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Travel Daily News
14-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Jet2.com launches biggest ever ski programme for Winter 26/27
launches biggest-ever ski programme for Winter 26/27, offering over 180,000 seats to eight top European ski destinations. has put its biggest ever Ski programme on sale for Winter 26/27 from across ten of its UK airport bases, with flights available to the best slopes in the French, Austrian, Swiss and Italian Alps, as well as the Tyrolean Mountains. The leading leisure airline will operate an unrivalled Ski programme to eight top ski destinations next winter – Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Lyon, Turin and Verona. With experiencing continued demand for ski flights, it has responded by expanding its programme for next winter, offering snow sports fans an even greater selection of services. This includes expanded programmes to Salzburg, Geneva and Turin. Ski flights have gone on sale from Belfast International, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle International and London Stansted and services will operate from mid-December 2026 and throughout the winter season. In total, has put 35 ski routes and over 180,000 ski seats on sale for Winter 26/27, representing a capacity increase of three percent when compared to last winter. With more than 70 weekly ski flights operating during peak periods, skiers and snow sports enthusiasts can enjoy fantastic flexibility when it comes to sloping off to the snow for a weekend, long weekend, or longer mid-week break. The launch of the programme today means skiers and snowboarders can book great-price ski flights early and unlock the slopes in advance. When travelling to the best ski destinations in Europe with customers can look forward to friendly flight times, a choice of weekday and weekend flights, 10kg hand baggage allowance and great value hold luggage* and ski carriage* each weighing up to 22kg each. full Winter 26/27 Ski programme is detailed below: Chambery – a popular area for winter sports, Chambery serves as a gateway to world-famous ski resorts in the French Alps, including Courchevel, the host of the 2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Ski flights are on sale from seven UK airport bases (Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle International), offering quick and easy access to some of Europe's best slopes. Geneva – a huge programme of ski flights on sale from nine UK bases (Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle International). Surrounded by the Alps, Geneva is a great gateway to some of the most popular French and Swiss ski resorts, including Tignes, Flaine, Verbier, Zermatt and the Three Valleys. Salzburg – ski flights on sale from six UK airport bases (Belfast International, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted and Manchester). Salzburg straddles the Austrian-German border and is key to hundreds of ski resorts, including Kaprun, Mayrhofen and Obertauern. Grenoble – boasting a big winter sports history, this grand ski gateway offers a ticket to the French Alps. With over 175 incredible ski resorts nearby, including Morzine, Chamonix, Chamrousse, Les Deux Alpes, Alpe d'Huez and Avoriaz, ski flights are on sale from Birmingham, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle International. Turin – this Italian gateway gives skiers endless options and with top resorts, such as Pila, Vars, Le Corbier and Val d'Isere easily accessible, the region is a popular choice for skiers and snowboarders. Ski services are available from Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester to the Italian city. Innsbruck – with incredible ski resorts right on its doorstep, Innsbruck is the city of choice for many snow-worshippers. Skiers and snowboarders can access the Tyrolean capital from Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester. Lyon – with weekly flights on sale from Manchester Airport, flying into Lyon means snow sports fans are in prime position for exploring some of the most well-known ski resorts in France, such as Les Deux Alpes, Les Arcs and Alpe d'Huez, as well as several smaller ski resorts for those looking for a more secluded spot. Verona – make the most of weekly services from Manchester Airport and access some of the country's top ski and snowboarding resorts located close to Verona. Providing a prime position to unlock the Dolomites, where over 1,200km of piste can be enjoyed, the region will also host the 2026 Winter Olympics. Steve Heapy, CEO of and Jet2holidays, said: 'We enjoyed another successful ski season last winter, and with skiers and snowboarders already looking ahead to Winter 26/27, we have responded by launching our ski programme for next winter. With an expanded programme available and more perfectly timed flights at the most popular times, we are putting our best-ever ski programme on sale. Our biggest and best ski programme, offers skiers and snowboarders more choice and flexibility than ever before for next winter and means they can hit the slopes for a weekend, short break or for longer, while benefitting from all the advantages of travelling with our award-winning airline.' Ski destinations by base for Winter 26/27: Belfast International Airport – Salzburg (weekly services). – Salzburg (weekly services). Birmingham Airport – Chambery (up to two weekly services), Geneva (up to four weekly services), Grenoble (weekly services with 2 n d Saturday flight over the February half-term), Innsbruck (weekly services), Salzburg (weekly services with 2nd Saturday flight over the February half-term) and Turin (weekly services). – Chambery (up to two weekly services), Geneva (up to four weekly services), Grenoble (weekly services with 2 d Saturday flight over the February half-term), Innsbruck (weekly services), Salzburg (weekly services with 2nd Saturday flight over the February half-term) and Turin (weekly services). Bristol Airport – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (weekly services) and Innsbruck (weekly services). – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (weekly services) and Innsbruck (weekly services). East Midlands Airport – Geneva (weekly services). – Geneva (weekly services). Edinburgh Airport – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (up to two weekly services), Salzburg (weekly services), Innsbruck (weekly services) and Turin (weekly services). – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (up to two weekly services), Salzburg (weekly services), Innsbruck (weekly services) and Turin (weekly services). Glasgow Airport – Geneva (weekly services). – Geneva (weekly services). Leeds Bradford Airport – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (up to eight weekly services) and Salzburg (weekly services). – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (up to eight weekly services) and Salzburg (weekly services). London Stansted Airport – Chambery (up to three weekly services), Geneva (up to seven weekly services), Grenoble (weekly services) and Salzburg (weekly services with 2nd Saturday flight over the February half-term). – Chambery (up to three weekly services), Geneva (up to seven weekly services), Grenoble (weekly services) and Salzburg (weekly services with 2nd Saturday flight over the February half-term). Manchester Airport – Chambery (up to three weekly services), Geneva (up to eight weekly services), Grenoble (up to three weekly services), Innsbruck (up to three weekly services), Lyon (weekly services), Salzburg (weekly services with 2nd Saturday flight over the February half-term), Turin (up to two weekly services) and Verona (weekly services). – Chambery (up to three weekly services), Geneva (up to eight weekly services), Grenoble (up to three weekly services), Innsbruck (up to three weekly services), Lyon (weekly services), Salzburg (weekly services with 2nd Saturday flight over the February half-term), Turin (up to two weekly services) and Verona (weekly services). Newcastle International Airport – Chambery (weekly services), Geneva (up to two weekly services) and Grenoble (weekly services).
