Vail Resorts Announces 19/20 Pass Holder Credits and ‘Epic Coverage’ for 20/21 Season

[skibum4ever]

Got ours also.

Turns out that I skied only 3 days, and DH skied 4. So he will get about $110 and I will get about $160. No complaints.

Unfortunately we are tied to IKON by our condo at Mammoth, and by its comparative proximity to LA. I'm really disappointed that they haven't followed Vail's lead.

 

[Skiscouse]

Got my epic pass credit yesterday and purchased a pass. Just a note - I had been intending to get the Local Pass - as based on this last years experience I probably wouldn't ski the blackout dates this year anyway. However, because I bought the full pass last year I was only allowed to use the credit against a full pass this year. There was an option to file an exception (which may or may not have enabled me to apply the credit against the local pass. YMMV, but thought worth sharing my experience.

Still, hoping there will be some skiing next season, and at least I got the extra 7 days at Telluride which is another benefit of full over Local. Now debating whether it's worth getting Ikon too. I think an @David Chaus has some definitive input on that dilemma.

 

[Tony]

My understanding from the FAQ is that you get the $ from email off same pass for next year (which went up $10-20-40) or you get "Credit Percentage" off whatever pass you buy for next year if you buy a lower cost pass. FAQs are found from https://www.epicpass.com/info/2019-2020-pass-holder-credit.aspx says (with my italics) "Please note that your Credit will be calculated from a percentage of your 2019/2020 Purchase Price only if the 2020/2021 pass that you purchase is of equal or greater value than the pass you purchased for the 2019/2020 season; if the 2020/2021 pass that you purchase is of lesser value than the pass you purchased for the 2019/2020 season, your Credit will be calculated from a percentage off the 2020/2021 Purchase Price".

 

[Ski&ride]

My understanding from the FAQ is that you get the $ from email off same pass for next year (which went up $10-20-40) or you get "Credit Percentage" off whatever pass you buy for next year if you buy a lower cost pass. FAQs are found from https://www.epicpass.com/info/2019-2020-pass-holder-credit.aspx says (with my italics) "Please note that your Credit will be calculated from a percentage of your 2019/2020 Purchase Price only if the 2020/2021 pass that you purchase is of equal or greater value than the pass you purchased for the 2019/2020 season; if the 2020/2021 pass that you purchase is of lesser value than the pass you purchased for the 2019/2020 season, your Credit will be calculated from a percentage off the 2020/2021 Purchase Price".

So, if I understand it correctly...

1) you buy a lower pass, you get the 20-70% discount of the new pass price.

2) if you buy the same or higher pass, you only get the dollar amount credit, which works out to be less than the percentage (as the prices of even the same level pass had gone up).

That’s kind of sneaky. Dollar and diming on the “credit” amount. I can see though, with millions pass holder, a few dollar each adds up to millions!

Let’s just say NO WAY I’m buying a higher level pass. I’m still debating buying the same level or lower. Or not buying a pass at all.

The key criteria is how “social distancing” will affect the operation of the resorts. So I’m super curious to watch the few resort that are allowed to open to get some hint. (Also waiting and watching what the European resorts are doing in their summer tourist season) So far, it’s not looking too promising for me to even consider anything else but the northeast local at most.

In any case, I’m not in a hurry to buy or not buy. I’ll think about it by August.

 

[David Chaus]

Got my epic pass credit yesterday and purchased a pass. Just a note - I had been intending to get the Local Pass - as based on this last years experience I probably wouldn't ski the blackout dates this year anyway. However, because I bought the full pass last year I was only allowed to use the credit against a full pass this year. There was an option to file an exception (which may or may not have enabled me to apply the credit against the local pass. YMMV, but thought worth sharing my experience.

Still, hoping there will be some skiing next season, and at least I got the extra 7 days at Telluride which is another benefit of full over Local. Now debating whether it's worth getting Ikon too. I think an @David Chaus has some definitive input on that dilemma.

Yeah, we all have our priorities and trying to do calculus without any constants, everything is a variable. Or as I like to call it, a WAGNER (wild ass guess, not easily referenced). I think the two wild cards for me are whether the Aspen Gathering is going to happen, and whether the multi-week clinic I took with Snow Performance at Alpental will happen again, as those are no-brainers for getting the Ikon Pass. If I lived closer to Crystal that would be another no-brainer, but I live closer to Stevens.

