Vail tickets top $80!

[Bobcat Sig]

The moment in time this all started was 1996. That year, Vail (which already owned Beaver Creek) purchased Breckenridge and Keystone and then started to offer the "buddy pass." I moved to Colorado the first year of the buddy pass and you literally had to buy the pass in groups of four, in person, at Christy Sports. There was a line out the door to buy the pass.

After the buddy pass, the MBA bean counters at Vail started crunching the numbers and realized they make way more money selling cheap, multi-resort passes in large quantities, along with very expensive day tickets, than they do selling small numbers of expensive season passes and cheap day tickets. The goal was to bring as manny people as they can to the resorts because where they really make money is not the skiing, but all the crap at the base.

Vail started expanding their empire and the Epic Pass was born. Not to be outdone, Private equity money felt they could do what Vail is doing better than Vail and hence Alterra and the Ikon Pass.

What I worry about is the monopolization of the ski industry into either Vail or Alterra. People seem happy with the cheap multi-resort passes. But what happens when these passes are not so cheap? What happens when your closest mountain is a Vail or Alterra owned resort and you are stuck with their corporate bullshit?

And that's if you can even ski any of those monopolized ski areas; many are now requiring reservations - with purposely limited inventory - just ski the pass you already purchased. So it's is now potentially worse; you fork over a pile of money just for the chance to ski. Ain't that some shit...

[skiracer88_00]

The moment in time this all started was 1996. That year, Vail (which already owned Beaver Creek) purchased Breckenridge and Keystone and then started to offer the "buddy pass." I moved to Colorado the first year of the buddy pass and you literally had to buy the pass in groups of four, in person, at Christy Sports. There was a line out the door to buy the pass.

After the buddy pass, the MBA bean counters at Vail started crunching the numbers and realized they make way more money selling cheap, multi-resort passes in large quantities, along with very expensive day tickets, than they do selling small numbers of expensive season passes and cheap day tickets. The goal was to bring as manny people as they can to the resorts because where they really make money is not the skiing, but all the crap at the base.

Vail started expanding their empire and the Epic Pass was born. Not to be outdone, Private equity money felt they could do what Vail is doing better than Vail and hence Alterra and the Ikon Pass.

What I worry about is the monopolization of the ski industry into either Vail or Alterra. People seem happy with the cheap multi-resort passes. But what happens when these passes are not so cheap? What happens when your closest mountain is a Vail or Alterra owned resort and you are stuck with their corporate bullshit?

When I started college at Boulder in the fall of 2006, you still needed to buy it in-person (at Boulder Ski Deals). I distinctly remember paying $289 for the Colorado Pass, which was the predecessor to the Epic Local pass. At that time, it was unlimited at Beck/Key/Arapahoe with 10 days at Vail/Beav. That October, I waited 1 hr+ in the lift line at A-Basin on opening weekend.

[The SnowShow]

When I started college at Boulder in the fall of 2006, you still needed to buy it in-person (at Boulder Ski Deals). I distinctly remember paying $289 for the Colorado Pass, which was the predecessor to the Epic Local pass. At that time, it was unlimited at Beck/Key/Arapahoe with 10 days at Vail/Beav. That October, I waited 1 hr+ in the lift line at A-Basin on opening weekend.

I remember the CO Pass. That’s what I had for many years and remember when that hit $500. I was like, uh oh.

[MarsB]

Sadly, I'd be hard pressed to come up with a resort that still has a day ticket window price of less than $80. Even the mom & pops have crept up to this level.

[NBABUCKS1]

After the buddy pass, the MBA bean counters at Vail started crunching the numbers and realized they make way more money selling cheap, multi-resort passes in large quantities, along with very expensive day tickets, than they do selling small numbers of expensive season passes and cheap day tickets. The goal was to bring as manny people as they can to the resorts because where they really make money is not the skiing, but all the crap at the base.

Also it generates operating income at the start of the year. More important for smaller independent ski resort. Having guaranteed money show up at the start of the year helps to keep operations running smoothly. A bad snow year would kill and independent with expenieve season passes and cheap lift tickets.

[yeahman]

$ 2300.00 for my gold pass at Big Sky. That includes unlimited Tram access and they threw in a marginally useful IKON pass (No Alta, JHMR, Aspen or Sun Valley and no option to upgrade).

Day rates are still crazy and they don't include the Tram upcharge. Yesterday it was $ 30, next week it will be $ 60-90 and according to the website day rates are....

Attachment 438236

Fuck skiing is expensive if you allow it to be. Glad I got about 3600 days in as a paid to ski employee.

Pretty happy so far with my ~$500 green pass and pay-as-I-go tram. So far I've spent $150 on 4 tram days and got about 20 laps. Once the Headwaters hike opens I don't anticipate paying for more than 10 additional tram days. I'll spare you my number crunching but I think I saved about a grand by not going gold and I won't be missing out on much if anything. Of course I'm not a BS legend who gets a comp gold pass like some people I know...ahem. [emoji1]

[Danno]

Curious: what would you all prefer: the current model of basically two mega passes or cheaper day tickets ($80-100) at all resorts like it was?

Current model. If I'm skiing at resorts 20-30 or more days a year, those day tickets would hurt way more.

[TahoeBC]

In the 70’s I remember when I was in High school in Littleton with the ski club I could get a round trip bus ride to Vail and a day pass for $12, most expensive was Steamboat due to the long drive $14. A-Basin was $7

[MakersTeleMark]

I think a buddy pass at vail is still almost $200. Never used one or given one, but there it is. Anyone is more than welcome to mine. I think I have 6 or so, but still not worth it.

Vail be like:

[Name Redacted]

In the 70’s I remember when I was in High school in Littleton with the ski club I could get a round trip bus ride to Vail and a day pass for $12, most expensive was Steamboat due to the long drive $14. A-Basin was $7

To be fair, $12 in 1970 = $94 in 2022
High speed quads were invented in 1981
And I'm guessing that in the 70's there were no back bowls, and far less acreage.

But I'm not trying to justify the exorbitant price of a Vail lift ticket though, that shit is fucked. I was in the village yesterday and holy shit does that place make you sick with flaunting its opulence and wealth. It is so unattractive to me.

[kootenayskier]

Sadly, I'd be hard pressed to come up with a resort that still has a day ticket window price of less than $80. Even the mom & pops have crept up to this level.

The walk up mid-week rate at 49 Degrees North(WA) is still $49. A day pass anytime at Lost Trail (MT) is $58. Midweek at Lookout Pass (ID) is $55. All great ski hills, operating on pubic land, catering to local skiers. The issue is that in a completely free market, some are free to game the system, and free to bleed you dry.

[The AD]

To be fair, $12 in 1970 = $94 in 2022
High speed quads were invented in 1981
And I'm guessing that in the 70's there were no back bowls, and far less acreage.

The High Noon lift was built in 1964, so there was access to Sun Up and Sun Down bowls since then. That was the only lift in the Back Bowls till Orient Express opened in 1988.