Ikon Pass

**hutash** · 02-23-2018, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

For a travel pass, this looks a lot better than I expected. $200 more than the Mountain Collective but a lot more days, plus the unlimited days at some places. The main negative vs the MC is Snowbasin, but more days at Alta or Snowbird offsets that.

I wonder if the idea is to make the pass look great on paper, knowing that very very few people will actually use a bunch of the days at farther away areas. They'll sell a bunch to people planning a vacation trip for a week, and the vacationers will get their money worth in that week.

This was what I was just thinking. What I really wonder is, how many vacation skiers, i.e. the people that go one one ski trip a year will actually buy a pass? I suspect most of the pass buyers will be season pass buyers like the majority of us, but will just replace our usual mountain pass for a Ikon pass. I buy a Mammoth pass each year, and have either added a MCP or up upgrade. This pass works very well for me,, and allows me to add a trip to a far away mountain once or twice besides the usual 20-30 days I will ski Mammoth. I don't think Ikon will make money on people like us, except if we buy $20 cheeseburgers, which I don't (but do buy $7 beers.)

**406** · 02-23-2018, 10:28 AM

I payed $400 for my mountain collective and $154 for my April Big Sky pass, so Ikon would be $50 for few more days at some places, fewer at Big Sky. Likely wouldn't be at a resort during black out days, so no impact.

Is it an actual physical pass that works at all resorts? Or will I have to go to ticket counter/pass office at each resort? That was my only complaint about MC.

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 10:31 AM

The thing about blackout dates is, they can actually be great days to ski if you aren't blacked out, at least around here. Xmas day is dead, and this year it was an uncrowded powder day with a bunch of rope drops. Best Christmas ever.

**406** · 02-23-2018, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by hutash

(but do buy $7 beers.)

Well you will get 10% off your beer with the Ikon pass.

I had thought the ploy for very expensive day ticket price was to push season passes and lodging-ticket packages. Ikon seems to undercut both of those, so not sure what is in it for resorts. Other than trying to create a monopoly.

**simple** · 02-23-2018, 10:34 AM

So is the Mountain Collective pass dead in the water?

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by simple

So is the Mountain Collective pass dead in the water?

nope

**simple** · 02-23-2018, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

nope

Why not? Most of the mountains are now in Ikon pass.

**grskier** · 02-23-2018, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by 406

I payed $400 for my mountain collective and $154 for my April Big Sky pass, so Ikon would be $50 for few more days at some places, fewer at Big Sky. Likely wouldn't be at a resort during black out days, so no impact.

Is it an actual physical pass that works at all resorts? Or will I have to go to ticket counter/pass office at each resort? That was my only complaint about MC.

If memory serves, that's a technology issue (ie, they all don't use the same scanning software). Actually, I know most of that to be true because Taos still uses sirius and hand scanners.

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by simple

Why not? Most of the mountains are now in Ikon pass.

No idea

**TahoeJ** · 02-23-2018, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

No idea

Because some of us don't want those base mountains but still would buy the MC pass. Glad they didn't kill it off.

**adrenalated** · 02-23-2018, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by simple

Why not? Most of the mountains are now in Ikon pass.

Most of the mountains that are in both Ikon and MC are not owned by Alterra so (AFAIK) would still be free to enter into partnerships with groups other than Ikon. I don't know what MC will look like next year but I'm betting that the non-Alterra resorts will still be part of MC, and the Alterra ones are probably out.

**Kailua_Boys** · 02-23-2018, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by hutash

This was what I was just thinking. What I really wonder is, how many vacation skiers, i.e. the people that go one one ski trip a year will actually buy a pass? I suspect most of the pass buyers will be season pass buyers like the majority of us, but will just replace our usual mountain pass for a Ikon pass. I buy a Mammoth pass each year, and have either added a MCP or up upgrade. This pass works very well for me,, and allows me to add a trip to a far away mountain once or twice besides the usual 20-30 days I will ski Mammoth. I don't think Ikon will make money on people like us, except if we buy $20 cheeseburgers, which I don't (but do buy $7 beers.)

I will probably buy the cheaper one and I'm one of those that takes one ski trip per year. I live out in Hawaii so getting anything longer than that is hard with my other commitments. But, I figure with the military discount the Ikon pass is offering that I can get 5 days at Mammoth for only a bit more than the Costco 5 pack of tickets to Mammoth. And this will come with extra days should I find myself close to any other resorts the rest of winter. Plus the add on for kids under 12 is really reasonable and actually cheaper than buying more bulk tickets from Costco. I don't ski on blackout dates so I'm ok with the restrictions. Seems like the pass could work for some vacation type skiers.

**media310** · 02-23-2018, 11:49 AM

Pass is surely geared to the Los Angeles crowd.
Or so it seems. $899 Ikon vs Mammoth/June/Bear $999

With lots of direct flights from LAX

My take - https://mtnweekly.com/mountain-lifes...in-los-angeles

Will be interested to see what Vail coughs up in the next couple weeks.

