The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Flights ramping up and Chicago looks solid
By Mark Reaman
The slow start to significant snow this winter appears to be having an impact on 2025-26 ski season reservations. It was reported at the December 12 Gunnison Valley Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) meeting that occupancy numbers for the overall season are trending behind where they were last year. But at the same time, we are heading into several busy weeks.
“The latter half of the season is lagging,” Tourism and Prosperity Partnership executive director Andrew Sandstrom told the board. “December is about flat in terms of numbers, but the rates being charged are up.”
RTA airline consultant Bill Tomcich said the same trend is running with airline seat reservations. “For the winter we are about 2% down at this point,” he said. “December and January are strong, but February and March are pacing down.”
Sandstrom noted that both Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Thursdays. He said that should drive more visitors to the last week of December for the holiday period instead of the first week of January.
“Overall, January is pacing ahead in terms of occupancy and rate, but the particular strength is around the MLK holiday weekend,” Sandstrom said. “February and March are pacing behind in occupancy right now and rates are variable for those months. It appears some rates are being lowered to try and drive some reservations at the end part of the season.”
Both Sandstrom and Tomcich said the latest trends indicate more and more people are booking at the last minute. “That’s been a multi-year trend now and Vail Resorts is addressing it by promoting things like last minute window pricing deals for lift tickets,” said Sandstrom. “Traditionally one of the biggest booking windows of the year is right after the holidays for the latter half of the season. Looking at the long-range weather forecast it looks like we’ll get a decent storm cycle during the holidays so hopefully that will help with bookings.”
Responding to a question from the RTA board, Sandstrom said the TAPP marketing effort to help fill the new airline seats for the Chicago to Gunnison flights has been positive. “That marketing project has been one of the best performing campaigns we have running,” he said. “There is a high click-through rate. The Chicago market is responding well and we feel really good about that.”
Tomcich said the seat reservations on that United flight bear that out. “Chicago is nothing but good news,” he said. “The Chicago flights look good all winter.”
Tomcich reported that airline passenger numbers in November was another record for that month indicating locals are utilizing the local airport. He said the two daily flights in November were up 26% compared to 2024.
The more robust winter flight schedule kicks off soon as United increases the Denver flight frequency to three times a day on December 17, while direct flights from Dallas and Houston start on the 18th and the first winter Chicago flight will arrive on December 19.
Tomcich reminded the board that the three daily flights between Gunnison and Denver will run into early April before being reduced to two flights a day for the spring.
