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Bougie Ski Resort Now Offers Helicopter Flights from New York City

Originally posted on Powder | By Matt Lorelli | Last updated Dec 23, 2024 11:22 AM ET

Windham Mountain Club, located in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, is now known for being one of the only semi-private ski resorts in the country.

The ski resort recently adopted the model under new ownership to increase revenue, decrease the amount of public-paying skiers on the slopes, and attract business from wealthy skiers and snowboarders in the New York City metropolitan area. Memberships are exclusive to the world's wealthiest skiers with an initial membership fee reported to be $200,000, and an annual fee of $9,000.

Now, in an effort to increase their luxurious accommodation offerings, Windham Mountain Club has partnered with BLADE, a private helicopter and seaplane service, to offer direct helicopter flights from New York City this season. The flight takes 45 minutes, which is less than a third of the average drive time to reach the resort from NYC.

Three night packages start at $6,500 and include: roundtrip transportation via helicopter, luxury accommodations at The Henson Hotel, priority access lift tickets, and access to Windham's private membership amenities. Flights à la carte are also available for $695 per seat.

Windham claims their partnership with BLADE has created New York City's 'First City-to-Slopes Helicopter Route', and hopes that it will draw interest from members and non-members alike. Non-members are not required to apply for a membership if they purchase a Windham/BLADE package.

This new offering from Windham Mountain Club and BLADE is another step towards Windham's obvious, and somewhat controversial rebrand. The mountain still offers a limited amount of public lift ticket sales, but the resort's preference to attract wealthy guests who will spend exorbitant amount of money on their weekend getaways is evident.

Public lift tickets are currently available for purchase nearly every day of Windham's season, but with weekday pricing starting at $105 and weekend pricing at $150, the mountain is slowly beginning to price out many skiers and riders of lesser means.

Plattekill Mountain in comparison, which is located just 45 minutes down the road from Windham, offers lift tickets starting at just $71. The caveat, however, is that Plattekill is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the season.

Windham's direct helicopter flights from NYC will surely attract a few wealthy individuals throughout the season, but it's another proverbial nail in the coffin for skiers who don't have thousands of dollars to play around with on any given weekend.

Will other semi-private ski resorts such as Powder Mountain in Utah follow suit? POWDER will continue to follow this story closely as semi-private and private ski resorts are gaining steam across the country.

Windham Mountain Club Stats/Info:

Vertical: 1,600 ft.

Skiable Terrain: 285 ac.

Average Snowfall: N/A

Lifts: 11

Trails: 54

Snowmaking: YES

Night Skiing: N/A

Mega-Pass: NO

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This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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