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Rock your way to the Alps this winter!

featured in News & reviews Author Helen McGrory, Chamonix Reporter Updated

If you find yourself flying with Astraeus airlines this winter, then listen closely to the announcements from the cockpit because you never know who might be at the controls, as this report from welove2ski.com details...

“No-frills airline Astraeus has just announced a scheduled service from Gatwick to Chambéry airport in the French Alps, starting on December 6.
Known by some as " Iron Maiden Airlines", Astraeus employs Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of the famous heavy-metal band, as a first officer. Dickinson was Iron Maiden's lead singer between 1981 and 1993 (and is now working with the band again). But he was always interested in flying, and qualified as a commercial pilot in the 1990s.

The chance of being flown to the Alps by Dickinson will raise a smile on many skiers' lips (at least, those old enough to remember the band in their prime). But ultimately, the most interesting thing about the news is that Astraeus is the only airline that has so far announced a scheduled service into Chambéry from London this year (although it already operates charters into the airport).

Chambéry may be more prone to fog and other forms of heavy weather than other airports: but its position right on the edge of the French Alps makes for speedy access to the classic resorts of the Tarentaise Valley, such as Méribel, Les Arcs, and Val d'Isère. Transfer times into the resorts are usually at least an hour quicker than they are from Geneva, and for several years many independent tour operators, such as Le Ski have flown their customers to Chambéry as a result.

This winter, the flights will only be on three days a week - Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, with two flights a day at the weekend. The starting price for tickets will also be more expensive than normal - at £142pp, including tax. But all the same, for time-poor, cash-rich skiers in the capital, desperate for a dose of snow at the weekend, they'll be godsend.

Further news: we are unable to confirm rumours that Iron Maiden is planning to release a new version of one of their most iconic songs - to be entitled "Fly to the Hills", and featuring the new lyrics:

Fly to the hills
Fly with your wife
Fly to the hills
For the snow life

Check out this Snowheads thread for the extended lyrics (and thanks to Wear the Fox Hat for that moment of brilliance)."

Photo credit: Iron Maiden official website