Compare IKON vs Mountain Collective

[Jacob]

When comparing the ski business in Europe vs. North America you need to consider the closeness of the European resorts to each other and to their customers. I am guessing that there are more people who live in cold climates and are skiers in Europe than N.A. and they live closer to the mountains with easier access and get more annual vacations than in N.A.

In short, when you have more customers you can charge less per customer.

But you can't get more customers by making things difficult and expensive. Also, price per customer only makes sense up to a point. A lift ticket in Vail is over 3 times as much as one in Val d'Isere, even though the ski area is significantly smaller. I'd understand 50% more, maybe even 100%. But a 200% price difference seems a bit unreasonable.

Also, the Alps aren't as close to the major population centers as you'd think, and the climate of those population centers isn't any colder than the northeastern part of the US, let alone the Midwest.

The US actually has a very large number of people who live close enough to ski areas to realistically get into the sport. But, US ski resorts don't do as good a job attracting new customers. I think they did a decent job in the '70's and '80's, but now their business model seems to be to squeeze as much as possible out of their existing customers, which doesn't seem like a good plan in the long run.

 

[Pumba]

You sound like me..I too love the Taos ski week.. so..throw this into your mix.. Taos has a $350 midweek pass that also gives you 1/2 off at all the MCP MTs.
I'm thinking IKON and Taos Card..

I agree, if you live close to an unlimited Mt. the IKON is a no brainer.. for us East coasters that go west to ski but only 5 Days at east Mts (the unlimited Mts in the East are very far for me)


These passes are making us plan WAY in advance

Interesting. Is this Taos mid-week pass the same thing as the Taos Card? I looked into that, and it would come out slightly more expensive than if I just bought 6 days of lift tickets in advance, I think it was something like 565 vs.510....So is your plan to buy the 350 pass for M-F and pay 50% off for the Sunday?

 

[David]

Alta, Solitude and Brighton all have day tickets at or under $101. If you buy ahead, especially for multiple days, you can often get < $100/day at resorts whose tickets cost more than $100.

@DanoT makes a great point about the Mountain Collective Pass (MCP). If you use the 3rd day in Utah, you can ski 7 days for $58/day. A day ticket at Alta costs $101, so even if you skied all 7 days only at Alta with the MCP and used your 3rd day there, you would be paying $87/day.

If you're willing to plan head and/or only ski at mountains on the passes, you can save a lot of money by using them, even if you're going planning on doing a week or two of destination skiing.

Those sound like great options until you add in the cost of the pass!

 

[Pumba]

Are there any nearby deadlines? I'm putting off the mental effort of optimizing my purchase(s), but don't want to wait too long and have prices go up.

Not that I know of. I said I only have a few weeks to decide, because I've booked a week off in early April to use the rest of my CA days on the MCP. If I buy the Ikon Base by then, I will have more "free" days at Squaw/Alpine and Mammoth. I'm thinking 3 days at each....If I don't get the Ikon and stick with the MCP, I'll stick with my 1 day at Squaw/Alpine, 2 days at Mammoth, and maybe spend the money for 2 days at Rose. They have 2 for 1 Tuesdays and Women's Days on Thursdays....

 

[Started at 53]

The problem with that model is that, if your big spenders are flying in from other parts of the country and spending a full week at your destination resort, then you eventually have to start competing with European resorts. I think we're already reaching the point where it's slightly cheaper for someone near one of the big hubs (Chicago, NYC, Atlanta, etc.) to spend a week in the Alps than it is in quite a few places in the Rockies.

If your clientele starts frequenting European resorts, then an American resort's idea of upscale shopping and F&B might not cut it anymore.

Your premise is exchange rate dependent

 

[RJS]

Those sound like great options until you add in the cost of the pass!

The examples I gave where you use a Mountain Collective Pass to get to $58/day (3 resorts in Utah) or $87/day (just Alta) for skiing 7 days do include the cost of the pass .

 

[David]

The examples I gave where you use a Mountain Collective Pass to get to $58/day (3 resorts in Utah) or $87/day (just Alta) for skiing 7 days do include the cost of the pass .

Sounds like i need to look into it again for next year!

 

[Beartown]

I skied 16 days on the MC this season at ~$39/day!

Pass cost ($400)
5 days in Banff ($40)
4 days at Jackson ($130)
5 days at AltaBird ($50)
2 days at Revelstoke ($0)
Total $620/16 days = $38.75/day

Granted, I also paid full price 5 days at Big Sky, 1 day at Targhee, and 1 day at Kicking Horse, but just using the pass I made out like a bandit!

 

[Tom K.]

