Do benefits matter?

gmcunni · Jul 29, 2010

I'm not talking about "friends with benefits", of course THAT matters.

When you make your season pass purchase decisions do the added benefits matter to you?

me - yes but no.. i get a pass to ski sundown*. i'd ski there over my other local options regardless of the benefits BUT the benefits are very inviting for me. as a "local" hill Sundown is what it is, nobody is going to confuse what Sundown offers compared to the big guys up north. But i simply couldn't ski ONLY at Sundown. The benefits they give me sure make it easy to get way and save some $$ at places i like to ski -

Extra Benefits for Ski Sundown Season Passholders!

Sugarbush Resort, VT - 25% off peak midweek Adult Mountain lift ticket rates and 20% off Adult All Mountain weekend and holiday lift ticket rates (valid peak season 12/18/10-3/27/11 only). Other discounts include: 15% off midweek resort lodging (valid 8/1/10-5/15/11, except holiday weeks); 10% off ski/snowboard rentals (valid 11/1/10-5/15/11, except holidays); 10% off tuning services at the Bull Wheel Tune Shop (valid 11/1/10-5/15/11); 10% off at Timbers Restaurant (excluding alcohol) (valid 8/1/10-5/15/11); 10% off at Hogan's Pub (excluding alcohol) (valid 08/01/10-9/27/11).

One FREE equipment tune-up from Ski Tunes

Preferred Rates on Ski Sundown Lesson Programs

$10 off one equipment tune-up in the Ski Sundown Repair Shop

One Free Lift Ticket for a Friend

One 20% Discount Coupon on Non-Sale Items in the SNowsports Shop at Ski Sundown

$15 off weekend and holiday and 50% off mid-week full day/full price lift tickets to Okemo Mountain, VT

$10 off lift tickets to Bromley, VT

i probably won't go back to ski tunes - too far away and not a great experience last season but i like (love) Sugarbush and always have fun at Bromley and Okemo. i can easily see myself saving almost $100 bucks next season just for showing my Sundown badge.

and i save my free day pass to Sundown for Jake @ the bump or bust comp :daffy:

*-final decision for season still pending based on kicker decisions on non-comp bump runs.

severine · Jul 29, 2010

I took advantage of the Okemo benefit last year and that was nice. Also took advantage of the Ski Tunes tune up and could have done without the headache. Benefits don't matter in that I would have the pass at Sundown anyway, but if they're going to offer a benefit, then the merchant should carry through in a reputable manner. Last year they also had a free tune at Ski Market and that was handled much better than the tune I had done at Ski Tunes.

neil · Jul 29, 2010

I'm in a similar position. Last year I had the weekday pass at Wachusett, which I only use for night time riding. There is no way I would go there on a weekend anyway, so it suits me just fine to use it once or twice a week during the night. I easily get my money back on it.

The benefits are not a big deal for me. It's nice to get a discount from another mountain, but I would still buy the pass if it had no benefits.

wa-loaf · Jul 29, 2010

neil said:
I'm in a similar position. Last year I had the weekday pass at Wachusett, which I only use for night time riding. There is no way I would go there on a weekend anyway, so it suits me just fine to use it once or twice a week during the night. I easily get my money back on it.

The benefits are not a big deal for me. It's nice to get a discount from another mountain, but I would still buy the pass if it had no benefits.

This, except I like the early and late season weekends. And the discount at Alta really payed off for me last year.

gmcunni · Jul 29, 2010

wa-loaf said:
And the discount at Alta really payed off for me last year.

fair to assume you picked alta as a destination because you had a discount ?

wa-loaf · Jul 29, 2010

gmcunni said:
fair to assume you picked alta as a destination because you had a discount ?

I was going to Utah anyway, but I skied more days at Alta than other places because of the discount.

andyaxa · Jul 29, 2010

We bought a family pass for Crotched (actually skied on it last spring, too). The price... $1300 for 5ppl ($260 per person) to ski the rest of last spring and all of 2010/11 season was the main factor. Crotched is close, a bus actually goes from the girls' school a couple afternoons each week, so we'll definitely get our money's worth. No perks for other places, but we do get 15% discount in Retail, 5% in the Café and 38% on Tickets, Rentals & Lessons. The 38% will be nice for lessons and we have a number of guests who can utilize the 38% for lift tkts and rentals. Think we would have bought the pass regardless, but those benefits certainly made the decision easier.

neil · Jul 29, 2010

wa-loaf said:
This, except I like the early and late season weekends. And the discount at Alta really payed off for me last year.

If only they offered it at Snowbird for us riders! Luckily Liftopia and buying tickets at the U of U saved us some money.

gmcunni · Jul 29, 2010

andyaxa said:
Think we would have bought the pass regardless, but those benefits certainly made the decision easier.

