Lift Ticket Prices trivia

[billski]

I can't wait any longer for Sunday River and Stratton to post prices. Stratton was a laggard last year too. So I've started my analysis. Had a little housekeeping problem with the spreadsheet, so it will be later this weekend until I have all the data rock-solid. Until then, some initial observations:

What is really blowing me away are ticket prices at the priciest resorts out west, which I didn't track last season.. The price increases last year were north of 10%, Vail was the worst, $97 smackers, a 9% increase.
Others between 90 and 92:
Vail Aspen /Snowmass Breckenridge Buttermilk/Tiehack (Snowmass/Aspen) Teluride Keystone Steamboat Beaver Creek
"If you need to ask, don't come"

Largest eastern price increases (I posted this before) 23 to 7 percent:
Saddleback Black Mountain Granite Gorge Pico Sugarbush McIntyre

Half of all resorts had no price increases
One-quarter had a 2-3% increase
The remainder deserve a special place in hell....


The above data applies to single day, Holiday/peak rate, all day, all areas, adult full price window rate ticket.

If you need to kill time and want to see a different spin on data, checkout www.liftsift.com It's got 08-09 data, but it's interesting in that you can graphically select resort criteria by means of a slider.

Enjoy. Or not. :roll:

 

[4aprice]

I sure appreciate the time you spend to post the prices. It's truely amazing what they can get for a day of skiing now. I remember my dad railing about the $10 Stowe ticket back in the early 70's. I play a new game now, trying to find the cheapest way I can get the most skiing in a season. Between promotions and coupons, I already know of a way I can ski Belleayre, Plattekill and Hunter for a total of $50. Catamount and Butternut are $25 on weekdays. Won a freebie day at Waterville and will try to combine that with 2 for 1's for a cheap New Hampshire trip for me and the wife.

I'm sure we'll get hammered at Mt Snow over the New Years, but we're part of a group so there we'll play along. .Having a pass at a home mountain keeps us going when the deals aren't good. With this economy I'm gonna pay alot of attention to the internet hoping the ski areas pop some good discounts on us as the season progresses.


Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Geoff]

Vail was the worst, $97 smackers

Makes the break-even on my Colorado pass 4 1/2 days.

I grabbed the 2nd bedroom for 8 nights of some friends who are in Avon for a month. $70.00/night.

 

[4aprice]

Makes the break-even on my Colorado pass 4 1/2 days.

I grabbed the 2nd bedroom for 8 nights of some friends who are in Avon for a month. $70.00/night.

Out west the discounts are much better and much more available. I know in Utah we never pay walk-up price. Wish we had pass deals here like they do out there with multiple mountains.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[RootDKJ]

I'm really thinking that I should spend more time at Stowe this season. With my Blue Mountain season pass, I get a free Stowe points card, good for $59 lift tickets there. I've been pinging Stratton's webpage for ticket prices every few days to plan my early January trip to no avail. They don't even have packege tickets built into their online reservations yet.

 

[snoseek]

My home mountain walk up price is 59 dollars but you would be a fool to pay that.

 

[tarponhead]

I'm really thinking that I should spend more time at Stowe this season. With my Blue Mountain season pass, I get a free Stowe points card, good for $59 lift tickets there.

Unless stratton has the same agreement as stowe (with Blue), there is no way you'll get that price. So way worth the extra car-time. Unfortunately, my extended trips are tied to my kids school schedule. At best I get to Stowe once this year.

 

[RootDKJ]

Unless stratton has the same agreement as stowe (with Blue), there is no way you'll get that price. So way worth the extra car-time. Unfortunately, my extended trips are tied to my kids school schedule. At best I get to Stowe once this year.

The deal is unique to Blue. If you're a Mountain Creek passholder, you get some pretty good discounts to Stratton. I'd rather pay full price at Stratton then get a season pass at MC.

 

[billski]

Sneak Peak. A work in progress:

http://www.iabsi.com/public/ski/US_resorts_sorted_by_ticket_price.htm

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Okay, I couldn't resist so just for jollies I called Stratton. I listened to the menu and lift tiks were not mentioned so I pressed the # for resort general info.

