Direct Flight Aspen to Chicago Debuts this Summer
It’s going to be even easier for visitors to get from Aspen to Chicago this summer. For the first time, United will offer a nonstop direct flight from Chicago to Aspen on Saturdays during the summer months. The return flight will require a brief stop in Denver for refueling.
Until the Aspen airport runway is extended (plans are in the works), weight restrictions on takeoff during the warmer summer months prohibit a direct flight back to Chicago. According to Bill Tomcich, President pf Stay Aspen Snowmass and also the resort’s liason to the airline industry, the number of seats serving Aspen this summer will be up five to seven percent on United and Frontier. In addition, the number of people who got on a commercial flight increased by 15 percent last winter, between December and April.
Average airfares for Aspen travelers were down 17 percent last year. The average fare was $232 in 2009, down from $278 in 2008. Tomcich added that United and Frontier remain pleased with the performance of the Aspen market.
