Where to Ski And Snowboard - Inghams ditches Calgary charters

Inghams ditches Calgary charters

19th May 2011, by Chris Gill

Banff resorts have enjoyed a bumper season - were you there?

Tour operator Inghams will not be offering charter flights into Calgary for skiers headed to Banff and Lake Louise for the 2011/2012 season.

Instead the company will switch to scheduled airlines for the route, which they believe will offer themselves and their passengers greater flexibility on times, dates and length of stay. Prices could be more competitive too.

Inghams introduced charter flights to Calgary at a time when there was a shortage of scheduled airlines to carry the number of skiers and boarders travelling to the Banff resorts. But the choice and frequency of flights operating to the Canadian airport has since widened; BMI, Air Canada and British Airways all offer non-stop routes from London Heathrow, for example.

In Canadian reports though, the decision was also viewed as the result of fewer British skiers heading west at present, which made chartering flights more risky. Frank van Rooij, vice president of Inghams’ North American division reportedly said: “What we need is a stronger sterling, and a weaker dollar to see an improvement in the UK skiers market.”

But Inghams still expects to pack as many skiers and boarders off to Calgary as they did last season, despite ditching the charters.