Skip to content
The Touch and GoThe Touch and Go
The Touch & GoStoryAirlines
Jet2 Adds London Stansted-Innsbruck Ski Route for Winter 2026/27 Season

Image: Thomas Nugent · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

AirlinesBy The Touch & Go EditorialPublished Jul 19, 2:15 AM2 min read

Jet2 Adds London Stansted-Innsbruck Ski Route for Winter 2026/27 Season

Jet2 launches weekly flights from London Stansted to Innsbruck for the 2026/27 winter, expanding its ski program with over 6,000 new seats to popular Alpine destinations.

The gist

Jet2 expands winter ski flights from London Stansted to Innsbruck, boosting capacity and choices for UK skiers in 2026/27.

Jet2.com has unveiled a new weekly flight route from London Stansted Airport to Innsbruck, Austria, set to operate during the winter 2026/27 season. This move addresses rising demand from winter sports enthusiasts in Southeast England seeking easier access to premier Alpine slopes. The flights are scheduled to run every Saturday from December 19, 2026, until April 10, 2027, covering key holiday periods such as Christmas, the February half-term, and Easter breaks.

The addition introduces more than 6,000 extra seats specifically to Innsbruck, significantly enhancing Jet2’s winter sports offering from Stansted. This route now complements Jet2’s portfolio of ski destinations accessed from the airport, which also includes Chambéry, Geneva, Grenoble, and Salzburg. With these options, travelers at London Stansted can select between five distinguished Alpine resorts, spanning French, Swiss, Austrian, and Italian ski regions for the upcoming winter.

Innsbruck stands out as an appealing destination for its convenient access to a variety of ski areas including the Nordkette range, only 20 minutes from the city center. Nordkette features six slopes catering to all skill levels along with a snow park for freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Beyond immediate venues, the region serves as a gateway to renowned resorts like Mayrhofen, known for reliable snow conditions, and St Anton am Arlberg, famed for a lively après-ski culture with bars lining the base of slopes.

Jet2 is rapidly expanding its ski flight network for winter 2026/27, adding Innsbruck as the sixth new ski route across its UK operating bases. Including this new route, Jet2.com will offer flights to eight major ski destinations—including Lyon, Turin, and Verona—out of 12 UK airports such as Belfast International, Birmingham, Manchester, and London Gatwick. This expansion has increased Jet2’s total ski capacity by approximately 30% compared to the previous winter season, reinforcing its position as a top choice for UK travelers heading to European ski resorts.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, remarked on the introduction of the Innsbruck flights, highlighting the airline’s response to strong bookings and growing interest in winter sports. He emphasized that Innsbruck offers excellent skiing opportunities accessible within a short distance from the city, making it suitable for skiers and snowboarders of all experience levels. Heapy also pointed out that the current lineup from London Stansted gives customers extensive reach across the Alps with award-winning service.

Ciaran Brannigan, Commercial Director at London Stansted Airport, welcomed the new service, noting Innsbruck's popularity among European winter sports destinations. He stated that the new route enhances choice for passengers and further bolsters the airport’s winter flight program with convenient connections to prominent Austrian ski resorts throughout the season.

This new route is part of Jet2’s broader strategy to capture increased demand in the ski holiday market by expanding its reach and flight frequency. The airline’s investment in additional seats and destinations demonstrates confidence in sustained growth among UK winter sports tourists seeking direct, hassle-free access to Alpine destinations.

With the ski season’s peak periods well covered by the Saturday flights, travelers from Southeast England gain a compelling option for holiday planning. Early bookings are encouraged due to anticipated demand, positioning the London Stansted to Innsbruck connection as a key feature of Jet2’s winter 2026/27 schedule.

