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United Airlines have resumed daily flights from London to Denver this week and have announced plans to add a second daily service later this month as resorts in Colorado announce extended seasons.

United first launched summer seasonal flights between London Heathrow and Denver International Airport in March 2018 and the service was expanded to operate year-round in March 2019. It was suspended a year later as a result of the pandemic but just resumed after two years, the first flight taking place on 5th March.

From 27 March, United Airlines will add a second daily service from LHR to DEN so keen skiers can hit the slopes for some spring skiing.

The increase in flights come as Vail Resorts announce extended seasons. The company's original Vail resort will now stay open to May 1st while its Breckenridge ski area will remain open through to the end of May.

"No one likes to see the ski and ride season come to an end, and thanks to our incredible employees who have worked so hard this season, we will be able to enjoy time on the snow a little longer this year," said James O'Donnell, Vail Resorts' mountain division president.

Other Colorado ski areas who have so far confirmed that they are planning to stay open to at least May include Loveland (closing date to be decided), Winter Park (to the 14th) and Arapahoe Basin (probably in to June).

Currently travellers from the UK need to be fully vaccinated against COVID 19 to enter the US and have a negative antigen or PCR test result taken within 24 hours of departure. They also need to complete a passenger locator form up to 48 hours before returning to the UK.

France is the latest of the big four Alpine ski nations to announce it is easing pandemic operating restrictions.

The country is suspending the need to present a Covid-19 vaccine pass – proving vaccination or recovery from the virus - from March 14th.

In addition face masks will also no longer be needed indoors from March 14th, except on public transport. which includes gondola, cable car and funicular cabins.

The move follows similar changes in Austria and Switzerland in recent weeks.

Tour operators and travel agencies have already reported Easter bookings booming with several extending their seasons by a week.

Snowbird ski area in Utah has announced that its iconic tram (cable car) will have all new cabins for winter 22-23.

Both the resort and the tram have turned 50 this season and the centre's operators have decided that after travelling 794,994 miles (or the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back over one and a half times) its time for the original cabins to retire.

Two new cabins will arrive this spring to whisk skiers from Hidden Peak and (in a first for North America) will feature outdoor balconies for those wanting to really get into the great outdoors as the the tram climbs and descends from 11,000 feet with 360-degree views.

Similar cabins-with-balconies already operate to the Dachstein Glacier in Austria and to Tignes in France.

"The new Tram cabins pay homage to the original Red and Blue Trams while incorporating a fresh, sleek design and a few extra bells and whistles," a resort spokesperson said adding,
"Snowbird is beyond excited to unveil the new Tram cabins featuring floor-to-ceiling windows as well as a summer seasonal experience featuring glass floor panels and rooftop balcony."

Work to upgrade the lift will begin at the winter season end in April and the new cabins are expected to debut in late June 2022.

From 28th February Canada's entry rules are changing, with mandatory testing on arrival and quarantines being dropped from Monday.

Instead, all fully vaccinated travellers arriving to Canada (from any country) will be subject to the random arrival testing program which has been in place since Canada re-opened its borders back in August.

In further good news though, travellers who get selected for the random arrival testing will no longer have to quarantine while awaiting their test results.

In addition, all restrictions for unvaccinated children under 12 entering Canada with fully vaccinated parents/guardians are being lifted.

Pre-arrival testing is still required before you leave home, however travellers now have the option of taking a cheaper COVID-19 rapid antigen test (taken the day prior to their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry) or a molecular test result (taken no more than 72 hours before arrival in Canada). Taking a home test is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement, it must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service.

All international travellers entering Canada must continue to use ArriveCAN.

There are no changes to the testing and quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travellers to enter Canada.

COVID 19 measures will be largely lifted in Austria in the coming weeks, the country's government has announced. This means that travelling to Austria will gradually become less complicated from 5 March at the latest.

From 19 February gradual relaxations came into force in all major settings where the 2G rule (vaccinated or recovered) had applied.

From now the 3G rule (vaccinated or recovered or tested) will applies in cable cars, on bus trips, in hotels and restaurants, in spa and gyms as well as at events.

The midnight curfew and the ban on night-time catering does remain in place, and the general requirement to wear a mask indoors also remains in place.

As of 22 February, the entry regulations to Austria are also being relaxed with a general 3G rule now applying to all countries and no testing required.

From 5th March, all measures will largely be dropped with no entry regulations for entering Austria, and no curfew. Masks will only be required in 'vital businesses' (supermarket, post office, banks, pharmacies, etc.) and public transport although in all other places, there is still a recommendation to wear an FFP2 mask in enclosed spaces.

