Stratton leads pack with $72 lift ticket

[Greg]

Wow!
:blink:

Stratton leads pack with $72 lift ticket
December 11, 2002

The Associated Press

STRATTON — Some lift tickets at Stratton Mountain resort are up to $72 this year, the highest in the nation — surpassing even the top resorts in the Rockies.

The price, announced on Stratton’s Web site last week, applies to Saturdays and holidays after Dec. 20. Until then, skiers and snowboarders are being charged $59 a day.

Last year, Stratton charged a “walk-up rate” of $64 on holidays and $62 on weekends. This year, a Sunday ticket will cost $69. The $72 Saturday and holiday ticket marks the highest one-day lift ticket price in industry history, surpassing Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado, which in October announced a top one-day ticket price of $71.

The average lift ticket price nationwide is $49.44 a day, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

Stratton, which catapulted from the 17th best to fourth best resort in the East in a ranking this year from Ski magazine, offers many discounts, meaning only someone making a last-minute decision to ski on a Saturday or holiday would pay the record rate, said Myra Foster, a Stratton spokeswoman.

“Its still a great value for a great day on the slopes,” Foster said. She added that a selection of discounts is available, including a $95 “Express Card,” which cuts weekend and holiday rates by 25 percent and weekday rates by 50 percent or more.

Other discounts include lodging or the option to ski either at Stratton or Vermont’s Okemo resort.

The record ticket price is a function of supply and demand. Saturday is the busiest day at resorts across New England each winter, Foster said.

Source

 

[mrw]

Another great reason to spend my ski $$$ in Canada

B.C. here I come

 

[from_the_NEK]

How times change in 9 short years...

Stratton is at $84 this year

Stowe is at $89 for a Saturday ticket

Killington $86 (for "peak" times)

Whiteface $82

Mt Snow, Okemo, Sunday River $79

Sugarloaf $77

Bretton Woods, Loon $76

Vail = $108 TODAY for a walk-up ticket window sale :-o

Note: these are the max prices (usually holiday rates) I could find on the websites.

 

[marcski]

How times change in 9 short years...

Stratton is at $84 this year

Stowe is at $89 for a Saturday ticket

Killington $86 (for "peak" times)

Whiteface $82

Mt Snow, Okemo, Sunday River $79

Sugarloaf $77

Bretton Woods, Loon $76

Vail = $108 TODAY for a walk-up ticket window sale :-o

Note: these are the max prices (usually holiday rates) I could find on the websites.

Man you really are banging your head against the wall today at work if you're bumping threads from 9 years ago. :razz::razz:

 

[BenedictGomez]

How times change in 9 short years...

Stratton is at $84 this year

Stowe is at $89 for a Saturday ticket

Killington $86 (for "peak" times)

Whiteface $82

Mt Snow, Okemo, Sunday River $79

Sugarloaf $77

Bretton Woods, Loon $76

Vail = $108 TODAY for a walk-up ticket window sale :-o

Note: these are the max prices (usually holiday rates) I could find on the websites.

The average lift ticket price nationwide is $49.44 a day, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

And keep in mind, inflation has been basically nonexistent that entire time. So unless costs have massively skyrocketed in the last 8 years, (and they havent) that money is filtering straight to the bottom line.

Man you really are banging your head against the wall today at work if you're bumping threads from 9 years ago. :razz::razz:

Yeah, but this is the first "dead thread bump" that I've found truly interesting. This is useful/telling information.

 

[BenedictGomez]

And I'd love to know how total skier visits has changed over time per resort.

They must be down given the increased prices and slightly unfavorable demographic changes.

 

[Hawkshot99]

And keep in mind, inflation has been basically nonexistent that entire time. So unless costs have massively skyrocketed in the last 8 years, (and they havent) that money is filtering straight to the bottom line.

You are forgetting the massive increase in fuel prices over the years. Ski mountains go through crazy amounts of diesel fuel. Groomers get horrible fuel mileage, many mountains use diesel generators to compress the air for the snow making system. Plus there are very high prices for the electrical power to run all the lifts.

 

[Hawkshot99]

And I'd love to know how total skier visits has changed over time per resort.

They must be down given the increased prices and slightly unfavorable demographic changes.

I can only speak for 1 mtn. but they have almost doubled in skier visits in the time span that is in question here.

 

[BenedictGomez]

You are forgetting the massive increase in fuel prices over the years. Ski mountains go through crazy amounts of diesel fuel. Groomers get horrible fuel mileage, many mountains use diesel generators to compress the air for the snow making system. Plus there are very high prices for the electrical power to run all the lifts.

These are all excellent points, and they could justify a necessary price increase, but they still cant justify the "massive" price increase.

I can only speak for 1 mtn. but they have almost doubled in skier visits in the time span that is in question here.

IMO, which admittedly is nearly useless, mountains and lift lines in general appear less crowded to me than a decade ago.

 

[mondeo]

And keep in mind, inflation has been basically nonexistent that entire time. So unless costs have massively skyrocketed in the last 8 years, (and they havent) that money is filtering straight to the bottom line.

Huh? Non existent?

72 to 84 is a 1.7% increase per year.

