This February, you'll be able to fly nonstop from Boston to Jackson Hole for the first time. United is piloting one Saturday flight each way from mid-February to mid-March, with about 160 seats per flight, as reported by the Jackson Hole News&Guide. JH Air, the nonprofit that negotiates the valley's winter air service, secured the route with a minimum revenue guarantee.
23 years in the making
JH Air has chased a Boston nonstop for 23 years, landing routes from 11 other cities along the way. Boston isn't a United hub, and the longer flight needs a bigger aircraft that's in high demand elsewhere. As co-chair Mike Gierau put it, "Airlines don't have as many planes as we all think they have."
Why it matters
New Englanders have been skiing Jackson Hole since the resort opened in 1965. After more than a decade working in the Northeast myself, I still meet them all over the valley. For East Coast second-home owners and buyers, a nonstop turns a long connecting day into one flight, and easier access adds to the value of owning in Jackson or Teton Valley.
Will it last?
That depends on load and yield: how full the flights are and what passengers pay. It also won't add seats overall. Another route will likely shrink, so the valley avoids a repeat of the roughly 90,000 empty seats from two winters ago.
If you know people in New England, spread the word. The surest way to keep a trial route is to fill it. And if you're weighing a home base here, we're always happy to talk it through.