Switzerland no longer requires people arriving in the country to prove they have been vaccinated, or even show a negative test result.

"Health-related measures for persons entering the country are lifted on 17 February 2022. It is no longer necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test or complete an entry form," a statement from the Swiss government reads.

The country is also removing most restrictions on day-to-day life within Switzerland that had been put in place due to the pandemic too. All restrictions on shops and restaurants, among other businesses, are being lifted.

"From 17 February 2022, almost all measures are lifted. There only remains the mask requirement on public transport (including cable cars, buses, funiculars, trains)," the statement explains.

The Swiss government say that more than 90% of Swiss nationals now have some protection from the virus due to vaccination or past infection and that although the virus is still in circulation there is no longer a concern of the country's health service being potentially overwhelmed.

Montana's Big Sky ski resort has announced two major new lifts as "the final chapter" of a 10 year development plan between 2015 and 2025 which has seen it install North America's first eight-seater chairlift and the country's fastest six-seat chairlift, among many other upgrades.

Big Sky has one of North America's largest ski areas and by some measures (if you include the linked private ski area of Yellowstone Club, although only property owners there are allowed to ski its slopes) THE largest.

In 1995 it opened The Lone Peak Tram an unusual aerial tramway (cable car) up to the ski area's then new highest point at Lone Mountain at (11,166ft /3,403 m), opening up what was for a time the biggest lift-served vertical in the US (4,350ft /1,326m), what was unusual about the lift was that its base station was not connected to the top of another lift, and that it could only carry 15 passengers in each cabin.

The new lifts now announced will see a new Doppelmayr gondola lift, complete with mid-station, run from the base of the mountain. At the top of the gondola there will be a new integrated base station for a new, full-size Lone Peak cable car/tram, replacing the 1995 lift.

Garaventa will build the new Lone Peak Tram which will be much bigger as well as faster and twice as long as its predecessor.

"The new lift system from the base area to the summit of Lone Peak will revolutionize the way we access 'America's Matterhorn' in both winter and summer," said Big Sky Resort president and COO Taylor Middleton.

Construction of the new lifts and their stations will begin this summer and is expected to take two summers to complete, opening for the 2023-24 season. The existing lifts will continue to operate next winter.

Two British ex-pats who have lived and worked in the French Alps for many years have launched their own mountain safety code aimed at reducing on-piste accidents.

Initially launched in the resorts of Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz to coincide with the busy February and Easter holiday weeks the new Piste X Code is a bilingual campaign to remind mountain-goers of the principles of safe on-piste skiing and snowboarding, with the aim of reducing unnecessary accidents in ski resorts.

"Many skiers and snowboarders have spent almost two years away from the mountains, it's exciting to return to the thrills of downhill skiing or snowboarding," says Louise Paley, co-Founder of the Piste X Code and a physiotherapist living in Morzine. "However, in resorts across the Alps, it's been observed that people are taking more risks, they're descending at far greater speeds and being less respectful of other mountain users. We've seen some tragic accidents already this season and this cannot continue."

The Piste X Code (http://www.pistexcode.org) is a list of eight ways you can keep yourself, your children and others safe on the pistes. Presented in both French and English, a powerful video demonstrates each point, combined with fun animation and a Yeti mascot named Monty to make the concept more appealing to children.

A social media campaign accompanies the project, alongside a multi-language website which builds on the eight principles of on-piste safety and posters will be on display in boot rooms, ski shops and in lift stations across the ski resorts.

"On the whole, skiing and snowboarding on the pistes are safe, fun activities that we all love," says co-Founder Amie Henderson, publisher of Morzine Source Magazine, a destination guide for English-speaking tourists in Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz. "But the Piste X Code isn't just for beginners or children taking to the mountain for the first time. The Piste X Code is for everyone! It takes just minutes to re-educate yourself on the principles of safe on-piste skiing, showing respect for other mountain users and setting a great example to everyone else."

Ski and snowboard instructors from across the resorts have committed their time and experience to the campaign and all launch activity has been funded by local businesses who care passionately about keeping the mountains safe for everyone.

Jonathan Dredge, co-owner of Morzine-based accommodation company More Mountain says, "Skiers and snowboarders who join us once a year for a week in the mountains easily forget about piste etiquette and many have never had lessons, they simply don't know the rules. The mountains aren't a theme park. We hope this focus on piste safety will raise awareness and prevent horrific accidents in the future."