The one-time sleepy mining town is a glamorous cold-weather destination popular with celebs
AMERICAN Airlines is set to launch a nonstop service later this year that will connect Phoenix to a destination popular with Hollywood's elite.
The airline announced this week it will offer the seasonal service from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Sun Valley, Idaho from December.
Since the 1930s, celebrities have partied in Sun Valley, taking advantage of its transformation from sleepy mining town in the 1880s to glitzy arcade for the rich and famous just 50 years later.
Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, Lucille Ball, Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, and several members of the Kennedy family skied at Sun Valley.
With its star-studded reputation for skiing vacations, this sheep-ranching town now boasts an enviable reputation as a five-star European-style winter-sport resort.
Thanks as much to a super-sophisticated advertising campaign as to its outstanding natural beauty, Sun Valley made skiing a popular, glamorous vacation.
It has also inspired the slew of postcard-worthy ski towns tourists love to visit across the country today.
Americaln Airlines flights will run through from December 18 to April 6, 2026.
This will allow Arizona travelers to experience winter activities into the spring.
The small Idaho mountain town is "where wilderness meets community and culture," according to VisitSunValley.
The vacation destination is well-known for other winter sports activities such as snowboarding and ice skating.
It has even been hailed as "Nordic Town, USA" for its commendable Nordic ski terrain.
The area is also popular for those looking to try mountain biking and fly fishing.
Sun Valley is now the third Idaho destination American has added to its network, along with Boise and Idaho Falls.
While other airlines offer flights from Phoenix to Sun Valley with connections, this marks the first nonstop route between Sky Harbor and Sun Valley.
United currently offers direct flights to Sun Valley from several other major U.S. metros, including Los Angeles, Denver and Washington, D.C.