Crazy Lift ticket Prices!!!!

[lowangle al]

I think the resorts want to encourage people to buy season passes, that way you won't be spending some of your money elsewhere. They may even have some formula that if a person plans to ski a certain amount of days (maybe just 5 or 6) per season they might opt for a pass.

[randoskier]

I think the resorts want to encourage people to buy season passes, that way you won't be spending some of your money elsewhere. They may even have some formula that if a person plans to ski a certain amount of days (maybe just 5 or 6) per season they might opt for a pass.

Most people skiing in the USA live nowhere near where a seasons pass would make sense (and yes they have those passes here in Europe and yes they are less expensive than in the USA). They have seasons passes to placate the local people, one less obstacle to gouge everyone else. If a lot of people bought season passes at Vail resorts or another megalith then the seasons pass price would rise astronomically (that second yacht wasn't free you know!).

The reason lift passes (season, day, promotional) cost so much more (about double and for far lesser facilities) in America is because Americans bend over and take it. There are seasons passes in Europe too, it is a moot explanation for why it costs SO much more to ski in the USA if one desires a mechanical lift.

[randoskier]

Don't get me started on lodging costs near lifts in the US....

I think this is a far bigger problem than the lift ticket costs, to me.

luckily, Rutland has a handful of cheap hotels, or lodging costs would have been a non-starter for us…

Even priceline.com “bargains” within the Killington resort were $350+/night for a 1-bedroom condo apartment. NoThankYou.

That is crazy because in Feb. you can fly to Munich from Boston (easy access to all Austrian ski areas by train or car, (Germany is not worth skiing) for $280 each way, if you ski a week then you covered your airfare 2x or more- counting your savings on both lodging and lift tickets and get to ski a resort at least twice as big and twice as high in vertical. F-Killington ..Dealkillerton.

[randoskier]

I

We paid $119 (adult), and $96 (18 and under) for Lift Tickets.
Purchased a few days in advance, online.
It was a GREAT (but very cold, windy) day, and worth the price of admission, to me.
We had an absolute blast.

I guess the prices you quoted were for an Adult on the Weekend, not purchased in advance?

Oh so you only paid $119 for a 3,000 ft vertical and 23 lifts- so you only paid twice as much as the Dolomiti pass that covers 450 lifts and a vertical that = 2x Killington's + another 1,700 feet- like stacking Stratton on top of two Killingtons. Killington has 92 miles of inbounds slopes, Dolomiti has 774 miles of inbound slopes. I am sure it was a blast, but I bet the Dolomites would be a slightly bigger blast and for 1/2 the price? (but maybe a longer drive) Dolmite pass covers 10 different ski areas and each of them quash Killington- in all respects (Cortina, Val Gardena, Corvara, Alta Badia, Civetta, etc.). Your kids 17 and under would have paid $42 for the exact same date (for 450 lifts!) You got done man.

[Montana St Alum]

I

We paid $119 (adult), and $96 (18 and under) for Lift Tickets.
Purchased a few days in advance, online.
It was a GREAT (but very cold, windy) day, and worth the price of admission, to me.
We had an absolute blast.

I guess the prices you quoted were for an Adult on the Weekend, not purchased in advance?

Oh so you only paid $119 for a 3,000 ft vertical and 23 lifts- so you only paid twice as much as the Dolomiti pass that covers 450 lifts and a vertical that = 2x Killington's + another 1,700 feet- like stacking Stratton on top of two Killingtons. Killington has 92 miles of inbounds slopes, Dolomiti has 774 miles of inbound slopes. I am sure it was a blast, but I bet the Dolomites would be a slightly bigger blast and for 1/2 the price? (but maybe a longer drive) Dolmite pass covers 10 different ski areas and each of them quash Killington- in all respects (Cortina, Val Gardena, Corvara, Alta Badia, Civetta, etc.). Your kids 17 and under would have paid $42 for the exact same date (for 450 lifts!) You got done man.

Well, to be fair, they only got "done" if they had the opportunity to choose between these two destinations and chose Killington. I'm sure they would have loved to ski Europe, but they don't live there.

On a separate note, if you have an Ikon pass, Connected lift service offers Ikon Pass holders access to Rothorn, Gornergrat and the Schwarzsee-Matterhorn glacier paradise within the Zermatt ski area, plus Cervinia-Valtournenche ski areas in Italy, collectively known as Matterhorn ski paradise.

Ikon Pass holders will have seven-day access to Zermatt and the Matterhorn ski paradise network on the Ikon Pass with no blackout dates.


For Epic pass holders, Les 3 Vallées, Skirama Dolomiti Adamello Brenta in Italy, Ski Arlberg in Austria, and 4 Vallees in Switzerland are all a part of Epic Pass access.

[randoskier]

When I say they "got done" what I mean is "American's get done". i realize it is a long drive to Europe. however- if you are skiing for a week or more and have kids I'll bet you it is cheaper to go to Europe even including airfare than to stay in the states and probably WAY cheaper for East Coast skiers to go to Europe than to fly out west to ski. Plus they get a cultural experience and cuisine that is much better. There is simply no explanation for the lift prices except profiteering and anti-competitive business practices.

The difference in price is so enormous, and this is between countries with similar economic conditions and incomes, that there is no other explanation other than profiteering and anti-competitive business practices.

Now I am repeating myself, its past my bedtime goodnight.

[corlay]

When I say they "got done" what I mean is "American's get done". i realize it is a long drive to Europe. however- if you are skiing for a week or more and have kids I'll bet you it is cheaper to go to Europe even including airfare than to stay in the states and probably WAY cheaper for East Coast skiers to go to Europe than to fly out west to ski. Plus they get a cultural experience and cuisine.

well, ive never resort skiied more than 2 consecutive days - ever.

my last time on a snowboard, before this past Tuesday, was about 7-8 years ago, when we had season passes at our local rinky-dink ski hill in centrl NY. Back then, if you bought a season pass in April, it was around $300 - which was a banging deal. (I think its closer to $500 now)

Last time I visited Killington, before my recent trip, was about that same time - and I think lift tickets, on the weekend, were about $90 each day. So yes - prices have escalated a bunch in the past 8 years, or so. No argument there….

If We ever decide to take a “ski vacation” with 4 or more days at the resort, I would welcome the idea that Europe would be a “cheaper” destination than the Rockies! That would be stellar.

This past trip, my daughter and I were aprehensive that an 8-year alpine hiatus would necessitate a re-learning curve. (my Son has been ‘boarding regularly all along…) Surprisingly, alpine snowboarding/skiing seems to be like riding a bike - we picked up right where we left off! That was a welcomed result.

[fisheater]

@randoskier That trail map is enough to have me go out and buy an NTN resort set-up. That is amazing. I can see the importance of watching the time if you decided to explore

[John Dee]

They probably want to encourage people to buy season passes by jacking up daily prices, while simultaneously knowing that tourists will pay high prices on vacation.

[joeatomictoad]

Hey @randoskier , or any one else... have any experience with Andorra or others around the Pyrenees? Pricing good/bad? Terrain good/bad? Access good/bad? Etc?

The only thing I know about Pyrenees is that I bought my boots from telemark-pyrenees.com when they had a sale that was too good not to pass up... so in other words, I don't know that much about the area... but I appreciate good value when I see it.

I have some contact with Barcelona, and this doesn't look too far.