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by adrenalated

Most of the mountains that are in both Ikon and MC are not owned by Alterra so (AFAIK) would still be free to enter into partnerships with groups other than Ikon. I don't know what MC will look like next year but I'm betting that the non-Alterra resorts will still be part of MC, and the Alterra ones are probably out.

Here's hoping CB is on the MC next year. That's about the only way I'd still get it.

Al from the Basin mentioned that Abasin is contracted to be on the Epic next year, but made no mention of staying on it. It kinda seemed to be hinting at them maybe dropping Epic in the future which would be pretty fucking awesome.

**WTF is dat** · 02-23-2018, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

The thing about blackout dates is, they can actually be great days to ski if you aren't blacked out, at least around here. Xmas day is dead, and this year it was an uncrowded powder day with a bunch of rope drops. Best Christmas ever.

But Christmas Day isn’t a blackout day, the day after Christmas is when blackouts begin

**adrenalated** · 02-23-2018, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

Here's hoping CB is on the MC next year. That's about the only way I'd still get it.

Al from the Basin mentioned that Abasin is contracted to be on the Epic next year, but made no mention of staying on it. It kinda seemed to be hinting at them maybe dropping Epic in the future which would be pretty fucking awesome.

This may be wishful thinking but if the various smaller/independent CO resorts (Loveland, Abasin, Monarch, CB?) could put together a pass product under $500 and ditch the big players I'd be the first one in line for them to take my money.

**hercule33** · 02-23-2018, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by media310

Pass is surely geared to the Los Angeles crowd.
Or so it seems. $899 Ikon vs Mammoth/June/Bear $999

With lots of direct flights from LAX

My take - https://mtnweekly.com/mountain-lifes...in-los-angeles

Will be interested to see what Vail coughs up in the next couple weeks.

Agree. In addition the cheaper pass is a much better deal for Bay Area folks who ski Squaw/Alpine. For $600, they get a lot more travel options than they did this year. Ikon pass seems to be targeting populated areas with money.

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by WTF is dat

But Christmas Day isn’t a blackout day, the day after Christmas is when blackouts begin

I guess you are right, everyone must have been at church except us heathens.

**WTF is dat** · 02-23-2018, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

Here's hoping CB is on the MC next year. That's about the only way I'd still get it.

Al from the Basin mentioned that Abasin is contracted to be on the Epic next year, but made no mention of staying on it. It kinda seemed to be hinting at them maybe dropping Epic in the future which would be pretty fucking awesome.

I have a feeling they are getting fed up with the constant need to park people down near keystone.

The only thing is that even when the parking lots are totally full ABasin really isn’t that crowded. I rarely wait in lines for Pali.

Next year with the beavers expansion lift ABasin will feel even less crowded. Powder already sticks around for most of the day in some spots, and definitely lasts the longest of any Colorado Epic resorts...

I guess I kinda want ABasin to stay on Epic... it really makes the epic pass perfect for my skiing tastes.

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by adrenalated

This may be wishful thinking but if the various smaller/independent CO resorts (Loveland, Abasin, Monarch, CB?) could put together a pass product under $500 and ditch the big players I'd be the first one in line for them to take my money.

I talked to the owner of Berthoud back in the day about creating a "Badass pass" that would have been Bert, LL, and Abasin. How cool would that have been?

**comish** · 02-23-2018, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by media310

Pass is surely geared to the Los Angeles crowd.
Or so it seems. $899 Ikon vs Mammoth/June/Bear $999

With lots of direct flights from LAX

My take - https://mtnweekly.com/mountain-lifes...in-los-angeles

Will be interested to see what Vail coughs up in the next couple weeks.

Except we paid $699 this year for the Mammoth/June/Big Bear pass or $799 if you wanted the 50% off at Mountain Collective resorts and an extra pass cash discount. So its going to cost us an extra $300 this coming year ($200 for Mrs. Comish and $100 for me as I had the premium Mammoth pass), but might actually get us to travel a bit now that every resort we want to visit is on the Ikon pass. Really want to get back to JH...

**muted** · 02-23-2018, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

I guess you are right, everyone must have been at church except us heathens.

Only a true heathen would not realize they go to church on X-Mas eve and nobody ski X-Mas days because they are opening presents. You qualify as a top-notch infidel.

**Name Redacted** · 02-23-2018, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by muted

Only a true heathen would not realize they go to church on X-Mas eve and nobody ski X-Mas days because they are opening presents. You qualify as a top-notch infidel.

Thanks!

**skiracer88_00** · 02-23-2018, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by adrenalated

This may be wishful thinking but if the various smaller/independent CO resorts (Loveland, Abasin, Monarch, CB?) could put together a pass product under $500 and ditch the big players I'd be the first one in line for them to take my money.

Would be awesome. Something like A Basin, LL and Monarch unlimited with 5-10 days at CB for $500 would be superb. Maybe $900 or so with CB unlimited. It would likely benefit them all while still allowing CB to maintain their more expensive unlimited pass to keep them afloat.