Get ready for winter: Ski for free by presenting your airline boarding pass

Great news for ski enthusiasts: Winter is just around the corner, and some resorts have already started operating their lifts. However, as we all know, planning a ski vacation can be quite costly. While you can save on hotels and flights by utilizing points and miles, lift ticket prices can quickly add up, especially for families.

Luckily, several mountains offer free skiing just by showing your airline boarding pass, thanks to a partnership with Alaska Airlines.

Some resorts provide a free lift ticket for the afternoon of your arrival, while others offer it for the morning of your departure. There are even mountains that grant you a complimentary lift ticket for any day during your trip, irrespective of when you arrive or leave. This is a fantastic way to reduce the cost of your lift tickets, as there’s truly no better way to enjoy skiing than for free.

Here’s a list of all the resorts where you can ski for free just by presenting your boarding pass:

Alaska

Alyeska Resort

Alyeska Resort is situated just 40 miles from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), where Alaska Airlines provides nonstop flights from numerous cities, including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon. Even travelers from Hawaii will have various nonstop flight options available from Honolulu, Maui, and the Big Island.

Simply present your Alaska Airlines paper boarding pass at any resort ticket counter, and you can enjoy skiing for free for the remainder of your arrival day. This promotion is valid only from Monday to Friday between January 7 and April 30, 2024, with blackout dates on January 15, February 29, and March 8-23.

Eaglecrest

Located just 15 minutes from downtown Juneau, Eaglecrest offers a complimentary same-day lift ticket to travelers arriving at Juneau International Airport (JNU) that morning via Alaska Airlines. This offer also extends to those arriving by boat through the Alaska Marine Highway System or by seaplane with Alaska Seaplanes. However, each person is limited to three redemptions per winter season.

For additional days, the most expensive lift ticket costs only $75, making it a fairly budget-friendly ski getaway.

Canada

Ski Marmot Basin

Ski Marmot Basin offers two special deals for those traveling with Alaska Airlines on their ski trips. By presenting your boarding pass or printed itinerary at the guest services desk, you can choose between a complimentary full-day lift ticket or a three-day lift ticket priced as a two-day ticket. The advantage of this offer is that the free day can be used anytime within 21 days of your arrival, not necessarily on the same day as your flight, which is practical given the airport's distance of over four hours.

The complimentary lift ticket must be used within 21 days of traveling through Calgary International Airport (YYC) and is valid until April 26, 2024.

Red Mountain Resort

Passengers flying Alaska Airlines into Spokane International Airport (GEG) from December 9, 2023, to April 7, 2024, will receive a free lift ticket to Red Mountain Resort. This lift ticket can be redeemed on any day during the current ski season, offering more flexibility compared to many other ski-free offers. To qualify, you must fly into Spokane Airport (which is about a 2.5-hour drive from Red Mountain) and not to other nearby Canadian airports.

Colorado

Steamboat Ski Resort

Traveling with Alaska Airlines allows you to take a direct flight to Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN), which serves Steamboat Springs, from Seattle or San Diego. Passengers on these flights, or those connecting through either city, can enjoy a complimentary night skiing ticket on their arrival day at Steamboat Ski Resort by presenting their boarding pass at any ticket office. There are no restrictions on dates, but if you arrive on a Wednesday, your free night skiing can be used on Thursday.

Idaho

Bogus Basin

With numerous flights arriving at Boise Airport (BOI), accessing the slopes of Bogus Basin after an early morning flight is a breeze. Simply present your Alaska Airlines boarding pass and ID at the Simplot Lodge ticket window to receive a free lift ticket for skiing the rest of the day.

Schweitzer

If you're flying into Spokane on Alaska Airlines, you can enjoy a free ski day at Schweitzer for the remainder of your arrival day. The resort is about a 90-minute drive from the airport, which provides nonstop flights from Portland and Seattle. Consider this promotion when weighing your flight options among various airlines, as several other U.S. carriers also service Spokane.

Montana

Red Lodge Mountain

Instead of offering a free ski day upon arrival, Red Lodge Mountain provides a complimentary lift ticket for the day you depart. Just show your Alaska Airlines boarding pass at any ticket window, and you can squeeze in a few runs before heading to the airport. Alaska Airlines offers nonstop flights from Seattle and Portland to Billings-Logan International Airport (BIL) in Montana, which is about a 90-minute drive to the mountain.

Bottom line

When flying into any of these mountain airports, keep your paper boarding pass handy to take advantage of various promotions. Consider printing multiple copies just to be safe. While many ski resorts have discontinued their free ski programs in recent years, there are still several offering attractive deals.

Are you planning a family ski vacation? Here are some additional resources:

• Children ski for free: Cut costs on your family's upcoming ski getaway
• Organizing your ski vacation using points and miles
• Top ski resorts for families across North America
• The ideal — and not-so-ideal — ages for children to begin skiing
• 17 of the finest ski towns in the United States