Alaska Airlines passengers can ski for free at US and Canadian resorts

The promotion is running for the entire 2020/21 ski season

Alaska Airlines’ ski free programme is back (Getty Images)

Keen skiers and snowboarders can get free lift passes for ski resorts in the US and Canada this winter thanks to Alaska Airlines.

The airline’s popular “Ski Free” programme has returned for the 2020/21 season, with travellers able to pick from eight different resorts.

All they have to do is hold on to their boarding pass to exchange it for a free one-day lift pass.

But there are restrictions – you have to fly to and from designated airports for each resort.

And most resorts will only let you exchange free passes on the day of travel, which means you’ll have to travel from the airport straight to the slopes, although a handful will let you use the passes at a later date.

The ski resorts involved are:

• Alyeska Resort: Fly from Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, and Spokane to Anchorage
• Bogus Basin: Fly from Seattle to Boise
• Eaglecrest Ski Area: Fly from Anchorage, Glacier Bay/Gustavus, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Seattle, Sitka, and Yakutat to Juneau
• Red Lodge Mountain: Fly from Seattle and Portland to Billings
• Red Mountain Resort: Fly from Anchorage, Boise, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle to Spokane
• Schweitzer Mountain Resort: Fly from Anchorage, Boise, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle to Spokane
• Ski Marmot Basin: Fly from Seattle to Edmonton or Calgary
• Whitefish Mountain Resort: Fly from Portland and Seattle to Kalispell/Glacier Park

While Alaska Airlines also ran the same promotion last year, it’s far from the only airline getting creative to attract passengers.

Early into the pandemic, Air New Zealand sold flights across 32 routes for less than £5, with the entire cache selling out in just an hour.

Several airlines have also launched unlimited flight passes to encourage passengers to return.

Air Canada offered its Infinite Canada Flight Pass in September, with prices starting from $2,260 per month.

The pass, which can be purchased to cover a one, two or three-month period, allows passengers to take as many flights as they like within Canada for a flat fee.

Travellers can also change or cancel their flight up to an hour before its departure at no additional cost.

The airline follows in the footsteps of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, which earlier this year introduced a year-long unlimited pass for residents to travel to domestic destinations for 499 ringgit (£94).

China Eastern also launched a weekend-only unlimited flight pass to stimulate growth following the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, the pass was so popular the airline subsequently changed the deal to only cover weekday flights instead.