ASC Big Rumor

[Geoff]

Given that the resorts all scan the passes, it should be relatively easy to a resort buyer to come to an agreement on this issue should a resort be sold mid season: ASC rebates the new resort owner a pre-detirmined amount for each skier visit, as documented by the pass scanning.

Actually, I'd guess that this already happens within ASC for assigning season pass revenue to each resort.

If I bought a resort from ASC, the last thing I'd want is to ever have to deal with them again. ASC is a bankrupcy waiting to happen and there's no way I'd want them to owe me money for season pass scans. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

There are a multitude of ways they could do it.....rebate per skier visit wouldn't be one of them. The total amount has to be pre-determined and baked into the P&S.

 

[ctenidae]

Season passes aren't sold for the revenue they generate up front, but for teh revenue they generate from visits. My guess would be that a sold mountain would honor the passes, and take a discount off the mountain's price. That's how I'd want it set up, anyway.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Season passes aren't sold for the revenue they generate up front, but for teh revenue they generate from visits. My guess would be that a sold mountain would honor the passes, and take a discount off the mountain's price. That's how I'd want it set up, anyway.

I would have to respectfully disagree. Season Pass sales are key to help pay for season start up costs since revenue from skier visits does not really start until the Xmas holiday period.
At the major resorts destination skiers spend alot more money, per skier, at the mountain than season pass holders. The majority of season pass skiers do not spend money on lessons, lodging or rentals, destination skiers do.

In my personal experience season pass sales in August/Sept not only brings in much needed start up revenue but the ever increasing importance of brand loyalty as well.

 

[Geoff]

Season passes aren't sold for the revenue they generate up front, but for teh revenue they generate from visits. My guess would be that a sold mountain would honor the passes, and take a discount off the mountain's price. That's how I'd want it set up, anyway.

I would have to disrespectfully disagree.

Season passes generate critically important off-season cash flow. Without them, ski resorts wouldn't be able to pay their bills over the summer and fall. Season pass holders tend to spend far less at the resort than walk-up customers. The goldmine at a resort is their 800 lodging number where they collect a substantial commission from all those condo and hotel room nights. Equipment and lessons are also a big source of profit. No season pass holders rent gear and far too few ever take lessons. I doubt season pass holders spend as much in the cafeteria since that's very expensive food of dubious quality at ASC resorts.

 

[pepperdawg]

The year that ASC sold Sugarbush I had purchased an ALL EAST Bronze Pass. When I first contacted them they indicated that the pass would NOT honored at Sugarbush that season. .

The bonze/silver/gold ASC passes didnt yet exist in 2001/2002 (The season Bush was sold) - It was teh last year of the full priced all east pass. (I have both the All East and the S'Bush pass in fornt of me). I actually thought that the new Bush Owners handled it well....I did use mine...

 

[Tyrolean_skier]

The year that ASC sold Sugarbush I had purchased an ALL EAST Bronze Pass. When I first contacted them they indicated that the pass would NOT honored at Sugarbush that season. I wrote back and indicated that I was pissed enough to look for as many other early season pass purchaser's as I could find, and try to put together a campaign that would certainly cost them a bundle in negative publicity. The compromise they came up with was that we could go to Sugarbush and get ONE free pass that season from the new owners. I never actually got there that season, so it ended up being totally irrelevant to me.

I did make it to Sugarbush that year on my season pass and I have a Sugarbush season pass from that year to prove it. However, if I recall correctly, it was a lousy ski season and the one day I went there the conditions were terrible. I never went back that year. Sugarbush is a very nice mountain to ski when the conditions are good but on that day I could not believe the condition of the trails that were open. In my opinion, they should have been closed because they were so dangerous.