4/14/20 Ikon Pass Renewal Updates

[Philpug]

To Our Ikon Pass Community: We hope this note finds you and those close to you healthy and well. These are the days when we are particularly grateful for all those who share our devotion to winter in the mountains and find camaraderie within this passionate community. In these unprecedented times, we understand that the unknown can be difficult and today we hope to alleviate some of that by offering details regarding Ikon Pass and next winter. As a valued member of our Ikon Pass community, we want to share our appreciation and gratitude with you by doubling your 20/21 renewal discount from $100 to up to $200 per Ikon Pass and from $50 to up to $100 per Ikon Base Pass. In addition to these savings, we are also giving you more time to renew your pass at the best value, until May 27, 2020. The zero interest payment plan also remains an option for you. We recognize all of you who share our passion and enthusiasm, and find joy within this community. During this time off the slopes, we wish you and your snow crew continued connection and enthusiasm and we look forward to the days when all of us get out there again and enjoy adventures together. We thank you for your enduring love of the mountains. Sweet days await us. Be well. Your friends at Ikon Pass​

 

[fatbob]

Lead balloon without any guarantees

 

[Brad J]

I am 65 years old , not a lot of time to be stressing about how , when and if next season is going to go , I am purchasing the pass and like every day hope. Hope that I am healthy, , hope that I am able to get there , and hope I am skiing well. Trying to look in the crystal ball and predict what next year is going to be IMO is a wast of time. Is it going to be different , probably, but it always is.

 

[TrueNorth]

Ikon: Here's a 7 to 10% extra discount on our non-refundable non-essential pass product if you buy now, while all ski resorts are closed early with no guarantee they will re-open next season, during the worst pandemic in a century resulting in travel being either banned or severely restricted (not to mention very risky to your health and life). We know you are all most concerned about staying alive and healthy right now, and worried about how you will pay your bills in the face of the largest economic uncertainty in your lifetime, at a time when ~10-20% of you may have already lost your jobs with possibly many more to come, but please give us your discretionary income now just in case we are able to have a normal season next year (but if we can't, we will keep your money anyway).

Skiing public: uhh... no thanks.

 

[Lauren]

Ikon: Here's a 7 to 10% extra discount on our non-refundable non-essential pass product if you buy now, while all ski resorts are closed early with no guarantee they will re-open next season, during the worst pandemic in a century resulting in travel being either banned or severely restricted (not to mention very risky to your health and life). We know you are all most concerned about staying alive and healthy right now, and worried about how you will pay your bills in the face of the largest economic uncertainty in your lifetime, at a time when ~10-20% of you may have already lost your jobs with possibly many more to come, but please give us your discretionary income now just in case we are able to have a normal season next year (but if we can't, we will keep your money anyway).

At least they're offering a little something extra to renewal passholders. Here's the email non-renewal skiers got (I think I receive their emails because I previously was a MaxPass holder)...

To Skiers and Riders Everywhere: We hope this note finds you and those close to you healthy and well. As we all look ahead, we invite you to join the Ikon Pass community. For winter 20/21, we have given you more time to take advantage of spring discounts and consider your purchase until May 27, 2020. These are the days when we are particularly grateful for all those who share our devotion to snow and find camaraderie within this passionate community. During this time off the slopes, we wish you and your snow crew continued connection and enthusiasm and we look forward to the days when all of us get out there again and enjoy adventures together. We thank you for your enduring love of the mountains. Sweet days await us. Be well. Your friends at Ikon Pass​

 

[surfandski]

I don't know, that little extra bump in discount "may" be what pushes us over the edge. My wife and I are having Spring skiing withdrawals and 2 nights ago while watching some old school Warren Miller from the 60's we discussed renewing our Ikons and were both leaning towards probably not renewing next year but a combination of people starting to come to their senses about reopening the economy along with the increased Ikon discount, one night later and we were thinking we will most likely renew before the deadline in May. I think more and more people are starting to get perspective that though this is an absolutely horrific virus that is causing heartbreaking destruction to a number of lives and families, it's still a fairly small scale compared to cancer, heart disease, etc. In the past week I've had 2 conversations with local Dr's who were voicing their frustration about their hospitals having to furlough employees because it was so slow and I'm seeing increasing social media posts from people across the political and financial spectrum who are starting to say enough is enough.