Share

Frequently asked questions

When will Jet2 operate flights from London Stansted to Innsbruck?
Jet2 will operate weekly Saturday flights from December 19, 2026, to April 10, 2027, covering the main winter ski season and holiday periods.
How does Innsbruck compare to other ski destinations served by Jet2?
Innsbruck offers convenient access to several ski areas including Nordkette, just 20 minutes from the city center, along with renowned resorts like Mayrhofen and St Anton am Arlberg, making it attractive for skiers of all abilities.
What is the impact of the new Innsbruck route on Jet2’s winter ski capacity?
The Innsbruck route is part of Jet2’s expansion across UK bases, increasing overall ski capacity by 30% compared to the last winter season, and adding to a total of eight ski destinations served from 12 UK airports.
AirlinesJul 15, 2:30 PM

Chase Ultimate Rewards Offers 100% Transfer Bonus to IHG One Rewards but Value Remains Low

Chase Ultimate Rewards has just launched a new transfer bonus to IHG One Rewards. The bonus is for up to 100%, which is as big of a bonus as we've ever seen between the programs. However, even with such a big bonus, I'd still argue this almost certainly isn't worth it… Chase offering 100% bonus on IHG points transfers Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a bonus when you transfer points to IHG One Rewards: Receive a 100% bonus if you transfer points between July 15 and July 30, 2026 Receive a 70% bonus if you transfer points between July 31 and August 31, 2026 Transfer Chase points to IHG with up to a 100% bonus Points ordinarily transfer at a 1,000:1,000 ratio, so with this 100% bonus offer, points transfer at a 1,000:2,000 ratio. You can take advantage of this an unlimited number of times. Transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to IHG One Rewards are typically instant . For context, we typically see a transfer bonus from Chase to IHG two or three times per year, and so far the bonuses have been in the range of 50% to 100%. So this 100% bonus is in line with the best offers we've seen between the programs. Chase is offering a bonus on points transfers to IHG Why this promotion probably isn't worth it A 100% transfer bonus sounds like it could be valuable, since that's a big percentage bonus. That being said, I still wouldn't consider this to be a good deal under a vast majority of circumstances. Why? I value IHG One Rewards points at 0.5 cents each, while I value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at ~1.7 cents each . Even when you're getting two IHG One Rewards points per Ultimate Rewards point, you're still only getting one cent of value per Ultimate Rewards point. I certainly hope that most people are able to redeem their Chase Ultimate Rewards points for well over a penny each, since that's a really low cash out value. Even if you value IHG One Rewards points more than I do, the reality is that IHG frequently sells points for 0.5 cents each , so I would instead buy points at that rate . It would be silly to redeem Ultimate Rewards points when you're only getting one cent of value vs. paying cash. Ultimate Rewards points are too valuable to transfer to IHG Bottom line Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a new transfer bonus, as you can get a 100% bonus when you move points to IHG One Rewards. While I'm always happy to see a transfer bonus, I'm afraid that this simply isn't worth it under a vast majority of circumstances. Transfers to most of Chase's partners are generally at a 1:1 ratio. While the simplicity of that is nice, the reality is that points have significantly different values, and this creates a few partners that I would never recommend transferring Chase points to. Anyone have a different take, and see a reason to transfer Chase points to IHG?

United Airlines expects to be fully recovering fuel costs by fourth quarter
AirlinesJul 16, 12:28 PM

United Airlines Anticipates Full Fuel Cost Recovery by Q4 Amid Rising Expenses

US carrier’s operating profits slip 17% to $1.1 billion in second quarter. United Airlines expects to be recovering all of its additional fuel costs through higher fares by the fourth quarter after today disclosing an operating profit of almost $1.1 billion in the second quarter. The Star Alliance carrier's second-quarter operating profit was down 17% on the $1.3 billion it made for the same period in 2025, while net profit slipped to $805 million from $973 million a year before. That was achieved in the face of a $2.3 billion – or 84% – increase in its fuel costs for the April-June period. The carrier estimates it recovered around half of this additional cost during the second quarter. United’s revenues climbed 16% in the second quarter to almost $17.7 billion, supported by a 12% rise in yields. United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby says: “United is built to thrive in every environment, and when oil prices spiked in March, we quickly and decisively acted to adjust our schedules, while simultaneously doubling down on our customer investments." The US carrier estimates, based on current oil prices, that its fuel costs for the full year will be nearly $6 billion higher than in 2025. "In the third quarter the company expects to recover approximately 80% to 90% of the increase, and 100% by the fourth quarter," it says.

The Daily Touch & Go

The day's best aviation news in your inbox. Free, no spam.