I skied 16 days on the MC this season at ~$39/day!

Pass cost ($400)
5 days in Banff ($40)
4 days at Jackson ($130)
5 days at AltaBird ($50)
2 days at Revelstoke ($0)
Total $620/16 days = $38.75/day

Granted, I also paid full price 5 days at Big Sky, 1 day at Targhee, and 1 day at Kicking Horse, but just using the pass I made out like a bandit!

Not a bad season!

I gotta say, my one day at Targhee (16"!) this year was made doubly enjoyable by sharing the place with seemingly about seven other people, which one local said was due to no longer being part of "that big national ski pass thing".

 

[jmills115]

I've been grappling with what pass to buy for next season: MCP vs. Ikon Base. At the Gathering, @dbostedo and others said the MCP was still a much better deal for them. Can anyone explain why? The only reason I can think of is Taos....FYI, I am terrible at math and this post is going to be stream-of-consciousness style....

We are both planning on doing Ski Weeks at Taos and attending the Gathering next season. If I were to go for the MCP again, I'd estimate having to pay approx. 220 out of pocket for my 6 days at Taos (2 "free" days from MCP + 4 half-price days, assuming the daily full price lift ticket will be 110)...I would put my bonus 3rd day toward Big Sky, which I assume will be the more expensive ticket, estimating 140 for full price day ticket. At this rate, I'd have to pay between 140-210 out of pocket for the Gathering, depending on if I ski 5 or 6 days. So, 409+220+210 = $839

If I go with the Ikon, I'd be paying for Taos all out-of-pocket, approx 510 for 6 days. So 599+510 = $1109

The Ikon will be more expensive for me, assuming I do the Taos ski week....But I think I am still leaning towards the Ikon Base.

Part of me was anti Ikon, because it looks really enticing, only if you live near one of the unlimited resorts and/or have endless vacation days and financial resources to use your 5 days at a couple of the limited resorts. My thinking was that the Ikon would force me to spend more money in the end - higher pass price, more airfare, and longer lodging durations.

HOWEVER, what I think has changed my mind about the Ikon is the fact that you can use it for "unlimited" spring skiing at Squaw/Alpine and Mammoth, starting on April 9th of this year. I plan on a week or so in California in early April, say 6 days of skiing. I still have one day at Squaw/Alpine on my MCP and both my Mammoth days on my MCP. If I buy the Ikon, I'll be able to put 3 days on it (approximate value - at least 225)....If it snows more in CA, perhaps even more! .....The "unlimited" Tahoe days are what I believe make it a pretty good value for me. Full disclosure - I get free housing, ground transportation, and food when in Tahoe, since my parents are in Truckee and still like to treat me like a baby when I visit...For my Tahoe trips, I'll only have to pay for airfare.

In addition to the trips listed above, I will probably plan 1-2 week long trips at other destinations and use a couple days at the East Coast resorts....If I had a car, I think the Ikon would increase in value, as I could more easily take advantage of the East Coast benefits.


Thanks for taking part in my meandering ski-pass-thoughts. Does my thinking make sense? Is the Ikon the better value considering the above?

k

Learning to ski at Alta and living 35 minutes away I would be happy with the Alta Family pass which was $1899.00 before Labor Day. The smarter half, mrsjmills sees the value in the MC (LCC closed-out of town trips) and took us up to Jackson this year and we may still hit Sun Valley (after a dreadful 8 days in PHX next week drinking in the sun) which isn't included below but would give us 11 days on the MC which I think we paid $399 for this season which is $36 a day. For us to get more than 25 full days is a stretch as she like to vacation in the sun and who am I to argue. With less up front from the MC and 50% off after days have been used or the Alta Gold Card which is $159 for 50% off all lift tickets, it makes a bad snow year less painful compared to the family pass. We also have the Alta Sunnyside after 3 season pass at $29 which we used 15ish times so far and lets us run up after work for 5 runs.
After 20+ days the family pass is the way to go but with possible canyon closures, and Snowbasin being an option and using 2 days of skiing out of town as an excuse for multiple long weekend trips the MC is what she's pushing for again.
Once she has made her decision I will agree with her and act like it was my choice

 

[DanoT]

It seems to me that if you are a SLC local and can pick your 50% off days when it is dumping at Alta/Bird then you are getting great value on those days with the MCP.