I think once we come out of this and start opening back up in the next couple of weeks, we'll find a new normal where people are a lot more cautious in how they interact with others (face masks in restaurants and stores) but I can't imagine that new normal doesn't find a way to allow people to somewhat safely get back to normal activities and there aren't many activities where our normal outfits provide more protection than skiing. Within a couple of months, I envision us pushing the bar and becoming more liberal on what people are free to do even in the face of this pandemic so I'd be shocked if people still think it's unnecessarily risky for people to go skiing next year. Things may look different inside the lodges, restaurtants and rental departments but I bet ski resorts will be open next year so I think we'll be taking the risk.

 

[bbinder]

I think that this is a nice gesture on Ikon’s part. Since I bought my pass (on the installment plan), this is especially welcome. If the resorts don’t open next winter I will expect, and likely see, a lot of consideration for my loyalty.

 

[Monique]

it's still a fairly small scale compared to cancer, heart disease, etc.

These are not contagious. When your loved one is dying of cancer, you can visit them in the hospital. Except for right now, when you might not be able to travel and might not be allowed into the hospital.

My husband died of a heart attack. It was a very different experience from the current situation. I had no fear of catching a heart attack from him. I was able to call a friend in the middle of the night to sit vigil with me in the hospital while I waited for the news. I wasn't afraid of catching anything, or spreading it, just by being in the hospital. My MIL was able to fly in and arrive at the airport at 11pm, and a friend was able to pick her up.

It is not remotely comparable.

Sorry for the digression.

 

[Après Skier]

I've had 2 conversations with local Dr's who were voicing their frustration about their hospitals having to furlough employees because it was so slow and I'm seeing increasing social media posts from people across the political and financial spectrum who are starting to say enough is enough.

While it is very nice to have had conversations with 2 local doctors, I can assure you there is nothing ‘slow’ right now in the hospital system. Adjustments have been made to divert resources and protect community: i.e. non-emergent procedures have been postponed. Less work for Ortho or GI docs... but Pulmonologists, ICU Intensivists, and the morgue are certainly not ‘slow’ at the moment.

Back to topic: I agree with bbinder, this is a nice gesture on the part Alterra. And if there is a problem with next season... oh well. The season pass is always a gamble e.g. the drought in 2014-2015 when Mammoth Mountain skied on WRODs for an entire season. But then again, when I look outside my office window at the refrigerated trailer installed behind the hospital because there are too many bodies to stack in the morgue, I tend to be less concerned about maybe losing value on my $800 annual skipass.

Regardless of any frustration vented on social media, I hope we continue to prioritize the long term health and safety of the community rather than kowtow to those who consider short-term economic gains more important than human lives. And let us not forget how ski resort have been linked to the spread of COVID-19 (Ishgl, Sun Valley, Vail...) and how ill equipped most mountain communities are when facing health crises of this magnitude.

 

[Après Skier]

Sorry for the digression.

@Monique Thank you for the digression, and thank you for being a voice of reason.

 

[Wade]

What glass-half-empty people heard:

Ikon: Here's a 7 to 10% extra discount on our non-refundable non-essential pass product if you buy now, while all ski resorts are closed early with no guarantee they will re-open next season, during the worst pandemic in a century resulting in travel being either banned or severely restricted (not to mention very risky to your health and life). We know you are all most concerned about staying alive and healthy right now, and worried about how you will pay your bills in the face of the largest economic uncertainty in your lifetime, at a time when ~10-20% of you may have already lost your jobs with possibly many more to come, but please give us your discretionary income now just in case we are able to have a normal season next year (but if we can't, we will keep your money anyway).

What glass-half-full people heard:

Ikon: We had set a deadline of next week for new and renewing passholders to purchase their passes if they wanted to take advantage of the biggest discounts. Like everyone else, we have no idea how long this thing is going to last, and we don't want to put you in a position where you feel pressure to make a decision on your pass purchase with the uncertainty that exists today. As such, we're pushing out the deadline by a month or so, at which time we'll all hopefully all be in a better position to understand how to move forward. But who really can say what we'll all know in a month. Maybe we won't know any more than we do today, in which case it may make sense for us to push out the deadline again. We'll be in touch as we have more clarity on the situation. We know the way this ski season ended for our passholders sucked. It sucked for us too. We took a huge bath financially, and like many of our customers, our financial outlook isn't as rosy as it was a few short months ago. Regardless, we want to do something to acknowledge that you lost out on some of your season, so we're providing returning passholders with a bigger discount to say thanks for sticking with us despite the difficulties we're all facing.

 

[KingGrump]

In the past week I've had 2 conversations with local Dr's who were voicing their frustration about their hospitals having to furlough employees because it was so slow and I'm seeing increasing social media posts from people across the political and financial spectrum who are starting to say enough is enough.