So I did receive my email from Epic, with my credit for an Epic Local pass calculated at $139 towards a 20-21 pass. If I get the Local, that comes out to $590. Not too bad, if I use it 10+ times next season. Maybe that will be easy to do, especially mid-week. I'm not so sure about weekends, and I'm not so sure about how teaching will work next year. Working with an independent school (it's a PNW thing) I have the option of a discounted Stevens-only pass for about $180, I chose to get the Epic Local this past season because of some travel. I see no advantage for me to upgrade to the full Epic Pass at this point.

That said, if I'm willing to spend $590 and take the chance of not using the pass at all (even with the Epic coverage there are conditions), no worries. I go back and forth on this. Same kind of thought process with Ikon at $599 for Base renewal (or upgrade to full Ikon for $799), though it seems the Ikon has a simpler and no-questions-asked process for deferring the 20-21 pass to 21-22.

Worst case scenario, I get both passes, do not ski at all, defer to 21-22.

 

[Tony]

Worst case scenario, ... do not ski at all ...

Ouch!

I'm probably renewing my Vail Tahoe pass at a lower level as I qualify for Senior version which is only available with Tahoe Local pass. My wife's version of same pass will be under $310 since she only got three days on hers last year and mine will be under $360. Since we have use of family cabin a mile from Heavenly's CA base and also like Kirkwood and Northstar and can drive to all of them it seems like a no-brainer.

The Ikon is a tougher purchase. We would like to go to Gatherings in Aspen and Taos and join friends in early March for most of a week at Snowbird and also could use it at Mammoth, Squaw and Bachelor. But if things don't look good in early Dec and we defer, we are giving Ikon an interest-free loan of our $1600 (for two full passes including Aspen without upcharge and to get more than 5 days in LCC) for almost 18 months using current deadline and hoping they don't join JCPenney (who flied this evening) in bankruptcy.

 

[John Webb]

Ouch!

I'm probably renewing my Vail Tahoe pass at a lower level as I qualify for Senior version which is only available with Tahoe Local pass. My wife's version of same pass will be under $310 since she only got three days on hers last year and mine will be under $360. Since we have use of family cabin a mile from Heavenly's CA base and also like Kirkwood and Northstar and can drive to all of them it seems like a no-brainer.

I keep looking at the Tahoe Local pass as it is the only Vail product with a senior discount. But for some reason I never pull the trigger.
My pet peeve is that their other passes (look better for travel) , also Sugar Bowl, and Mt Rose have no senior rates.

The Sierra Tahoe pass (not used at all last year) Had a great senior discount but has little value, not their fault, as Sugar Bowl just dropped Powder Alliance which was the main reason I got the ST pass.

I don't see why the Tahoe areas (at least 6 different passes required) don't get together and allow at least a day or 2 of skiing at each others area.
This really hurts the one week ski week visitors from out of area.
A good example being my 3 senior friends who can't figure out how to come to Tahoe. They don't want to buy any sort of passes as they only ski 5 or 6 days a year. They also wont pay full day ticket prices. They're use to WV where they ski for free at 2 or 3 areas when over age 70. lol

I'll probably do the usual - the Ikon Base pass as it works great for the California crowd but skip other passes. due to a likely Covid return. Limit skiing to weekdays as capacity may be much reduced..
It's good for a SLC trip since Alta/ Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton, DV allow 5 days or more on it. Maybe a late season trip to Bend now that Mt Bachelor is added.

 

[Ski&ride]

It’s interesting how Vail and Alterra structured their 20/21 pass “assurance” differently.

Alterra has a looming early purchase deadline. Vail doesn’t. Not exactly new there though. Vail always has a low bar for purchase early. Just some extra buddy passes, with no or minor price hikes even if you can”t buy early. But this year, the stake is higher for some, those with a large renewal credit.

Alterra allows “no question ask” deferral. Vail doesn’t.

Vail offers refund if a mountain is not open, not just a deferral which Alterra offers. But Vail doesn’t allow pass holder to “just“ change their mind, which Alterra does. However, when Alterra let you defers to next year, renewal pass holders also lose all of the credits from 19/20. Though for some, it wasn’t nearly as big a credit as Vail pass holders who didn’t get to use their pass in 19/20.

