Mammoth Lakes, CA – Up to now other than flying from Los Angeles or San Jose aboard Horizon Air, the only way to reach California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area was to drive. Now, however, United Airlines is adding a daily ski season flight from San Francisco this winter to give skiers another option.nFlights will commence Dec. 16, in time to serve skiers and riders this winter. It will be a seasonal service, operating through Apr. 24, 2011.

United will operate the flight aboard 66-seat Bombardier CRJ700 Canadair Regional Jets. It will depart San Francisco International Airport at 3:50 p.m., arriving at Mammoth Yosemite Airport at 4:56 p.m. It will turn around and leave Mammoth at 5:27 p.m., arriving back in San Francisco at 6:40 p.m.

The new flight will avoid a circuitous winter route to Mammoth from the Bay Area. As with the Horizon flights, Mammoth Mountain is providing a seat minimum guarantee on utilization of United’s new route.