Lift Ticket Prices

[amf]

In browsing the posted window rates at some Vermont areas, I was shocked to see that Stratton is not as stratospheric as it used to be - Mt Sneaux now lists 1 day midweek, peak season at $61, compared to Strattons $59! Even Slokemo beats Stratton on the midweek. $towe still seems determined to hold the crown for the biggest bite.

 

[ALLSKIING]

I only get to ski 20 days or so thats not much out of 365 so I don't let the ticket prices bug me to much.

 

[thetrailboss]

Stratton is only real expensive on the weekends. $59 midweek is no real bargain either...

 

[RISkier]

I only get to ski 20 days or so thats not much out of 365 so I don't let the ticket prices bug me to much.

I think I'm somewhat hardened due to golf prices so to some extent that's my approach as well. Still, 20 days at $60 per adds up. So we'll definately look for whatever deals we can find. I know Stowe has the rep of being super pricey but last year we bought multiday lift tickets there for $45 / day and they included lessons (there were other options like ski demos, child lift tickets, etc., but we chose the lessons). Long story but we've got free lodging at Aspen lined up for March. Thankfully the lodging is free cause the lift tickets are $78 / day -- YIKES!.

 

[riverc0il]

here is the simple solution to high prices: don't pay them. if another people do it, resorts will get the message. if enough people don't do it, you're likely better off skiing cheaper resorts any ways or earning your turns at mansfield.

 

[thetrailboss]

here is the simple solution to high prices: don't pay them. if another people do it, resorts will get the message. if enough people don't do it, you're likely better off skiing cheaper resorts any ways or earning your turns at mansfield.

Hmmm...not necessarily :-? Part of the reason for higher ticket prices is fewer skiers and riders on one hand and increased overhead on the other. The market is flat, hence why they are looking into other junk such as real estate, waffle houses, T-shirts, etc, etc.

 

[riverc0il]

trailboss, i highly disagree with this assessment. the resorts with the highest lift tickets have the most skiers and riders! whereas the shortest lift lines in the business involve those areas hovering around the $45-52 price window. a flat market doesn't mean that many ski areas (especially expensive ones) are not still packed.

 

[thetrailboss]

trailboss, i highly disagree with this assessment. the resorts with the highest lift tickets have the most skiers and riders! whereas the shortest lift lines in the business involve those areas hovering around the $45-52 price window. a flat market doesn't mean that many ski areas (especially expensive ones) are not still packed.

No, you are missing my point. It is true that many of the popular areas are increasing prices to 'push skiers out' because of overcrowding. The objective here is to keep crowds lower so that the folks are happier. (Which is your point). Smaller places with lower overhead and less demand can charge less under your point. This explains partially why Stratton and Snow are so high but it fails to explain why smaller places with less volume, the "small places" that fit into your category, such as Bear Creek and Suicide Six charge MORE. Reason being is that their overall skier visits are low and their overhead is high. So that ratio [overhead/skiers and riders=higher], which is my point.

My point speaks to the overall market, which again, is seeing flat growth and increased overhead across the board. I think you will find that the prices have increased DRAMATICALLY in relation to what it was 20 years ago or so. The reason again is two-fold, flat increase in business coupled with increased overhead.

Both are simple economic theories and both are at work I believe and need to be both considered to understand the current situation...mine on the macro level and yours on the micro.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

trailboss, i highly disagree with this assessment. the resorts with the highest lift tickets have the most skiers and riders! whereas the shortest lift lines in the business involve those areas hovering around the $45-52 price window. a flat market doesn't mean that many ski areas (especially expensive ones) are not still packed.

No, you are missing my point. It is true that many of the popular areas are increasing prices to 'push skiers out' because of overcrowding. The objective here is to keep crowds lower so that the folks are happier. (Which is your point). Smaller places with lower overhead and less demand can charge less.

My point speaks to the overall market, which again, is seeing flat growth and increased overhead across the board. I think you will find that the prices have increased DRAMATICALLY in relation to what it was 20 years ago or so. The reason again is two-fold, flat increase in business coupled with increased overhead.

Both are simple economic theories...mine on the macro level and yours on the micro.

You're right about flat skier visits and overhead has increased alot over the years (snowmaking cost a bundle), but no way our ski areas trying to push customers away with high prices to make them less crowded. They are just charging what they believe their customer base will pay.