This!

drjeff · Jul 29, 2010

I really like the retail discounts for the ski shop (Mount Snow Sports) that I get with my Nor'easter pass, also really like the 1st tracks program where passholders can get 2 runs (guided by resort admins) starting 30 minutes before the lifts open to the general public on Saturdays, and having 4 $50 tickets available for my friends and non passholding family members is nice too

gmcunni · Jul 29, 2010

drjeff said:
really like the 1st tracks program where passholders can get 2 runs (guided by resort admins) starting 30 minutes before the lifts open to the general public on Saturdays

this is good? i always looked down on this type of offer.. figuring it was lowest common denominator type tour and you get stuck on easy beginner type trails.

ta&idaho · Jul 29, 2010

Heavenly season passes used to offer both "buddy" passes ($40 tickets for non-pass-holding ski buddies to convince them to come ski somewhere with super-expensive lift tickets) and three tickets to other Vail resorts. Both benefits were a huge plus.

Glenn · Jul 29, 2010

It helps. Mt. Snow offeres 20% off regularly priced items in the ski shops. They also load the passes with 4 vouchers good for $50 lift tickets that you can use throughout the season. Helps if you have friends or family join you for the day or if you need a pass for a blackout date. The stuff they do for the season passholders is really nice: Special website, first tracks with management on Saturday morning and the season passholder party.

deadheadskier · Jul 29, 2010

Not really a factor for me. I ski Ragged because it offers a close place to make some turns on decent terrain for short money. It would be nice if it got me discounts to other mountains, but I typically find those through other means.

4aprice · Jul 29, 2010

gmcunni said:
I'm not talking about "friends with benefits", of course THAT matters.

When you make your season pass purchase decisions do the added benefits matter to you?

me - yes but no.. i get a pass to ski sundown*. i'd ski there over my other local options regardless of the benefits BUT the benefits are very inviting for me. as a "local" hill Sundown is what it is, nobody is going to confuse what Sundown offers compared to the big guys up north. But i simply couldn't ski ONLY at Sundown. The benefits they give me sure make it easy to get way and save some $$ at places i like to ski -

i probably won't go back to ski tunes - too far away and not a great experience last season but i like (love) Sugarbush and always have fun at Bromley and Okemo. i can easily see myself saving almost $100 bucks next season just for showing my Sundown badge.:smash:

and i save my free day pass to Sundown for Jake @ the bump or bust comp

*-final decision for season still pending based on kicker decisions on non-comp bump runs.

Hello Camelback Management, Read This.:smash: I think Sundown has taken a leadership role in how to run a medium to small size mountain. Accept them for what they are and enjoy. Camelback would be wise to keep its eye on them. I like their style.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

skizilla · Jul 29, 2010

definately

Definately Butternut has some amazing benefits local discounts in the community and discount at at lest five other resorts I wish more ski areas had reciprocal discount at other resorts. For instace I might get a ski sundown pass if they had discounts at more resorts.

drjeff · Jul 29, 2010

gmcunni said:
this is good? i always looked down on this type of offer.. figuring it was lowest common denominator type tour and you get stuck on easy beginner type trails.

Sharing a chair with folks like the General Manager of the mountain, the head of Mountain Ops, the head of the ski school, the folks from the marketing dept, for me atleast is a really nice perk. Plus, speaking of how Mount Snow does it, if it's a groomer day, it's a high speed GS/almost Super G type speed run down an intermediate trail that had some fresh cord put down on it withing the previous hour, if it happens to be a powder day - those that want untracked get untracked (folks that want a groomer get that too) - so basically you'll get some of the best snow on the mountain that day, and often a bunch of tips about where Mountain Ops feels like the best snow will be on the rest of the mountain for later that day

Riverskier · Jul 29, 2010

With the Boyne Silver Pass (the pass I buy) you get a 10% retail discount and discounted tickets to their western resorts. I don't utilize those, so those obviously aren't a factor in my decision. They do have passholder lodging deals all season too, which I have taken advantage of and can save you some money. I wouldn't say that is a factor in my decision though, as I would buy the pass anyway without them. Smart program for the mountain though, as those savings have influenced me to book lodging that I otherwise wouldn't have without the discount.

gmcunni · Jul 29, 2010

drjeff said:
Sharing a chair with folks like the General Manager of the mountain, the head of Mountain Ops, the head of the ski school, the folks from the marketing dept, for me atleast is a really nice perk. Plus, speaking of how Mount Snow does it, if it's a groomer day, it's a high speed GS/almost Super G type speed run down an intermediate trail that had some fresh cord put down on it withing the previous hour, if it happens to be a powder day - those that want untracked get untracked (folks that want a groomer get that too) - so basically you'll get some of the best snow on the mountain that day, and often a bunch of tips about where Mountain Ops feels like the best snow will be on the rest of the mountain for later that day

sweet, are passholders allowed to invite a guest??? ;-)

drjeff · Jul 29, 2010

gmcunni said:
sweet, are passholders allowed to invite a guest??? ;-)

Unfortunately they're pretty strict about making sure that folks that are in the 1st tracks program that day have a valid season pass

That usually means that if I'm not riding up the chair with someone from management, that I'm on the chair with Glenn + Mrs Glenn

I've also seen Mommabear out in the 1st tracks line, and my guess is that since Vcunning's youngest kid will might very well be able to keep up with the pack by later in the season that he'll be in the line too

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