American skiers know Japan powder is in a league of its own. Now, with non-stop flights from San Francisco to Sapporo, Hokkaido, there is simply no excuse not to go.
Powder chaser from the US? This is the flight you’ve been waiting for: United Airlines has confirmed the first-ever nonstop service between the United States and Sapporo, Hokkaido putting Japan’s within easy reach of the West Coast.
Starting 11 December 2026, United Airlines will fly three times a week between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New Chitose Airport (CTS), the gateway to Sapporo and the rest of the Hokkaido region. This winter route runs for over three months — from 11 December 2026 to 26 March 2027 — which conveniently lines up with peak ski season in the Powder Triangle of Niseko, Furano, and Rusutsu.
Include this in your itinerary: The First-Timer’s Guide to Niseko: 10 Things to Know When Planning your Ski Trip
What to expect on the United Airlines flight?
For this route, United Airlines is deploying the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which has a cabin of 257 seats split across Polaris business, Premium Plus, and Economy class seats. Westbound flights clock in at around 10 hours 45 minutes; the eastbound return, riding the jet stream, trims that down to a shorter 9-hour flight.
Bookings opened on united.com and the United app on May 14, the day of the announcement. Flights are subject to final government approval, so as always, double-check before you commit to that chalet booking.
In case you missed it: Chalet of the Week: Yuki Drift Niseko, A Brand New Chalet Made For Slow Days and Fast Runs
Why should you visit Sapporo?
If you’ve spent any time on Instagram in the past few winters, you already know: Hokkaido is the holy grail for fluffy, soft and ever-forgiving Japanese powder. And apart from that, it’s award-winning ski hotels and chalets like Tsubasa at Hanaridge — Japan’s Best Ski Chalet in 2024 — that draw in skiers from all over the world.
In between runs, you can fuel up with fresh Hokkaido seafood, melt-in-your-mouth wagyu, and the region’s famed soup curry. The best part is the apres-ski, where you could hit the onsen then finish up in a speakeasy-style bar. Bar Gyu+, better known as “The Fridge Door Bar,” is where you can find Japanese whisky poured with precision.
Outside of ski adventures, Sapporo presents plenty of attractions that unlock a whole catalogue of winter experiences worth building a trip around, such as
Experience guided snowmobile tours through hidden snow-covered trails and snowshoe expeditions into quiet, untouched landscapes that feel a world away from the lifts. Add in reindeer sledding at Niseko Village and quiet drives through snow-covered villages with scenes pulled straight from a Studio Ghibli reel.
San Francisco isn’t just the departure city — it’s the strategy. As one of United Airlines’ largest Pacific hubs, this international airport offers convenient connections from nearly 80 U.S. cities straight through to Sapporo. Until now, American travellers had to transit at the Haneda or Narita airport in Tokyo or somewhere else in Asia before catching a domestic hop north; hours that could have been spent on the slopes instead.
Postcard from Niseko: Youtuber Joe Chang Shares His Family’s First Niseko Trip
This route is part of a broader Japan blitz from United Airlines. The carrier is also launching a daily year-round Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport on October 24, 2026, becoming the only U.S. airline flying nonstop between Chicago and Narita.
With Sapporo and Narita added to the mix, United Airlines will fly to a total of five airports across four Japanese cities — Sapporo, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, and Nagoya Chubu Centrair — and operate up to 13 daily flights between the continental U.S. and Japan this winter.
It’s also worth noting that Air Canada is also launching its own seasonal Vancouver–Sapporo service on 17 December 2026, running three times weekly on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner through late March 2027.
Where to stay in Hokkaido for the winter season 2026/27?
Now that you’ve got the flight sorted, we tackle the harder question on where to stay. In Niseko, ski-in ski-out condo hotels like The Vale Niseko and Intuition put you steps from the lifts, while ultra-luxury chalets like Meigetsu Aki Niseko and Corniche Hirafu come with a sauna, cold plunge, and winter chauffeur service to pamper you and your entourage.
Rusutsu is another top pick. We recommend The Vale Rusutsu — voted Japan’s Best Ski Hotel 2024 — which offers ski-in ski-out access to 37 trails across three peaks, on top of access to family-friendly facilities to be enjoyed at the Rusutsu Resort.
Looking for more? Chalet of the Week: Yuki Drift Niseko, A Brand New Chalet Made For Slow Days and Fast Runs
.jpg)
For anyone whose ideal winter involves more knee-deep powder, kaiseki dinners, and steaming bowls of ramen — and a single, simple boarding pass to get there — the next winter ski season can’t come soon enough.
Ready for the snow and the slopes?
6 Top Mount Yotei Photo Spots In Niseko That’s Not From The Slopes
Postcard From Here: Inside Kendall Pasley’s First Ski Trip to Niseko
Spring is the Season Niseko Regulars Keep to Themselves — Here’s Why
Sakura Spotting In Hokkaido: The Best Cherry Blossom Spots To Know