 

[thetrailboss]

trailboss, i highly disagree with this assessment. the resorts with the highest lift tickets have the most skiers and riders! whereas the shortest lift lines in the business involve those areas hovering around the $45-52 price window. a flat market doesn't mean that many ski areas (especially expensive ones) are not still packed.

No, you are missing my point. It is true that many of the popular areas are increasing prices to 'push skiers out' because of overcrowding. The objective here is to keep crowds lower so that the folks are happier. (Which is your point). Smaller places with lower overhead and less demand can charge less.

My point speaks to the overall market, which again, is seeing flat growth and increased overhead across the board. I think you will find that the prices have increased DRAMATICALLY in relation to what it was 20 years ago or so. The reason again is two-fold, flat increase in business coupled with increased overhead.

Both are simple economic theories...mine on the macro level and yours on the micro.

You're right about flat skier visits and overhead has increased alot over the years (snowmaking cost a bundle), but no way our ski areas trying to push customers away with high prices to make them less crowded. They are just charging what they believe their customer base will pay.

And that in essence pushes a portion of the market, i.e. the low end, out meaning less people on the slopes which is the demand of those on the other end of the spectrum. It's cost and demand. Saturday tickets are much higher than weekdays because of the demand. Why do they have so many midweek deals? Less demand. Few if any places have Saturday or Sunday deals because they have more demand, so much so, that places can fetch a higher price so as to make more revenue while capping the number of people on the slopes. More people skiing=more employees needed=more maintenance=more overhead=less profit. F

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

It is true that many of the popular areas are increasing prices to 'push skiers out' because of overcrowding.

All I'm saying is that this part of you're argument makes no sense to me. I don't claim to have intimate knowledge of the marketing policies of all ski areas, but there are two that I've become pretty familiar with over the years.

At Whiteface they would love to have more skier visits. The last thing they're trying to do is push people away with a $63 weekend ticket.

At Hunter the Slutsky's would rather bite a finger off then push away a skier. And let me tell you they're very savey ski business capitalists.

IMO this is the way almost all ski aereas operate. You can throw in all the micros and macros you want, but I don't buy any mountain intentionally trying to get less skiers with higher prices. They charge what the market will bare.

 

[riverc0il]

No, you are missing my point. It is true that many of the popular areas are increasing prices to 'push skiers out' because of overcrowding. The objective here is to keep crowds lower so that the folks are happier. (Which is your point).

no, my point is the most expensive areas are extremely crowded, period. ASC is not trying to push people out, why offer a low season pass? stowe maybe. most of the expensive ski resorts are crowded 'despite' their prices. they can't push people out if they tried, even with high prices. so they can charge more for their product because it is in high demand. lower the demand (i.e. don't buy tickets) and prices fall. that is also economics, right?

 

[ctenidae]

You guys are all right, some. Areas charge what the market will bear. Moe ammenities, nicer facilities means people will pay more. People who can and will pay more also tend to eat more, lose more gloves, spend more time in teh gift shop, rent lodging, etc. Price it up so that it's a better deal to stay in the resorts lodging (and get "free" lift tickets) than to stay off mountain and buy tickets, and those who don't want to pay for tickets (who also tend to not have 5 kids who lose things and demand constant hot chocolate infusions)go somewhere else. So, while total skier days are flat, areas have to maximize revenue from each skier they do get. Pricing increases don't, I think, reduce the number of skiers that go, but it certainly changes the demographic. Higher prices tends to bring in the higher level consumers. In the end, yes, it pushes some skiers out, but they are easily replaced with other, bigger spenders.

 

[Talisman]

So who is charging the least for a one day lift ticket? Bromley is $25 mid-week non-holiday which is pretty reasonable. Magic, Ascutney, Bolton, Cannon, Ragged, Burke and until recently Haystack all have pretty reasonable weekend walk up ticket prices.

I make it a point not pay list price to ski, but that takes some planning and bottom feeding.

 

[pepperdawg]

Mmmmmm Magic $20 Sunday afternoons.....dreamy....especially if it dumped in the past few days......

 

[hammer]

I've always wondered what defines "reasonable" lift ticket prices. For example, the smaller places that I normally go to (e.g., Pats Peak, Crotched) have weekend ticket prices in the $40 - $45 range. Slightly larger areas tend to have weekend prices between $50 - $60.

Does anyone have any opinions on how well different ski areas price their tickets? For example, although I like Nashoba and it's close to home for me, paying over $40 for a weekend lift ticket for just over 200 feet of vertical is not a good deal IMO, especially since I can pay practically the same to ski at Pats Peak...