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- RNZ News
Ever wanted to ditch the 9-to-5 and teach snowsports? We followed people who did it for 10 years
By Marian Makkar, Ann-Marie Kennedy and Samuelson Appau of A young athlete freestyle skier having fun while running downhill in beautiful landscape on sunny day during winter season. Photo: Mandic Jovan / 123RF Workplace burnout - a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion - and the Covid pandemic have sparked a rethink of the traditional 9-to-5 job. It's been estimated 30 percent of the Australian workforce is experiencing some degree of burnout, raising serious concerns about the possible impacts on mental health. Is it possible - and if so, wise - to take addressing burnout into your own hands? Some responses to the problem, such as "micro-retirement", have enjoyed recent popularity on social media. But a small number of people take an even more radical approach - dumping the 9-to-5 path entirely for careers that prioritise meaning, enjoyment and personal growth. We sought to find out how this move played out for one group in particular - snowsports instructors. Our research - published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing - covers a 10.5-year study of snowsports instructors who left their 9-to-5 jobs for a meaningful career on the slopes of Canada, Japan, the United States and New Zealand. We looked at instructors' journeys into the lifestyle, how they managed their new careers, and what led some to eventually return to the 9-to-5. We interviewed 13 snowsports instructors aged 25 to 40 (seven men, six women), collected image and video artefacts, followed social media accounts and surveyed snow school reports. Our lead researcher also participated in the lifestyle herself. All our participants had at least a bachelor degree and previous steady careers in fields such as education or information technology. During our decade-long field work, we found instructors earned just enough money to maintain this lifestyle, often travelling with their possessions in one or two bags. Beyond the adrenaline and beauty of a life in the snow, we found people were first motivated to enter this career to escape the corporate world and ties of modern life. One participant, Lars, said: "If you just get a job, you get maybe 20 days off a year for the next 40 years, and once you stop, once you've got a job and a house and a mortgage and a kid … you're trapped." At the centre of our research was the idea of building a career around the ancient Greek concept of "eudaimonia". This term is sometimes translated to "happiness" in English, but its broader connotations mean it's closer to " flourishing " and involves a sense of purpose and living a life of virtue. That's in contrast to the related concept of " hedonism " - which centres on the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake. Eudaimonia is meant to make us reflect on life's purpose, potential and meaning. As our participants mastered the sport and career, they moved from mere enjoyment or hedonism of being in the snow to finding meaning and purpose in their jobs. They felt a sense of accomplishment and appreciation of snowsports as a sport and job requiring dedication, care and commitment. New Zealand skier Alice Robinson at a competition earlier this year. Photo: PHOTOSPORT However, with every career there are demands that shape how people manage work and purposeful pursuits. Instructors must bear financial costs such as buying their own equipment, paying for certifications and accommodation. Eventually the lifestyle was not sustainable for some due to precarious working conditions and minimal wages. Relying on the weather to produce snow, unfair compensation and fixed-term contracts wore many down. An unhappy participant confessed: "You think about money all day everyday … working out the costs, staffing and lesson prices! Yet they (ski resort managers) tell me as an instructor that I shouldn't think about my monetary work. Well, if it wasn't about the money, you wouldn't charge as much for lessons." In the period we studied, six returned to a regular 9-to-5 job. The late American anthropologist David Graeber coined the phrase " bullshit jobs " to describe jobs that comprise meaningless tasks that add no real value aside from providing a salary. Our study offers a window into the lives of those who sought an alternative, trying to build something they love into the daily work they do to earn a living. For many, despite challenges the ability to ride slopes daily remained more appealing than a desk job. One told us: "At university my first management lecturer said, 'you could go on to be a CEO, earn $300,000 a year and have a month off every year to go skiing', and I said, 'or I could go skiing every day and still afford to eat and pay my rent'. It's all I really need." But things didn't work out for all of them. The experience of those who left suggests choosing meaningful work can be difficult and can force people out if the surrounding organisational system is not supportive. * Marian Makkar, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University; Ann-Marie Kennedy, Professor of Marketing, University of Canterbury; Samuelson Appau, Assistant Professor, Melbourne Business School - This story originally appeared on The Conversation .