10 years of inflation:
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnualHALF1HALF220013.73.52.93.33.63.22.72.72.62.11.91.62.83.42.220021.11.11.51.61.21.11.51.81.52.02.22.41.61.31.920032.63.03.02.22.12.12.12.22.32.01.81.92.32.52.020041.91.71.72.33.13.33.02.72.53.23.53.32.72.33.020053.03.03.13.52.82.53.23.64.74.33.53.43.43.03.820064.03.63.43.54.24.34.13.82.11.32.02.53.23.82.620072.12.42.82.62.72.72.42.02.83.54.34.12.82.53.120084.34.04.03.94.25.05.65.44.93.71.10.13.84.23.420090.00.2-0.4-0.7-1.3-1.4-2.1-1.5-1.3-0.21.82.7-0.4-0.6-0.120102.62.12.32.22.01.11.21.11.11.21.11.51.62.11.220111.62.1

Per inflation, that $72 ticket should've increased to $87 this year. Fuel prices, which make up a larger part of resort expenses than the CPI, have more than doubled.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Huh? Non existent?

72 to 84 is a 1.7% increase per year.

I'm talking about the $49.44 average ticket, not the most expensive ticket in the nation. And I'm talking about core inflation, which is what should be used.

But if you assume a standard 3% inflation over the 8 years of the $49.44 figure, you'd arrive at an average lift ticket price of $62.63 for the 2010-2011 season.

HOWEVER, since I'm a dork, and since I know inflation has been running at less than the historical 3% average over the last decade, I plugged the yearly inflation for each year into Excel to arrive at what the yearly average lift ticket would be for the 2010 - 2011 ski season based off the initial $49.44 figure, and it's $59.85. That represents a 21% jump from the 2002 figure of $49.44. So, while we dont know what the average ticket price was for 2010 - 2011, if you believe $60 is in the ballpark, then I guess ski ticket prices have in fact generally kept in-line with inflation.





EDIT: Also, for those that find this interesting, the last time I could find the NSAA date is from 2006 - 2007, when

The average adult weekend ticket price rose to $56.25, up 5.2 percent from last season, while the average weekday ticket price was $52.39, also up 5.2 percent

FYI, my 2006-2007 inflation adjusted average ticket based off the 2002 average, came in at $55.43, which really isnt that far off from the NSAA figure.

 

[Nick]

I feel like when I was in my teens in the $90 it was pretty much right around $45 - $50 to go skiing anywhere for a day. Or, maybe it felt like that because my family was paying :razz:

 

[kingslug]

Alta...5 day ticket...58.00 per day....2200 acres of powder...this..is why..I go there...even with a plane ride and hotel which can be had for around 45.00 per night..its still cheaper than a lot of places in vermont..and it don't RAIN...ever...and rthey have real beer..if you know where to get it...

 

[ScottySkis]

Yes slc ski areas rule in lots of snow great ski mountains all so close to the city and cheap lodging,at snow bird they sell liquor at the base lodge and car rentals are cheap or ski bus I need to back to utah badly

 

[mlkrgr]

Bus and lift ticket packages are about the same. $63 in 2002 and they've gone to $75 now. But now you have Nacski in the fold and you can go to blue collar resorts (anywhere except Okemo or Stowe for $56-67 depending on the resort) if you book the first 25 seats. Although Nacski is inexpensive as it is, the increase from last year to this year was $8 (Sunday River was $59 last year and $67 this year or $62 in early or late season this year while Stowe went from $67 to $75; and they were at $70 for Stowe earlier this year). Again, must be the high gas prices that prompted the Stowe price increase. And then $4 to park at the Woburn RTC, but you get $3 in frequent skier points, which is redeemable if you go on 17 trips with them (I'm up to 5). I think a good majority of the increase is in bus costs rather than group lift ticket rates. I've looked at Stratton's group tix prices last few years and they've only edged up a few bucks while the walk up purchase tix prices have jumped much more. Same thing with Sunday River.

So I think some of the increase has to deal with there's more places than there use to be where ski resorts can put lift ticket deals for people who are price sensitive. They know that people who show up to the ski resort and need to purchase a ticket on the spot are the least sensitive to price. They know if that they charge higher prices at the resort, they'll encourage more people to purchase a ticket ahead of time; thus guaranteeing ticket revenue somewhat on questionable days and even guaranteeing some revenue before the season has even started when you consider the K55 tix deals. Some of it also has to deal with that if there's fewer people purchasing tix, they'll be a certain impression that the mountain is less crowded than it really is. And that's why bus plus lift ticket deals are usually the same price or lower as the lift ticket alone at the walk up price; generally, those who do bus plus lift ticket commit to coming a few days before they actually ski.

 

[kingslug]

Best deal in the world...bus tours with lift tix to all the vermont resorts up to killington...95.00...Snowbirdskitours.net

 

[twinplanx]

Best deal in the world...bus tours with lift tix to all the vermont resorts up to killington...95.00...Snowbirdskitours.net

Could you post a link? I could'n't find this:sad::dunce:, sounds worth a look for next season

 

[billski]

Could you post a link? I could'n't find this:sad::dunce:, sounds worth a look for next season

Just do a google. Easy to find.
From Longuh Ayelund.

http://www.snowbirdsskitours.net/Calendar/event.php?id=35