I got a professional sounding gentleman and when I asked him about lift tik prices he told me that was a sales question and transferred me to sales. A nice lady picked up and did not know when they would be made public. I asked her if it was an Intrawest thing or a Stratton thing. She had no clue.

She then advised that they are playing a waiting game and when I asked, exactly what they were waiting for since most all of the other resorts have already made public their lift tik prices, I pretty much got dead silence.

She then advised that they would probably announce at the same time they did last year, Course, I asked when that was, again, she had no clue. I thanked her for her time and commented and apologized for putting her in an awkward position. She laughed.

So, anyone remember when Stratton made public their prices last year?

They do have a pretty decent discount card http://www.stratton.com/tickets-and-passes/smartpasses/x2_card.htm but it has the standard Xmas, MLK and Pres week holiday blackouts.

 

[RootDKJ]

Okay, I couldn't resist so just for jollies I called Stratton. I listened to the menu and lift tiks were not mentioned so I pressed the # for resort general info.

I got a professional sounding gentleman and when I asked him about lift tik prices he told me that was a sales question and transferred me to sales. A nice lady picked up and did not know when they would be made public. I asked her if it was an Intrawest thing or a Stratton thing. She had no clue.

She then advised that they are playing a waiting game and when I asked, exactly what they were waiting for since most all of the other resorts have already made public their lift tik prices, I pretty much got dead silence.

She then advised that they would probably announce at the same time they did last year, Course, I asked when that was, again, she had no clue. I thanked her for her time and commented and apologized for putting her in an awkward position. She laughed.

So, anyone remember when Stratton made public their prices last year?

Maybe you'd get a better (more accurate) response during regular business hours?

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Maybe you'd get a better (more accurate) response during regular business hours?

To be honest was abit surprised that anyone answered at all but most resorts should be answering the main resort numbers 7 days a week now as regular business hours.

You do have a point. Hey, I did my shot, it's a free phone call. You might get more accurate info.

 

[Geoff]

I would imagine that the typical Stratton customer isn't particularly concerned with the day ticket price. It's not like they market to dumpster divers and other sorts of bargain hunters.

 

[billski]

They didn't post prices until after their lifts started turning. I believe it was somewhere in December. I did what you did last year with the last stringers like Stratton, but it was during the week I called. I actually tried a couple times, and even tried ski school. In all cases they indicated they were not provided the information and did not know when they would get it.


The midwest resorts that are listed as TBD generally have multi-day rates posted, but I wasn't going to take an average rate, that would not be apples to apples. Clearly as Steve observes, if you're a destination resort, your focus is not on day tickets. Also, as Steve states, these rates are often steeply discounted moreso than in the east. It seemed that every motel I stumbled into out there had tickets for sale. Again, it goes for the multi day rate.

My problem in gathering stats is an apples-to-apples comparison can only be done in the east with the adult holiday ticket. I throw the west in for fun, just to observe the price arms race to see who has the chutzpah to push prices highest. I think I've only paid the single holiday rate twice in my life, both times involving lots of people gathering and an unforseen opportunity to ski primo condition on short notice on voucher blackout dates.

Bill

Okay, I couldn't resist so just for jollies I called Stratton. I listened to the menu and lift tiks were not mentioned so I pressed the # for resort general info.

I got a professional sounding gentleman and when I asked him about lift tik prices he told me that was a sales question and transferred me to sales. A nice lady picked up and did not know when they would be made public. I asked her if it was an Intrawest thing or a Stratton thing. She had no clue.

She then advised that they are playing a waiting game and when I asked, exactly what they were waiting for since most all of the other resorts have already made public their lift tik prices, I pretty much got dead silence.

She then advised that they would probably announce at the same time they did last year, Course, I asked when that was, again, she had no clue. I thanked her for her time and commented and apologized for putting her in an awkward position. She laughed.

So, anyone remember when Stratton made public their prices last year?

They do have a pretty decent discount card http://www.stratton.com/tickets-and-passes/smartpasses/x2_card.htm but it has the standard Xmas, MLK and Pres week holiday blackouts.