Press Release: 2019-20 Ikon Pass

[Tricia]

By now most of you probably got the notice about the 2019-20 Ikon pass, but here is the official press release.


Ikon Pass Unlocks Winter Season 19/20 on March 5, 2019

Benefits Include Renewal Discount, Spring Access, New Payment Plan, Expanded Child Pass Promotion

DENVER, CO, February 26, 2019 – Winter 19/20 will begin when the Ikon Pass, the world’s new standard in season passes, goes on sale on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. After debuting in January 2018, the Ikon Pass enters its second season with 38 global winter destinations, a new payment plan, and renewal discounts.

The Ikon Pass unlocks adventure with access to 38 iconic winter destinations across the Americas, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and is a collaboration of industry leaders – Alterra Mountain Company, Aspen Skiing Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, SkiBig3, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort, Thredbo, Niseko United, Valle Nevado, and NZ Ski. Each demonstrates integrity, character and independence that is reflected in their mountains and guests.

NEW FOR 19/20

Renewal Discount

As a thank you to the inaugural Ikon Pass community, renewal discounts will be offered to 18/19 Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders for winter 19/20, if purchased before Wednesday, April 24, 2019, with savings of up to $30.


Spring Access

New 19/20 Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders will have access to unlimited spring skiing at Big Bear Mountain Resort, Snowshoe, and Blue Mountain immediately upon purchase. And beginning April 8, 2019 pass holders will have unlimited spring skiing access at Winter Park Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Solitude and Tremblant with access available as late as July 4, 2019.


Payment Plan

A new payment plan is available for the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass if purchased before Wednesday, April 24, 2019, with a $199 deposit plus four monthly payments, June-September 2019.


Child Pass Promotion

To provide additional value for families looking to ski and ride together, Ikon Pass holders can now purchase up to two discounted Child Ikon Passes or Child Ikon Base Passes for children ages 5-12 with the purchase of an Adult Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass. The Child Pass Promotion is available until Wednesday, April 24, 2019. This upcoming season’s offer doubles the number of Child passes available compared to last season (in 2018/2019, only one Child Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass was available with the purchase of an Adult Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass).


“The Ikon Pass community is made up of skiers and riders worldwide who are passionate about their time spent on the mountain and want to get the most value out of their winter season. Spring is the best time to purchase an Ikon Pass to take advantage of the lowest pricing and the most benefits,” said Erik Forsell, Chief Marketing Officer, Alterra Mountain Company. “We are stoked to continue to offer more opportunities for Ikon Pass holders to seek the unique in each of our 38 destinations.”


THE PASSES: IKON PASS & IKON BASE PASS

To provide the best experience possible, two pass products are available for purchase, the Ikon Pass and the Ikon Base Pass, both offering access to all 38 destinations, with varying levels of access and benefits.


IKON PASS: Offering unlimited access to 14 destinations plus 7-days and 7-days combined at 23 destinations, with no blackout dates.


ACCESS:

Unlimited: Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort, June Mountain, Stratton, Snowshoe Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Solitude Mountain Resort, Tremblant, and Blue Mountain


7 Days: Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort, Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, The Summit at Snoqualmie, Cypress, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon Mountain, Taos, Brighton, Thredbo, Valle Nevado


7 Days Combined:

• Aspen Snowmass: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk
• Alta, Snowbird
• SkiBig3: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay
• Killington - Pico
• Niseko United
• Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt

BLACKOUT DATES: None


IKON PASS PRICING Renewal 19/20

Adult (23+ years)* $919 $949
Young Adult (13-22 years)* $679 $699
Child Promotion (5-12) NA $199
Child Pass (5-12) NA $299
4 & Under NA $49

*Military and College Student discounts available with validation at ikonpass.com
Child Pass Promotion: Up to two discounted Child Passes (5-12) can be purchased for $199 each with the purchase of an Adult Ikon Pass, until Wednesday, April 24, 2019.


Benefits

• 10 Friends & Family lift tickets offering 25% off of the window rate at any Ikon Pass destination (excluding CMH), with no blackout dates
• Early winter booking privileges and 10% off summer reservations at CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures
• Free one-year $50-value membership to Protect Our Winters that includes POW die cut stickers, 20% off POW store merchandise, a monthly POW newsletter, and a subscription to the biweekly email newsletter, “The Line”
• Additional destination benefits and discounts are available at ikonpass.com

IKON BASE PASS: Offering unlimited/select access to 12 destinations plus 5-days and 5-days combined at 25 destinations, and holiday blackout periods.

