Multi-Mountain Pass Pricing

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Epic well worth considering from Philly as Roundtop, Whitetail, Frost and Hunter all decently accessible.

Roundtop tends to not be too crowded

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, skiincy said:

I think it's incredibly dumb ... to suggest that more people use things like credit cards, especially for non-essentials.

Most of my customers use credit cards.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 hour ago, skiincy said:

I'm going to geek out about economics for a moment and no one will care. So, thanks for letting me vent

 

Average household income doesn't always dictate what people will spend on recreation activities. It's all about the price elasticity. 

Spending $650 on a ski pass is totally normal in Colorado and Utah. Most PASRs, myself included, have multiple passes but we're not the norm. I think the price jump will scare away the average person and families in Pennsylvania. 

Instead of average household income ... I'm curious what the average number of days Blue Mountain pass holders get. We know the PASR and 70+ contingent are getting 30+ days. What about everyone else?

I'm going to bet that looking at the total population of pass holders, the average person gets 4-6x days a season. Which, if you're someone who skis 4-6x a season -- it makes the price point more of a tipping point and makes something like a Blue Mountain pass more price elastic.

I think the average blue passholder skis 15-20 days a season.  No way 4-6 days.  I think what Blue is charging for season passes is perfect, especially considering they will surely sell out of season passes soon. Blue has a very captive audience.  

[RidgeRacer]

1 hour ago, skiincy said:

I think it's incredibly dumb ... to suggest that more people use things like credit cards, especially for non-essentials.

I use my credit card for everything. Even Dunkin donuts. Points yo!

[JFskiDan]

1 hour ago, skiincy said:

 

 I think the price jump will scare away the average person and families in Pennsylvania. 

 

Im ok with this. I have said it before, i will pay more for the pass provided there are less people on the mountain. 
real world is this probably wont happen, but its always good to dream. 
do you think vail will sell the same amount of passes as they did last year, when they announce that pass is gonna be $1000?

[skiincy]

17 minutes ago, JFskiDan said:

do you think vail will sell the same amount of passes as they did last year, when they announce that pass is gonna be $1000?

Nope.

At the same time though, Vail offers different l options and benefits. They’ve created a “vacation destination” vibe. (Thank god blue hasn’t). 
 

The market share for people who like vacations is larger than the market share of a local ski mountain near allentown with ugh speed lights. Vail Resorts found 2.1 million people to buy advanced passes….
 

When you change the market share that you’re playing in, it effects the pricing elasticity.

[eaf]

56 minutes ago, JFskiDan said:

Im ok with this. I have said it before, i will pay more for the pass provided there are less people on the mountain. 
real world is this probably wont happen, but its always good to dream. 
do you think vail will sell the same amount of passes as they did last year, when they announce that pass is gonna be $1000?

With discounts like $70 passes for 70+ folks, I doubt that raising generic pass prices is going to do anything to the crowds on the mountain.

[JFskiDan]

49 minutes ago, skiincy said:

Nope.

At the same time though, Vail offers different l options and benefits. They’ve created a “vacation destination” vibe. (Thank god blue hasn’t). 
 

I dont think they will either. And i think they will have more pass options, to add to the confusion, and try to sway some from skiing weekends as much. 

[Justo8484]

25 minutes ago, eaf said:

The 4-hour ticket price this week is just $44, which makes season pass a somewhat questionable investment for an average person getting only 4-6x days a season. I bet that your bet is wrong.

Sure. It's after all the holidays. What you're not accounting for is flexibility. With a pass, if I decide I want to ski tomorrow, I can, and I don't have to factor in how much it'll cost me. The pass is a sunk cost that I paid last April. I've got my money's worth out of it fourfold based on the fact that a weekend ticket usually hovers around $100, and that's when I usually get to ski.

[Justo8484]

1 hour ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Epic well worth considering from Philly as Roundtop, Whitetail, Frost and Hunter all decently accessible.

Roundtop tends to not be too crowded

Are you really comparing blue to roundtop and whitetail here?

[enjoralas]

13 hours ago, Schif said:

It's time to buy a pass and honestly it's not as easy to do this year as in past years. I think $650 is the tipping point for people like me that live farther away. 

Well, tip back. It’s $600. You forgot the renewal gift card. 
 

Ski you at Blue next season. Snoogins.

Edited March 17, 2022 by enjoralas

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

8 hours ago, Justo8484 said:

Are you really comparing blue to roundtop and whitetail here?

Are you really comparing a pass to Blue to a pass to over 40 mountains?