 

[ADKmel]

Interesting. Is this Taos mid-week pass the same thing as the Taos Card? I looked into that, and it would come out slightly more expensive than if I just bought 6 days of lift tickets in advance, I think it was something like 565 vs.510....So is your plan to buy the 350 pass for M-F and pay 50% off for the Sunday?

yes @Pumba
It's replacing the Taos Card. Here's a clip and paste from their website and the link : http://www.skitaos.com/season-passes/
For adults age 36 to 64, the new Weekday pass offers access Monday to Friday. The pass excludes Saturdays and Sundays and the following weekdays: December 24 to 28, 2018; December 31, 2018; January 1, 2019; January 21, 2019; February 18, 2019; March 11 to 19, 2019. Option to purchase lift tickets on blackout weekday days at 20% off regular price.

Benefits:
• 4 Weekday Buddy Passes for the 2018/19 season (valid for 50% off weekday lift tickets, passholder must be present)
• Mountain Collective Reciprocity: Receive 50% off lift tickets at Mountain Collective Resorts
• 3 Days at Arapahoe Basin
• 3 Days at Copper Mountain

Wow eh? Not too shabby for $350!

I've had the MCP for last 2 yrs and made out well. This year (for $399) I used at
Taos (3 days free) +4 -- $210
Alta 2 Free +2 - $100
Snowbird 1 Free (low snow so didn't go back stayed at Alta)
Sun Valley 2 Free
Telluride 2 Free
Mammoth 2 Free and 3 - $220 (next week)
Squaw/Alpine 2 Free
Hope to hit Sugarbush before the end too.

NEXT YEAR:
I am an Alta holic so I 'have" to go to Alta every year.
I love Taos and the ski week was fun, so I want to do that
I want to go back to Revelstoke
I want to go to Copper, Snowmass, and others on MCP & IKON & the EPIC pass,
I like to ski a different Mt every year..

And to further mess up my decision, I have had a midweek Okemo pass for 10+yrs..Now they are 7 days on the EPIC pass!!

decisions decisions.
These passes and deadlines before they start raising them the price of a 1 day ticket makes us plan next year ski trips and we're not even done with this years!
I'm really crunching and rationalizing how do i ski more? This year having paid almost the price of an IKON pass for my extra days on MCP- the IKON and Taos midweek should work for me. I like the Taos Card would give me the week free (yes I'd pay 20% off for the Sunday start of Ski week OR start ski week Monday) or go week before ski week ski midweek, take sat/sun off..I like the 1/2 off at MCP Mts and free days at Copper/A-basin (hmm mothers day) and I'll hit as many IKON Mts as I can.

I just want to be a ski bum...I wish I was retired and could just move out west for the winter.

 

[RJS]

...
I just want to be a ski bum...I wish I was retired and could just move out west for the winter.

Thinking about how many trips you could take with all of these passes, and the time I have available, I concur. I've gotten 30 days in during this season, but with both the MAX and MCP god only knows how many more days I could have done at no additional cost!

 

[mdf]

Wow, this is complicated. The Taos midweek plus Ikon base might be better than ikon full. Hard to compute when you don't know what you are going to do.... I will have to knuckle down and compare for a bunch of different contigency plans sometime soon.

 

[SKI-3PO]

Too bad I’m old (but not old enough for the Senior Pass) - the Taos Zia Pass is a great deal.

 

[dbostedo]

Wow, this is complicated. The Taos midweek plus Ikon base might be better than ikon full. Hard to compute when you don't know what you are going to do.... I will have to knuckle down and compare for a bunch of different contigency plans sometime soon.

Too bad I’m old (but not old enough for the Senior Pass) - the Taos Zia Pass is a great deal.

Wait... are you both going to Taos next season too? Maybe we can actually make the gathering happen!

 

[SKI-3PO]

I would love to although I don’t see myself getting 2 passes.

 

[mdf]

Wait... are you both going to Taos next season too? Maybe we can actually make the gathering happen!

Maybe, maybe not. I love Taos, but that is why it is contingency planning. I do need my Grump fix after missing it this year.

I did get a $3000 raise this year. I figure if I waste it on skiing quickly enough it won't get factored into the houshold budget.

 

[Pumba]

Wow, this is complicated. The Taos midweek plus Ikon base might be better than ikon full. Hard to compute when you don't know what you are going to do.... I will have to knuckle down and compare for a bunch of different contigency plans sometime soon.

@mdf, When you do knuckle down, please post your calculations here!

@ADKmel , I am this close to following you with the taos midweek and the ikon base...just hope they get snow next year....

This sport/hobby is just too expensive for us regular people with average finances...

 

[KingGrump]

It warms my heart to see so much enthusiasm for Taos. Unfortunately, we will not be here next season.
Mamie is hell bent on maxing out the Ikon pass on her Mother of all Road Trip next season.
There is room in the car if anyone wants to tag along. May be a bit cramped though.