ACCESS

Unlimited: Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Snowshoe Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Tremblant, Blue Mountain

Unlimited with Holiday Blackouts: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Solitude Mountain Resort
5 Days: (with blackout dates)

Steamboat, Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Stratton, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort, Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands, The Summit at Snoqualmie, Cypress, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon Mountain, Taos, Brighton, Thredbo, Valle Nevado


5 Days Combined (with blackout dates)

• Aspen Snowmass: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk
• Alta, Snowbird
• SkiBig3: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay
• Killington-Pico
• Niseko United
• Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt

BLACKOUT DATES: December 26-31, 2019, January 18-19, February 15-16, 2020; Thredbo – July 4-19, 2020; No blackouts at Valle Nevado, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt


IKON BASE PASS PRICING Renewal 19/20

Adult (23+ years)* $619 $649
Young Adult (13-22 years)* $489 $499
Child Promotion (5-12) NA $159
Child Pass (5-12) NA $259
4 & Under NA $49

*Military and College Student discounts available with validation at ikonpass.com


Child Pass Promotion: Up to two discounted Child Passes (5-12) can be purchased for $159 each with the purchase of an Adult Ikon Base Pass, until Wednesday, April 24, 2019.


Benefits

• 8 Friends & Family lift tickets, good for 25% off the window rate at any Ikon Pass destination (excluding CMH), with select blackout dates
• Early winter booking privileges and 10% off summer reservations at CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures
• Free one-year membership to Protect Our Winters ($50-value) that includes POW die-cut stickers, 20% off POW store merchandise, a monthly POW newsletter, and a subscription to the biweekly email newsletter, “The Line”
• Additional destination benefits and discounts are available at ikonpass.com

Ikon Pass Destinations by Location
California: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort
Colorado: Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort
Maine: Sugarloaf, Sunday River
Michigan: Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain
Montana: Big Sky Mountain Resort
New Hampshire: Loon Mountain
New Mexico: Taos Ski Valley
Utah: Deer Valley Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Brighton Resort
Vermont: Stratton, Killington - Pico, Sugarbush Resort
Washington: Crystal Mountain, The Summit at Snoqualmie
West Virginia: Snowshoe
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Alberta, Canada: SkiBig3
British Columbia, Canada: Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Cypress Mountain, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures
Ontario, Canada: Blue Mountain
Quebec, Canada: Tremblant
New South Wales, Australia: Thredbo
South Island, New Zealand: Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt
Hokkaido, Japan: Niseko United
Central Andes, Chile: Valle Nevado

 

[TheArchitect]

I’ll be buying the base pass again and getting my son one this year

 

[Johnny V.]

Looks good. Not much of a price increase with the "renewal" deal, and I like the payment plan option. Always nice to spread the cost out over a few months for us retired folks.

 

[Stev]

The spring (and summer) access alone may be enough for me to purchase an Ikon Pass with Mammoth staying open until at least July 4th. This will be a better value than 50% off using a Mountain Collective. I hope to at least break even before next season.

 

[Wasatchman]

I'm surprised. I expected partner resorts to drop out or a big price increase.

As much as I don't like what multi-passes are doing, it is too good of a deal for me not to buy it. So with some mixed emotions about it, I'm in for IKON base pass.

 

[Philpug]

I will not be surprised to see a few additions for next season too.

 

[marjoram_sage]

I'm surprised. I expected partner resorts to drop out or a big price increase.

As much as I don't like what multi-passes are doing, it is too good of a deal for me not to buy it. So with some mixed emotions about it, I'm in for IKON base pass.

well said. I'm torn as well. On one hand, I'd like to visit Deer Valley as the terrain suits my family's needs. OTOH I want to go to uncrowded places where groomers stay in good shape most of the day instead of just the first two hours of the day.

These large resorts also have shuttles making it easy to avoid driving on vacation. Small places don't have shuttles and the extra cost of a 4WD car adds up.

 

[TheArchitect]

I will not be surprised to see a few additions for next season too.

I hope at least one of them is in the northeast. More options is always a good thing

 

[focker]

I don't get the value in upgrading beyond the base pass. Seems like a lot more $$ to avoid blackout dates or get 2 more days at certain resorts. Base Pass seems like a great deal.

 

[Jilly]

Base pass here too. I need the holidays at Tremblant. And the Diva's have announced next years west trip which in on the IKON. So 5 days there if I go. Not sure about my altitude issues.

