YLW winter schedule offers sunny locations

Winter travel you say? Summer isn’t over! Working months ahead of the season, Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is ready to announce its winter flight schedule.

Winter travel you say? Summer isn’t over! Working months ahead of the season, Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is ready to announce its winter flight schedule.

For those still craving sun and beaches after what is expected to be a hot Okanagan summer, YLW’s winter flight schedule will offer non-stop service to Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada as well as Mazatlan, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, Mexico.

“We are really pleased to be offering two new destinations to Phoenix and Mazatlan while still maintaining our regular winter hot spots and increasing the number of available seats this winter season,” said airport director Sam Samaddar.

“It’s also important to note that the final stop doesn’t have to be these destinations. Each of the airports we fly to is a great access point to so many other destinations.”

WestJet will be flying scheduled service from YLW to Phoenix (PHX) beginning Oct. 31 until April 30 every Monday. With 38.6 million passengers in 2010, PHX is the 24th largest airport in world (based on passenger volume) and the 10th largest in North America. It’s a major hub for U.S. Airways and Southwest Airlines. Using PHX as a connecting airport is easy with its 85 US connecting cities and 14 international locations and a convenient departure time of 3 p.m. from YLW and arrival to PHX at 6:43 p.m.

Alaska Airlines will offer three flights per day as of Nov. 6 between YLW and Seattle (SEA) With 31.6 million passengers, SEA is the 39th largest airport in world, 18th largest in North America and the main hub for Alaska Airlines.

The winter sun schedule and charter program will be exceptionally hot this year with four Mexico destinations to choose from. WestJet begins its seasonal scheduled service once a week to each Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on Nov. 1. The service runs until April 30. Starting Dec. 17, Transat Holidays/Nolitours begins weekly charters to Puerto Vallarta and Cancun. New this winter will be a Thursday weekly Sunwing charter to Mazatlan starting Nov. 10 and running through to mid May 2012.

For more information visit ylw.kelowna.ca.

Penticton Western News