Zermatt
Active member
Right, as others have said, K vs Pico has nothing to do with cost. All things being equal I'd rather be at Pico. I hate lift lines.
-
Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!
You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!
ikon pass details released
- Thread starter KustyTheKlown
- Start date
sankaty
Member
I just had a chat with the Killington folks on FB. I did appreciate that they seemed to take my concerns seriously and offer responses. The bottom line is, it seems that the Ikon group (basically Alterra) is driving these decisions and the partners are mostly along for the ride, as many of you already suspected.
I'm can't imagine why it is so important to the Ikon group that Pico not be accessible. It's hard to imagine a prospective Ikon customer thinking, "I was going to buy the Ikon Pass, but then I found out I could use my K days at Pico, and Pico isn't iconic enough, so I think I'll skip the whole thing. Epic Pass, here I come!"
I assume there are financial factors that I can't envision from the outside that explain these decisions, but it makes no sense from my perspective.
I'm can't imagine why it is so important to the Ikon group that Pico not be accessible. It's hard to imagine a prospective Ikon customer thinking, "I was going to buy the Ikon Pass, but then I found out I could use my K days at Pico, and Pico isn't iconic enough, so I think I'll skip the whole thing. Epic Pass, here I come!"
I assume there are financial factors that I can't envision from the outside that explain these decisions, but it makes no sense from my perspective.
I guess they don't want to make this a NE pass. If there are too many days in the Northeast, then there's less incentive to go out west and spend money at destination resorts.
Another reason is not to dilute the brand. I think having a few strong iconic mountains make the pass stand out, but if the lists gets too long with too many resorts, then Aspen/DV/Squaw become one of the many
Another reason is not to dilute the brand. I think having a few strong iconic mountains make the pass stand out, but if the lists gets too long with too many resorts, then Aspen/DV/Squaw become one of the many
Zermatt
Active member
But using your K days at Pico doesn’t increase the NE days or dilute the brand. Pico is simply a part of Killington.
Scruffy
Active member
That's right, stay away from Pico keep driving up the hill to Kton, esp. after a powder day-nothing to ski there.
With it only being 7 days I’m not buying IKON anyway, but the Pico thing is curious.
Pico isn’t “ikonic” enough but Loon is?!?
Edd
Well-known member
Yeah, that’s absurd.
abc
Well-known member
I guess Loon is a “destination”. Pico isn’t. Too bad.
I think I’m going up there this weekend.
I think I’m going up there this weekend.
machski
Well-known member
Loon is not marketed as an off price, limited operating schedule area like Pico is. Plain and simple to me why Alterra did not want that product (Pico) on their Ikon pass. This is irrespective of what we the local skiers may think of the decision.
Sent from my XT1650 using AlpineZone mobile app
Zermatt
Active member
But Pico doesn't have to be on the IkonPass. It doesn't have to go on their website, it doesn't go anywhere.
But....it is just a part of Killington so your Killington days should work there.
Buttermilk isn't exactly iconic but you can use your Aspen/Snowmass days there. FFS, the ski area is called "Buttermilk."
benski
Active member
Would they love you to use you $100 window rate tickets at Pico.
So will someone help me out here on the whole Icon Pass Deal?
I am a Sugarbush skier. This year I got the All MTN 7 with no add-on for the Mtn. Collective. I just came back from Aspen/Snowmass and I was able to buy lift tickets at 50% off day rate. Day rate was $170 - so we saved a ton of money on this.
Is the Icon pass an Add-on to my Sugarbush pass? EX: in 2018/19, if I want the Icon deal and full unlimited 7 privileges at Sugarbush - will I have to fork out $899 (for the Icon Pass) + $749 (for the Sugarbush pass) = $1,648
I am a Sugarbush skier. This year I got the All MTN 7 with no add-on for the Mtn. Collective. I just came back from Aspen/Snowmass and I was able to buy lift tickets at 50% off day rate. Day rate was $170 - so we saved a ton of money on this.
Is the Icon pass an Add-on to my Sugarbush pass? EX: in 2018/19, if I want the Icon deal and full unlimited 7 privileges at Sugarbush - will I have to fork out $899 (for the Icon Pass) + $749 (for the Sugarbush pass) = $1,648
Jcb890
Active member
It looks like you are right and the Ikon is NOT an Add-On option.
This is kind of a shame. The way they should have set up this program is you pick you home Mountain and you get unlimited skiing at that mountain. Unless your home mountain is on the list for unlimited skiing - not sure why you would buy this.
abc
Well-known member
“Is the Icon pass an Add-on to my Sugarbush pass? EX: in 2018/19, if I want the Icon deal and full unlimited 7 privileges at Sugarbush - will I have to fork out $899 (for the Icon Pass) + $749 (for the Sugarbush pass) = $1,648”
You’re better off with just buying the Mountain Collective pass (~$400?) on top of you Sugarbush pass.
You’re better off with just buying the Mountain Collective pass (~$400?) on top of you Sugarbush pass.
Killington has also specifically said there is no add on option. One would have to buy a Killington season pass and an Ikon pass seperately.
i agree the Ikon pass does nothing for those whose “home” mountain is one of the limited access partners.
Keep in mind ikon is separate from the mountain collective. Next year you can still do the same thing you did this year and buy a full sugarbush pass and get 50% off day tickets at other mountain collective resorts. SB pass pricing will supposedly be released early this week based on the email about ikon that win sent out last week.
Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone
sankaty
Member
The Mountain Collective will continue to exist. If it keeps the current form as it did last year (which is a big question), then I believe you will have three options:
1) Do what you did last year. Get a premium SB pass without a MC pass. This won't give you any free days at MC mountains, but would give you the 50% discount at other MC member mountains.
2) Get a SB pass with a MC pass. This would give you two free days at each MC mountain in addition to the 50% discount on additional days. This might make sense if you know you are going to ski at a bunch of other MC mountains. The break even point will depend on the cost of the pass, the window prices of the mountains you ski, and whether you are able to take advantage of the very low cost child passes they've offered in past years.
3) Get a SB pass with an Ikon pass. This is similar to the MC scenario, but will offer you more free days (possibly at different mountains?) at a higher cost. It will likely take more days than the MC pass to earn out, but could make sense if you are able to ski lots of days at other Ikon mountains.
All this could get reshuffled if the MC pass gets revamped significantly, which seems at least somewhat probable IMO.
As you've already noted, it's hard to imagine a case where it makes financial sense to but the Ikon Pass in the northeast in addition to a SB season's pass. The fact that the SB pass gives you the 50% MC ticket benefit makes it even harder to find a scenario where the Ikon pass would earn itself out.
Seems to me that for northeasterners, the Ikon pass might make sense for Stratton skiers or skiers that will ski 5+ days at three or more Ikon mountians (but not much more than 5 days at any of them). Given the reduced number of eastern mountains on the pass, the latter case will be a pretty small set.
