Thanks in part to a good—and long—season last winter, early pass sales for the 2013-14 season were trending well all across the country, thanks to partnerships and new markets.

In Vermont, for example, resorts have long gone after college students with special passes and prices. Now, many are also taking aim at post-grads.

“It’s a market where resorts have been seeing a falloff,” says Sarah Wojcik, director of public affairs at the Vermont Ski Areas Association. “They’re leaving college, starting families, there’s a lot of pressure on them. We’re going after them with special prices to encourage them to keep skiing and build brand loyalty.”

Among those offering 20-something passes this year were Stratton ($299), Sugarbush ($329), Mad River Glen (midweek only, $199), and Okemo ($519). “Overall, we’re seeing an uptick in all passes.” says Bonnie MacPherson, communications manager at Okemo.

Elsewhere, early pass sales were up 10 percent after the spring sale at Sunday River, Maine. Ditto at Loon, N.H., where another key indicator—kids sports programs—were also up, according to Molly Mahar, marketing manager.

Resorts beware: Sometimes, as areas slice and dice their pass offerings, and parse their use, the message can get confusing. Just ask Bear Creek, Pa. The area’s new $170 value pass, good Monday-Thursday, non holidays, and any day from opening until Dec. 23, and any day from March 3 to closing, has left some skiers and riders scratching their heads. “It’s a little confusing for people—good anytime, but also not anytime,” admits Ryan Werst, marketing assistant.

In the West, areas continued to add more resort combinations. Monarch brought its “global” pass partner total to 30 resorts with the addition of a day each at Steamboat, Copper and Winter Park. Despite raising the price from $369 to $429, marketing director Greg Ralph says sales were strong. “We seem to be getting a lot of new people,” Ralph notes. “We hit the big Labor Day retail sales events, and are selling a lot online.”

Prices remain competitive across the major resorts. This year’s edition of the Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus ($489) offers unlimited access to Copper and Winter Park, 6 days at Steamboat, 3 at Monarch and 5 at Mt. Ruapehu in New Zealand. Without the “plus,” the Rocky Mountain Super Pass to Copper and Winter Park was $419. Crested Butte slashed its unlimited pass 40 percent, to $599.

The best price for Vail’s Epic pass, which offers unlimited access to all Vail-owned resorts, was $669. Vail Resorts has reported that sales through late September, which account for up to 60 percent of total pass sales, were up nearly 20 percent. The company cautioned, though, that it did not expect the final sales figure to increase by that much.

Aspen/Snowmass continued to buck the discount trend with its premier pass at $1,649.

At Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR), pass sales were up, despite the uncertainty of being served with a “notice to quit”—a precursor to eviction that was later rescinded—in its lease dispute with Talisker and Vail Resorts.

But the publicity only seemed to help ticket sales. “People were asking questions about what would happen to their money if they bought a season pass,” says Andy Miller, communications director. All passes come with a money-back guarantee.

The added perk of three free days each at Alta, Snowbird and Deer Valley probably helps. PCMR also offers three popular add-ons to its basic pass price of $695. For an extra fee, passholders can add night skiing ($200), express lane lift access ($225), or underground parking ($250).


Social Media
Resorts continue to harness the power of social media. Mt. Rose, Nev., pushed early pass sales with a Facebook giveaway in September. Everyone who bought a pass ($399) in September was automatically entered in the 30-day Facebook giveaway. Each day that month a new winner was selected. Prizes ranged from skis to apparel to a heli-ski trip.

Mt. Rose also ran an Instagram photo contest during its Labor Day pass sale in Reno. While people waited in line, they had their photo taken with a cutout Big Yeti that was shared via Instagram. “We’re hoping people will share their photos and prizes with their friends, and help us get our name out there,” says Kayla Anderson, PR and web manager.

Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore., knows the importance of social media and communicating with its customers. Dave Tragethon, executive director of communications, says nearly 90 percent of Meadows’ passholders are connected to the resort’s Facebook page. “There’s a lot of dialogue going on there,” he says.

Additionally, the resort surveys passholders every six weeks and at the end of the season. “We get a lot of really good feedback,” Tragethon says. For example, the main reason people cited for not using their pass more was the lack of a friend to ski with. “And part of that was the friend didn’t want to pay the weekend price,” Tragethon says. As a result, Mt. Hood Meadows added five $59 buddy tickets to its pass this year, and eliminated peak pricing on weekends and holidays—its peak price of $89 went to the midweek $74 price, and season passes from $524 to $499.

Thanks to strong spring sales, pass sales were off to a good start. Now, the only thing needed is the white stuff.