West - Anyone ever layover in ASE?

Since I have the time and have never been to ASE, I picked a SFO-DEN itinerary with a 3.5 hour stop in ASE...the connection is around lunch time and I noticed online they have a free city bus outside the terminal at ASE which takes you into town and back. I'm assuming these Skywest flights into and out of ASE are prone to weather delays and cancellations this time of year, but I'll keep my fingers crossed :) Any UAX Aspen flyers out there have any suggestions...how easy is it to get into town and how early should I get back to the airport if I already have my boarding pass to DEN? Is ASE a VDB hot spot?? :p

I think more likely a flight cancellation hot spot more than VDB hot spot...

ASE was a big VDB hotspot, especially in the summer, when the aircraft were frequently weight restricted. This year, however, they lengthened the runway which is supposed to eliminate the need to weight restrict aircraft. This has allowed AA to start flying here later this month.

Free buses run from a bus stop on the highway just outside of the terminal every 30 minutes into Aspen, and take about 20 minutes each way. You don't really need much time at all to get back to the airport (think Burbank type airport). Security lines range from nonexistent to 20 minutes long. If you get in on-time, I would recommend going into town. There are some great lunch places and of course all the high-end shopping if you're in to that sort of thing. If your arrival flight gets in late, there is at least free wi-fi in the airport, which is much faster than DENs. Good luck and have fun!

The airport is indeed close to town and your plan sounds like fun. But if you don't mind the risk of weather problems definitely go for it. And yes it can be a VDB hot spot.. on my only visit to Aspen last year one of the members of our party took a VDB on a flight to DEN (sadly I couldn't).

One thing to consider if you don't have a lot of high altitude experience... Aspen is 7- 8,000 feet. For me, my body didn't take well to the altitude and I had altitude sickness for several hours after arriving. Persistent high heart rate, very tired, nausea, shortness of breath. It took a good 6-8 hours for me to adjust and feel more normal.

This doesn't happen to everyone, especially if you regularly visit high altitude places. But I wanted to throw that out there as a possibility. I'm not in the best physical shape which definitely can contribute to altitude sickness.

But Aspen is a very cool town to visit..don't be surprised if you see a celeb or two.

The runways might be longer but that doesn't impact the weather or move the mountains. Lots of weather issues in and out of ASE. That said, since it's just a stop for you, it doesn't matter. If they divert, you don't need to worry about now getting yourself to ASE. You just stick with the plane and crew.

As noted above, it's easy in and out of Aspen on shuttle buses and plenty of places to grab food near the bus depot in town.

This is a great idea. If everything is on time, you'll have a sweet layover.

The runways might be longer but that doesn't impact the weather or move the mountains. Lots of weather issues in and out of ASE. That said, since it's just a stop for you, it doesn't matter. If they divert, you don't need to worry about now getting yourself to ASE. You just stick with the plane and crew.

As noted above, it's easy in and out of Aspen on shuttle buses and plenty of places to grab food near the bus depot in town.

Thanks for all the great tips everyone! How often do they divert? If I'm on the SFO-ASE flight, would they usually divert someplace west of ASE (like Grand Junction?) or do they just pass up ASE and head to DEN?

It depends. SFO-ASE usually diverts to GJT, but has been known to use DEN as an alternate.

I recommend the Aspen Cheese Store, or whatever they call it. Excellent salads. Just make sure you have cash - they refuse credit cards under $20.

Sounds like fun, but don't forget to bring money!