Glamorous Getaways

Affordable new charter service jets nonstop from Dallas to swanky ski town

Cozy up in Taos this winter.

Ski bunnies and art lovers now have a glamorous new way to get to Taos, New Mexico. Taos Air, a new airplane charter service, recently announced it's taking off with brand-new nonstop service to Dallas.

The new charter flight takes off beginning December 20 from Dallas Love Field to Taos Regional Airport, and runs through the ski season before ending in March.

Round trip flights on the 30-passenger jet take off each week on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday plus holiday Mondays. In addition to Love Field, the charter service will also service Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Taos Air is designed to compete with traditional airlines. Currently, flights are priced between $400-$700 round trip, and land directly in the town of Taos. (Though about 90 miles away, Santa Fe Regional Airport is the more common entry point to the Rocky Mountain ski town.)

The charter service is the result of a partnership between the Town of Taos and Taos Ski Valley, Inc., which purchased the jet. "We're supportive of the town's vision for the airport as a regional economic driver and premier tourist destination," said David Norden, CEO of Taos Ski Valley, Inc., in a release "Taos Air will now offer the closest, fastest, and easiest route to the Rockies from Texas."

Once on the ground, visitors have free shuttle access to The Blake at Taos Ski Valley, which is also owned by Taos Ski Valley, Inc., as well as car rental services.

In the future, visitors may have even more ways to access the area. In a release, Taos' mayor, Daniel Barrone, hinted that the town is looking to provide the charter's nonstop service year-round.

"Improved accessibility to the area will provide opportunities to diversify the local and regional economy," he said. "Initiating seasonal air service with Taos Air is the first exciting step on that journey."

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Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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