning and additional seat-back storage space in United Economy Plus and United Economy. New technology makes the seats more environmentally friendly by reducing seat weight and volume, contributing to less fuel burn. United will also outfit other aircraft types with the multi-tonal leather interiors and similar cushioning and seat-back storage.

Winter Ski Destinations from All U.S. Hubs
From the Denver hub alone, United offers nonstop flights to 13 ski resorts for the winter ski season. Additionally, the new flights further expand United's broad range of winter-season service from all of its U.S. hubs to ski destinations across North America, including:

• Aspen: from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco
• Bozeman: from Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco
• Burlington, Vt.: from Chicago, Cleveland, New York/Newark and Washington
• Durango, Colo.: from Denver
• Eagle/Vail, Colo.: from Denver, Houston and New York/Newark
• Gunnison/Crested Butte: from Chicago, Denver and Houston
• Hayden/Steamboat Springs: from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York/Newark
• Jackson Hole: from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco
• Kalispell/Whitefish: from Denver
• Kelowna, British Columbia: from Los Angeles
• Mammoth Lakes, Calif.: from Orange County and San Francisco
• Montrose/Telluride, Colo.: from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York/Newark
• Reno/Tahoe, Nev.: from Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
• Salt Lake City: from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
• Santa Fe/Taos, N.M.: from Denver
• Sun Valley: from San Francisco
• Vancouver, British Columbia: from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco

About United
United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,341 flights a day to more than 360 airports across six continents. In 2012, United and United Express carried more passenger traffic than any other airline in the world and operated nearly two million flights carrying 140 million customers. United is investing in upgrading its onboard products and now offers more flat-bed seats in its premium cabins and more extra-legroom economy-class seating than any airline in North America. In 2013, United became the first U.S.-based international carrier to offer satellite-based Wi-Fi on long-haul overseas routes. The airline also features DIRECTV® on 200 aircraft, offering customers more live television access than any other airline in the world. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and has made large-scale investments in its fleet. In 2013, United will continue to modernize its fleet by taking delivery of more than two dozen new Boeing aircraft. The company expanded its industry-leading global route network in 2012, launching nine new international and 18 new domestic routes. Business Traveler magazine awarded United Best Airline for North American Travel for 2012, and readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the best frequent flyer program for nine consecutive years. According to the 4^th annual Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey published by IdeaWorksCompany in May 2013, United has the most saver-style award-seat availability among the largest U.S. global airlines. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 195 countries via 28 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com or follow United on Twitter and Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

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SOURCE United Airlines