Ski resorts are doing their part to combat the worldwide economic recession, slashing season pass prices, adding perks, eliminating blackout days and stretching out payment plans. Hoping to capitalize on what for many was a good snow year with better than expected skier visits as well as to lock in customers before the recession gets worse, ski areas put next year’s passes on sale— and we do mean sale—even before closing the books on 2008-09. The gambit has worked in some cases, and not in others.

Crystal, Wash., put its 2009-10 pass on sale April 1. It is the resort’s cheapest season pass in more than a decade. As long as four adults buddy up and buy passes at the same time, they can get them for $544 apiece, compared to $875 this past season.

“Last year, we offered the existing pass price as a renewal, and saw about a 30 percent increase in sales,” says Tiana Enger, marketing manager. “But with the economy being the way it is, we’re trying to bring back some of our loyal customer base who reached the tipping point economically and stopped buying passes.”

Enger says visits were down about 20 percent this season, although she attributes that more to weather than the economy. With 13 feet of snow in March, visits picked back up. She says that momentum should help next year’s pass sales, but not as much as the new price point.

Steamboat Resort, Colo., is also rolling back pass prices nearly 10 years, offering 2009-10 passes for $879, compared to $979 last year. “Value is at the forefront of everyone's mind these days," says Rob Perlman, vice president of sales and marketing.

Killington, Vt., slashed its 2009-10 Pico season pass rates 28 percent for adults ($299) and 42 percent for kids and seniors ($199). The rates were good until April 30. “The goal was to have a family of four be able to ski for less than $1,000,” says Tom Horrocks, Killington communications manager. “We’re definitely going after the local market with those prices.”

The resort also lowered next season’s Killington passes as much as $140, and added an extra payment (three instead of two), that spreads the payments into the fall. “So far we’ve elicited the type of response we expected,” Horrocks says.

In Colorado, the season pass war between Vail Resorts and Intrawest heated up when Winter Park and Copper put their Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus, which also includes six days and Friday afternoons at Steamboat, on sale for $399, $40 less than last year, and opened a web portal to make purchases easier.

“It was our most popular pass last year even without Internet and phone sales,” says Mary Woolwine, Winter Park marketing director. Winter Park had a good season, she notes, but had to offer a lot of deals and special promotions to keep visitors coming. “We know everybody is feeling the effect of the economic crunch. The Super Pass Plus is a great value. We really want new guests to enjoy the benefits of being a pass holder,” she adds. Skiers can lock in the $399 pass with just $49 down, with the remaining balance due in September.

The Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus competes head-to-head with the 5-resort Vail Epic pass, $579, and the Colorado Pass, $439, valid for unlimited access to Keystone, Breck, and Arapahoe Basin, with 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek.


Mixed reviews
The early response to next year’s season passes has been mixed. At Crystal, Enger says “People are ecstatic. We’ve gotten tons of emails and phone calls and the passes haven’t even gone on sale yet.” (They went on sale April 1.)

At Shawnee Peak, Maine, which lowered some pass prices and held the price on its best seller, the $1,759 family pass (2 adults and unlimited kids), the response has also been enthusiastic. “We had a great season and are getting some new families,” says Melissa Rock, marketing manager.

Elsewhere, the response has been more muted. At Diamond Peak, Nev., where the season was about 7 percent down, the resort is holding the line on next year’s passes. By the end of March, Diamond Peak had sold only half as many year-to-date as the previous year. At Sunday River and Sugarloaf, Maine, which also held the line on preseason pass pricing, sales are trending behind last year, says spokeswoman Darcy Liberty. Ditto for Okemo, Vt., which sold a record number of passes last year.

Sugarbush, Vt., also sold a record number of passes last year, and is holding prices steady for next year. Visits were down this season, but so far passes are “moving well,” says J.J. Toland, communications director. Waterville Valley, N.H ., also held preseason pass prices steady and allowed guests to put the price of a daily ticket ($65) toward the purchase.

Wildcat, N.H., lowered its adult preseason pass $100 and reduced blackout days. “We’re trying to capture the skiers and riders while they are still enjoying skiing this season,” says Thomas Prindle, director of marketing and sales.

Camelback, Pa., which never put season passes on sale before Labor Day, is also trying to capture some of this season’s momentum. “We’re very fortunate,” says Ricky Durst, PR manager. Camelback started selling 2009-10 passes President’s Day. Buyers could use them the remainder of this season. Last season four people had to buddy up to get the best price. Camelback kept that price, but ended the volume restriction. Response was good. “The goal was to capitalize on the great season we had,” Durst says. “Certainly, economic factors contribute to everyone’s decision making, but in the end, I think skiers are swayed by conditions more than anything.”


Credit, anyone?
Banks may be reluctant to extend people credit, but not ski areas. Many resorts have introduced or extended layaway plans for season pass purchases. Lock in an early spring rate, pay for it later.

Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands, Mich., started selling next year’s passes March 6—a little earlier than usual—cut prices as much as $100, offered more bonus points, and introduced an easy 3-step payment plan: one-third down by April 30, one-third by July, and the remaining third by October.

“It makes it a little easier for people,” says Erin Ernst, PR manager. “We’re getting a great response. We expect to sell more preseason passes than last year, which was a record year for passes.” Ernst says visits this season were on par with previous years, but lodging was down.

This is the first year in the last three that Wild Mountain, Minn., did not increase pass prices. Wild holds the record for selling next year’s passes the earliest: January. “We tell people if they add $75, they can ski February and March,” says Amy Frischmon, marketing manager. “It’s a great incentive for people. Everybody is looking very carefully at how they spend money. The goal is to lock in people early.” Frischmon says visits were down slightly from the previous year’s record season, and that pass sales are also running slightly behind.


Moving up
Not everyone, of course, is cutting or holding pass prices. But any increases are modest. Saddleback, Maine, where visits were up 22 percent and pass sales up 23 percent last season, is planning an as-yet unannounced daily ticket and pass hike. “We haven’t raised prices in three years,” says Joanne Taylor, marketing director.

But increases will be modest; the last time Saddleback raised its window rate (three years ago), it went up $1. Season passes also went up only slightly.

Indianhead, Mich., which also had a strong season despite skiing a week less than the previous year, will raise pass prices 3 percent. “We’re very well priced,” says Dave Nyquist, marketing director.

Three-year-old Echo Mountain, Colo., which saw business increase 40 percent this season, will raise pass prices from $129 to $139. “We’re definitely value-priced,” says Molly Mueller, marketing director. “We’re only 40 minutes from Denver, and with the economy right now we have absolutely seen an increase in visits.”

Here’s to next season!