Yes some are worse than Blue (on non crowded days). Others are so far superior to Blue it is barely the same sport.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[RidgeRacer]

1 hour ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Others are so far superior to Blue it is barely the same sport.

Last time I checked you click into your skis, slide on snow, enjoy the ride. Sounds like the same sport to me. 

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Point is the difference between Blue and Vail or even Stowe (and really even Hunter) - and about 25 North American Epic Mts in all - is so huge it makes the difference between Blue and Whitetail (with 90% of Blue's vertical and 1 high speed lift instead of 2) a rounding error

Edited March 17, 2022 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

11 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Point is the difference between Blue and Vail or even Stowe (and really even Hunter) - and about 25 North American Epic Mts in all - is so huge it makes the difference between Blue and Whitetail (with 90% of Blue's vertical and 1 high speed lift instead of 2) a rounding error

How far is your drive to whitetail?

[Schif]

I hate that I did it but I bit the bullet and bought the pass last night. I honestly was really on the fence this year. @skiincy didn't want to buy one out of spite. 

I got a new credit card to go to Dubai with that didn't actually get here in time so I used it to buy the Blue pass which in turn gave me 0% interest and a $200 statement credit. Using the classic Ski 2 Live logic I was able to justify the price of a Blue pass this year because I got a bunch of money off of it buying it this way and also can pay it off whenever I feel like it. 

Suck it Blue for "Not leaving money on the table". You got me this year but might not have me forever. Their pricing team is on thin ice

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

30 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

How far is your drive to whitetail?

Definitely too far for me to go often, as I am closer to Hunter. But the discussion re what pass to get was related to someone based in "PhillyByrbs". Depending on which PhillyBurbs area it could be a viable alternative to Blue. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[Schif]

From this morning's WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/shoppers-reach-their-limits-on-some-price-increases-11647509580?mod=hp_lead_pos5

[indiggio]

8 minutes ago, Schif said:

From this morning's WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/shoppers-reach-their-limits-on-some-price-increases-11647509580?mod=hp_lead_pos5

I revolted against Blue for this season's locker after they jacked the SP price last year for the same amount.
The convenience of the locker didn't justify the price anymore.  OMMV.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

49 minutes ago, Schif said:

I hate that I did it but I bit the bullet and bought the pass last night. I honestly was really on the fence this year. @skiincy didn't want to buy one out of spite. 

I got a new credit card to go to Dubai with that didn't actually get here in time so I used it to buy the Blue pass which in turn gave me 0% interest and a $200 statement credit. Using the classic Ski 2 Live logic I was able to justify the price of a Blue pass this year because I got a bunch of money off of it buying it this way and also can pay it off whenever I feel like it. 

Suck it Blue for "Not leaving money on the table". You got me this year but might not have me forever. Their pricing team is on thin ice

$200 statement credit, wow...any minimum spend. On my united airlines card I had to spend $3,000 in three months for a bonus 50,000 miles which has a value of perhaps $750.  Also you and Nancy get way more than your money’s worth so I don’t see the problem.  You two just analyze stuff way too much.  Glad you two bit the bullet.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

29 minutes ago, indiggio said:

I revolted against Blue for this season's locker after they jacked the SP price last year for the same amount.
The convenience of the locker didn't justify the price anymore.  OMMV.

Indiggio you can always park closer. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

44 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Definitely too far for me to go often, as I am closer to Hunter. But the discussion re what pass to get was related to someone based in "PhillyByrbs". Depending on which PhillyBurbs area it could be a viable alternative to Blue. 

Whitetail is freaking far from the Philly burbs.  

[Kyle]

10 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Whitetail is freaking far from the Philly burbs.  

I’m likely the western most PASR in reference to the Philly burbs and whitetail is a 3 hour drive give or take a few. It would be an absolute nightmare to get to from conshohocken, manayunk, etc as you’d have to either go 76-202-81 or 95 south through Baltimore to 70 west, could easily be a 4 hour trip. 
 

edit: forgot about 30, but good luck with 30. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Kyle

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Google Maps says 2:45 from Court at King of Prussia to Whitetail

[NMSKI]

18 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Whitetail is freaking far from the Philly burbs.  

 

8 minutes ago, Kyle said:

I’m likely the western most PASR in reference to the Philly burbs and whitetail is a 3 hour drive give or take a few. It would be an absolute nightmare to get to from conshohocken, manayunk, etc as you’d have to either go 76-202-81 or 95 south through Baltimore to 70 west, could easily be a 4 hour trip. 
 

edit: forgot about 30, but good luck with 30. 

Whitetail is 2 hours and 44 minutes from my house.  Didn't realize it's that close.  Elk is 2 hours 33.  Is whitetail good?