OREANDA-NEWS. 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.