Now Alterra extends the time a pass holder can opt to defer, still at their own wish. Vail is probably under a bit of pressure to allow some sort of pass holder freedom, instead of holding all the refund decisions to Vail.

At this point, the biggest sticking point is the daily skier cap. There“s a real danger that Vail mountains will open. But due to the skier cap, one may not be able to get any skiing days in at all. Without the option for pass holder to initiate a no-question-ask refund, the risk is pretty high that one’s entire pass cost goes to waste!

For me in the northeast, Vail Epic pass makes a lot more sense. Plus I would be renewing, with a small credit. At the moment, I don't have to make any decision as the deadline is still 2 months away. However, my chance of buying an Epic pass, albeit small to begin with, will be exactly zero without some sort of refund option thats entirely within the pass holder’s control.

 

[princo]

I have been alternating passes for the last few years (from the RMSP days). Last year I was on the Ikon pass and was planning on returning to Ikon with the $200 discount. Well, today I received an email from Epic Pass with a 10% discount to "Welcome you back". I guess VR figured out that very few people are going to switch passes with the credits/retention discounts being offered and they are trying to do something about it.

 

[Ski&ride]

I have been alternating passes for the last few years (from the RMSP days).

Same here.

In the past, the renewal credit was only $50. I happily pay that “switching premium” to ski a different set of mountains.

And like you, I’m not planing to switch this year because of the larger renewal credit.

Vail is pretty clever in offering that credit to try to lure back pass holder who switched away. Though I suspect it’s aimed at people who live near a Vail mountain, because they may have gotten an IKON last year to do some traveling. Coming 20/21, they may not be able to travel. So the “welcome credit“ from Vail may just be enough to get them to switch back.

 

[fatbob]

I have been alternating passes for the last few years (from the RMSP days). Last year I was on the Ikon pass and was planning on returning to Ikon with the $200 discount. Well, today I received an email from Epic Pass with a 10% discount to "Welcome you back". I guess VR figured out that very few people are going to switch passes with the credits/retention discounts being offered and they are trying to do something about it.

I got the same very smart and right from under Ikon's deadline - you might be waivering so you don't have to commit- we've got you til Labor Day!

Question is are Alterra now going to do something in the next day or two? I only want holdover of my pass to 21/22 or my discount retained til then

 

[Steve]

We had epic passes 2 years ago and Ikon last year. We haven't received a "Welcome You Back" offer, but would like one? Was it just a code or was it associated with your account specifically?

Any idea how we could use this?

 

[Uncle Louie]

We had epic passes 2 years ago and Ikon last year. We haven't received a "Welcome You Back" offer, but would like one? Was it just a code or was it associated with your account specifically?

Any idea how we could use this?

I'm in the same boat. We had Epic local passes a few years back and switched to ICON. I got the offer from Vail via e-mail overnight. It was a 10% discount that expires on Sept 7, 2020. They also noted that those who have already purchased using the payment plan for next season will see a credit on their last payment .

 

[Steve]

So is there any reason to put $49 down now? Will the price go up before September?

 

[Seldomski]

So is there any reason to put $49 down now? Will the price go up before September?

If you are definitely getting an epic pass and want to be sure to lock in the lowest price and most perks, then you should put down the $49.

 

[Steve]

I just had a chat online with a Vail rep and he told me that the current prices are guaranteed until September 7th. In the past the number of Ski With A Friend or Buddy Passes changed depending upon when you bought, I didn't ask about that. He also gave me codes to use for the 10% off.

I'm just not sure what I want to do yet. Might just get the New England pass if I'm still not willing to fly, so will wait until September.

 

[Ski&ride]

If you are definitely getting an epic pass and want to be sure to lock in the lowest price and most perks, then you should put down the $49.

What’s there to “lock in”? The price isn't going to change till then.

 

[Steve]

Unless it changes the number of Ski with a Friend or Buddy Passes they give you. Price is locked in.

 

[Seldomski]

What’s there to “lock in”? The price isn't going to change till then.

Nothing.

Mostly so you don't forget about it later and so you can stop thinking about it.

 

[Steve]

In a normal year that's what I'd do. This year September 7th is a lot of Covid data to come.