No other ski destination in North America beats Whistler/Blackcomb! Me and a friend went 2 winters ago on passes to seattle. If you plan on going, stay anywhere in whistler village. The best place to stay would be the Chateau or the Pan Pacific (both 5 star), but anything in the villlage or uppper village would be perfect. If there are more than a few of you, it is definitely worth renting a car (bus = $120 CAD round trip or something like that). However, the most fun we had was when we stayed in the youth hostel in Squamish (45 min. from the mountain) for next to nothing, packed our lunches, and bought discount lift tickets in WA at the local supermarkets. You can't go wrong with over 7000 skiable acres and lots of gladed stuff. I have also stayed at the summit lodge and spa, another boutique type place right in the village. As far as flight crew discounts, I don't know. Good luck, have fun, and DEFINITELY give these great mountains a try.