I am glad your doctor friends are bored silly like a good chunk of people hanging out on their couches.

Other medical professionals have had slightly different experiences.

Be careful what you wish for... They are just a bit further removed from the fan. It will get there.
Better yet, have them c;mon up to NYC and help out. I promise they will not be bored.

 

[surfandski]

I am glad your doctor friends are bored silly like a good chunk of people hanging out on their couches.

Other medical professionals have had slightly different experiences.

Be careful what you wish for... They are just a bit further removed from the fan. It will get there.
Better yet, have them c;mon up to NYC and help out. I promise they will not be bored.

No doubt, my heart especially goes out to those hard hit areas!

 

[Après Skier]

No doubt, my heart especially goes out to those hard hit areas!

If we are not cautious and judicious, all of us will be living in hard hit areas.

I invite anyone across the political and financial spectrum who is squealing enough is enough to visit their local ICU to really see if they’ve really had enough. Hypothetically, of course, I wish no one a visit to the ICU.

 

[Ski&ride]

I am glad your doctor friends are bored silly like a good chunk of people hanging out on their couches.

Other medical professionals have had slightly different experiences.

Better yet, they could go volunteer in the hot zone, to relieve the medical professionals there.

New York state had allowed medical professionals licensed in other states to work here for the duration. Many came.

 

[Henry]

"New York state had allowed medical professionals licensed in other states to work here for the duration. "
And morticians licensed in other states.

Some of the people I ski with want to start booking next winter's trips now. Some are in so much of a bubble that they worry the lodgings they like will be booked by someone else before they get to them. I'm very hesitant. No one can know what the virus will do. No one can know what actual airline schedules will be vs. the aspirational schedules the airlines are publishing the normal 10 or 11 months in advance. No one can know if lodgings hurt by the early shut down and possibly losing summer business will declare bankruptcy after they have our deposit money. I trust that the ski resorts will operate if they can.

From the IKON FAQ page: "All pass purchases paid in full are considered non-refundable. "
IKON pass insurance says, "...any such covered Unforeseen reason occurs while coverage is in effect for You." The virus is a foreseen reason. A virus shut-down won't be a covered event. If you're actually quarantined or actually catch the disease, you're covered. The travel insurance policies I've looked at also have the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a non-covered foreseen problem, and they do not cover being quarantined.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

I'm pretty sure I've said this elsewhere ... but, I will buy the pass no matter the outcome. Not all the ski resorts on the pass are Mammoth, Squaw, Copper, and Steamboat in caliber. Some of them are smaller local resorts that are in need of dollar infusions to keep going. BBMR is one of those. Although, we get a HUGE number of skier visits a year, Ikon pass holders are definitely the majority. I want my local mountains to continue to exist in the future. In fact, I bought a midweek season pass for Snow Valley. I rarely ski there because it's smaller in every way and the terrain is SUPER mellow. But $199 (x 2 passes) is well spent if it stays open. It's a mom and pop operation and I would hate to see it go under. We'll go spend some dollars there a few days next season and do our part to support the local economy.

 

[Gary Stolt]

Ikon: Here's a 7 to 10% extra discount on our non-refundable non-essential pass product if you buy now, while all ski resorts are closed early with no guarantee they will re-open next season, during the worst pandemic in a century resulting in travel being either banned or severely restricted (not to mention very risky to your health and life). We know you are all most concerned about staying alive and healthy right now, and worried about how you will pay your bills in the face of the largest economic uncertainty in your lifetime, at a time when ~10-20% of you may have already lost your jobs with possibly many more to come, but please give us your discretionary income now just in case we are able to have a normal season next year (but if we can't, we will keep your money anyway).

Skiing public: uhh... no thanks.

Ski resorts/companies are trying to survive, just like all of us, as well as all of the businesses that are not taking in revenue right now. We all have to try to make the best decision for our individual circumstance and I applaud those that elect to put necessities ahead of recreation. If we are lucky, we will have a good ski season next year - predictions are cheap but have a 50/50 chance of open ski resorts next year.

 

[Tricia]

"New York state had allowed medical professionals licensed in other states to work here for the duration. "
And morticians licensed in other states.

I'm pretty sure I've said this elsewhere ... but, I will buy the pass no matter the outcome.

Same here.
We need to.
Skiing will be different but I'm betting it will happen in some manner.

 

[Itinerant skier]

Just a note that IKON added Nurses to the discounted pass qualifiers. Not into IKON/EPIC, but it's a nice move.