Buying Lift Tickets

[highpeaksdrifter]

Fortunately, I seldom have to do it because I usually ski where I have a seasons pass, but when I do I usually find it frustrating. I always seem to be behind the guy who has to ask about all the different ticket prices, or the guy how’s credit card doesn’t work or the guy who’s looking through his pockets for his discount coupon or the guy who has to write out a check at the window and record it.

Once that’s all settled then the clerk has to enter all sorts of info into the computer, usually get your zip code then try to print out the lift tickets. Then the next guy steps up to the window with his set of issues and the whole agonizing process starts over again.

I’ve gotten to the window early and stood in line with the other early people and listened to the ticket clerks talking and having coffee behind the closed blinds while they wait to exactly 8:00 to the second to open for business. Oh yeah, they never seem to have enough windows open when they do open.

So anyways, I hate the whole experience. My question is in your experience what mountain does the best job of moving the ticket line and what mountain does the worst?

Also, what suggestions would you have to make ticket buying easier?

I don’t see why all mountains don’t let you buy them online and print your tickets out at home.

 

[severine]

I don’t see why all mountains don’t let you buy them online and print your tickets out at home.

I can think of one reason: potential fraud. (Then we'll get into the discussion once again about scanning lift tickets, and I really don't want to go there....) I imagine that's one big holdup though on that.

I typically have not had the experience of waiting in line to buy lift tickets. The few times I've had to buy, there really hasn't been any sort of line to contend with. But when I went to A-basin, I bought ahead through liftopia and that was cool. I printed my receipt, handed it to the girl at the window, and she gave me a lift ticket. Saved a little time, I imagine.

 

[SkiDork]

TVM's sound like a good idea to me...

 

[deadheadskier]

The Sunday afternoon cruise at Wildcat ticket line is a pain in the neck. The deal is you can ski from noon until close for $20. They won't start selling the tickets until exactly 12:00 AND the window is inside. I gear up at the car, so I'm usually waiting behind 30 people sweating my butt off, plus the tickets are sold at the ski school counter, so there are other people waiting in line for different services.

A simple solution would be to start selling the tickets at 11:30 and just have them be a different color than the full day ticket.

 

[Geoff]

A lot of resorts are switching over to ticket kiosks to cope with their labor shortage problem. It doesn't help with vouchers and other discount programs but it does thin out the line to get to a human. Killington midweek doesn't staff the ticket windows at most of the base lodges so you have to ski or drive to Snowshed if you need more than a basic day ticket.

 

[thetrailboss]

I honestly don't know because I have been a passholder for so long that I can't recall the last place I was where I needed a ticket.

That said, Sugarbush seems to have done a good job improving their ticket windows and systems.

Burke got rid of theirs at MidBurke and sell tix at the bar. Some days that line got so long that it clogged up the bar area.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Best large mtn for lift tix purchase that i've been to is Tremblant .. We always start at the Versant Nord side( More rustic lodge) its very quick never a line more than 1-2 people because the typicalTOURIST side is Versant SUD in teh Faux Disneyworld village

 

[frozencorn]

It's not the resort's fault, really, but the worst time I had last season was at Sugarloaf. I was meeting friends there who had rented a condo and gotten their lift tickets ahead of time. I arrived Saturday morning, with a 2 for 1 Miller voucher and nobody to use it with. After speaking to a few people in line about the opportunity to share it with them, thus saving them half the cost, not only did nobody take me up on the offer, but many thought I was either trying to scam them or were just dubious about the whole thing.

Next thing I know, I've got a Sugarloaf employee reaming me out in front of the ticket window for offering (sorry, "soliciting" such an offer). I understood the issue really, I expressed this, and apologized, only to have him to continue to berate me. It was an awesome Saturday morning.

Did I mention I was wildly hungover? I was.

 

[snowmonster]

Some mountains sell tickets at the guest services desk which will allow you to by-pass the line at the ticket booth.

 

[bvibert]

I've been lucky and never really had much of a problem, but then I've rarely (if ever) had to buy a ticket on a busy weekend. Most of my ticket buying has been mid-week or off-season.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Part of the problem is the need for a scannable bar code and the legalize in the small print on the back of the ticket. Plus it has to be a fairly heavy duty card stock which can stand the rigors of a day of skiing.

 

[Grassi21]

i hate it. i skied 15 or so days at sundown last year. i usually skied nights so i would be waiting around for 5:45 or so when they would start selling tickets. this season with a pass i can roll up when ever i get out of work and walk straight to the lift. not to metntion the lines on weekends, yuck.

didn't sugarbush have the sugar card or something like that. you registered and were sent a card. i think you had to give a credit card number and you could show up to the mtn and swipe your card. no annoying lines. i could be making that up.

 

[thetrailboss]

Sugarcard: yes, SB did have one that was attached to a credit card so you could go straight to the lift and it would automatically bill the card. Not sure if they are still doing it or not. Good idea.

 

[snowmonster]

Sugarcard: folks at guest services at SB told me that they won't be renewing the Sugarcard this year. Last year was the last year.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I also hate buying tickets..I like when ski areas open the ticket window at least 30 minutes before the lifts start running. At Blue mountain the ticket windows don't open until the lifts open so non season passholders typically can't make first chair. I always seem to be behind somebody in the ticket line who has a ton of questions and has vouchers and what not that the teenage ticket agent has no clue what to do..I do like the electronic kiosks that some resorts have. The one day at Jackson Hole when the lifts stopped running at 10AM due to intense winds..it was a major clusterf#ck getting a voucher since there were like 4 ticket windows for 100s of people..

Having a season pass rocks hardcore..right from the car to the lifts..

 

[bvibert]

Sugarcard: folks at guest services at SB told me that they won't be renewing the Sugarcard this year. Last year was the last year.

Bummer that sounded like a good idea. I got one, but never got the chance to use it.. :dunce:

 

[Vortex]

Waiting in line sucks period. I try to buy them ahead of time if possible. I always have a pass to my home mountain. The couple of times a year I bounce around I try to get tickets in advacne. Sr does a decent job with that. I have had to help set up freinds and relatives and Sr does it pretty well.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I like when I go to Jackson Hole..they just mail me my lift ticket..and I'm good to go..once I get a plastic wick..

 

[shpride]

Sugarcard: folks at guest services at SB told me that they won't be renewing the Sugarcard this year. Last year was the last year.

Last season Stratton did something like this. It looks like a season pass, and everytime they scan it your credit card is hit. I think at a discounted rate.

 

[bigbog]

still debating Pass vs DayTicket....

frozencorn,
Just goes to show ya'...there are parochial, mental morons everywhere. Anyone who has problems like that, in the vicinity of a mountain like that, truly has some issues....

HPdrifter,
Still debating whether to buy or not, morning ticket desks aren't busy up @Sugarloaf, and am trying to see whether Boyne will continue one midweek local's day. To ski every weekend is pretty pricey via Boyne. Haven't computed my costs through yet... Still Debating...!

$.01
SteveD