 

[Wade]

I don't get the value in upgrading beyond the base pass. Seems like a lot more $$ to avoid blackout dates or get 2 more days at certain resorts. Base Pass seems like a great deal.

The full pass makes perfect sense for plenty of people.

I just got back from 7 days skiing Jackson Hole. If I’d bought the base pass instead of the full pass, lift tickets for days 6 and 7 would have cost me $300. It would have been a false economy to buy the base pass.

I also have school aged children. My best opportunities to take them skiing for long weekends are often on black out dates. Again, saving a few bucks by buying the base pass wouldn’t make sense for me.

 

[marjoram_sage]

I don't get the value in upgrading beyond the base pass. Seems like a lot more $$ to avoid blackout dates or get 2 more days at certain resorts. Base Pass seems like a great deal.

I feel the opposite way. If there was an option to pay more to get more days at some of those destinations, I'd do it. If I'm going to incur the time and travel expense to go to Aspen or Big Sky, I'd like to be there for a minimum of 10 days. The ski pass cost is the smaller cost of my ski trips compared to lodging, transportation and food. Epic pass allows you to spend an unlimited number of days at their top tier properties like Beaver Creek and Whistler. Ikon is a worse deal in that respect.

 

[sbooker]

well said. I'm torn as well. On one hand, I'd like to visit Deer Valley as the terrain suits my family's needs. OTOH I want to go to uncrowded places where groomers stay in good shape most of the day instead of just the first two hours of the day.

These large resorts also have shuttles making it easy to avoid driving on vacation. Small places don't have shuttles and the extra cost of a 4WD car adds up.

Snowmass.

 

[marjoram_sage]

Snowmass.

I should prioritize Snowmass over Deer Valley. I was thinking Deer Valley b/c I will be in SLC to ski with a friend who goes to Alta last weekend of Jan every year and then I could continue my trip to ski at Deer Valley. But having read the reports of Deer Valley crowding in the other Ikon thread, it might not be a good idea compared to Snowmass.

 

[dovski]

I struggle with this every year. My local hill where my kids do freeride and racing is the Summit at Snoqualmie (Alpental) which is an Ikon partner resort. We easily get in 15-20 days there every year plus our ski travel. The 7 days in the Ikon for Snoqualmie kills it for me. The good news is that Snoqualmie has a deal with the Mountain Collective where we get a discount on those passes when we buy a Snoqualmie Season's pass. If Ikon did something similar I would be all over it, but alas no such luck Looks like we will rinse and repeat what we did this year, Snoqualmie Season's Pass, Mountain Collective, a Crystal Mount 5 pack and possibly a 5 day edge card at Whistler. All of these combined work out much cheaper than the IKON pass for a family of 5.

 

[Beartown]

I don't get the value in upgrading beyond the base pass. Seems like a lot more $$ to avoid blackout dates or get 2 more days at certain resorts. Base Pass seems like a great deal.

Depends on the person and their plans. I did 6 days at Steamboat, 7 days at Big3 and skied over MLK at Jackson (in addition to 20 other days). Extra day ay Steamboat would have been $165, 2 extra days at Big3 $186, extra day at JH $146. Paid extra $300 for full Ikon. Worth it, at least for me. Skied 34 days for $26/day. Reasonable estimate of retail lift tickets for those 34 days (based on online advanced purchase) would have been ~$4000. I'd be a sucker NOT to do it!

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

If I felt the need to ski 7 days at the parnter resorts, I would buy the full pass, or if I lived near either Steamboat or Stratton because they are only unlimited on the full pass. In most cases, I am happy with 5 days at a resort because I can hit the road and ski another nearby resort for another 5 days. The one exception will be Taos. I want to hit ski week next year, so I will probably buy one extra day. The base pass is still the right choice for me.

 

[MarkG]

Is Ikon Base similar to Epic base in that you get x% off the daily rate if you show up on a blackout date, or is it full window price?

Also, I'd like to hear from the Bay Area commuters here.

@oldfashoned to the white courtesy telephone please...IKON with Saturday traffic on 89 forcing a very early departure time or is it back to Sugar Bowl for you? BTW, I still owe you that beer.



Then again, who am I kidding...Kirkwood always brings me back to Epic.

 

[EricG]

Pardon the basic question: Is Ikon the pass the locals in Streamboat & JH are complaining about all over Facebook?

 

[MarkG]

yes, and Deer Valley locals too.