Aspen ski pass prices increase $20 to $50

Aspen Skiing Co. raised its major ski pass prices by between $20 and $50 across the board for 2015-16.

Skico will start selling passes Monday, so it unveiled prices Thursday to give customers time to strategize. The “super early deadline” — which provides the best prices — goes through Sept. 11.

The Premier Pass for customers who aren’t eligible for a chamber of commerce discount will cost $1,749. That is up $50, or 2.8 percent, from last season’s price.

The Premier Pass for customers who work for a business that belongs to one of the chambers of commerce in the Roaring Fork Valley is $1,259. That is an increase of $30, or 2.3 percent.

The chamber discount is available for businesses that belong to the chambers of commerce in Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs.

The Premier Pass is good for unlimited skiing during the season with no blackout days at Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass.

The Double Flex pass, which is good for two days per week on the slopes, and the Flex Pass, for one day per week, are back for 2015-16.

The Double Flex pass is $1,409 without the chamber discount. That is an increase of $40 or 2.8 percent.

The Double Flex with the chamber discount is $1,109 for an increase of $30 or 2.7 percent.

The Flex Pass without the chamber discount is $959. That is an increase of $40 or 3.1 percent.

The Flex Pass for chamber members is $819 for an increase of $20 or 2.4 percent.

All prices are for adult passes. The passes increased by the same amount from 2013-14 to 2014-15 as they did from last season to this season.

Buyers of the four- and seven-day Classic Passes will pay slightly more in 2015-16 than they did last season. The four-day adult pass increased $10 to $239 while the seven-day pass is up $15 to $374 if purchased during the early deadline through Oct. 16.

Skico spokesman Jeff Hanle said the big change with pass pricing this year is the chamber discount will be extended to spouses of customers who are eligible employees. In other words, if you work for a business that belongs to a chamber of commerce, your spouse gets the discount.

“What we hope it does is spur people to get out to the hill more,” Hanle said.

A newly eligible spouse could save $490 on the price of a Premier Pass because of Skico’s new policy.

The other major change was decreasing the price of a College Premier Pass by about $300. That pass is now $619.

“This year we really wanted to make it easier for local families to spend time on the slopes together,” Skico President and CEO Mike Kaplan said in a prepared statement.

Skico noted that its Premier Pass comes with benefits that total about $1,000, including discounts for lift tickets, lessons, dining, parking and retail purchases at Skico-affiliated shops.

Skiers and riders from ages 65 through 69 will pay $30 more this season for a Premier Senior Pass. The price is now $1,259 if purchased during the early deadline.

The Premier Silver Pass, for customers who are ages 70 and older, increased by $10 to $459.

A grid with all pass prices and the various deadlines can be found at Skico’s website: http://www.aspensnowmass.com/plan-your-vacation/season-passes.

Buyers who want the chamber discount must bring a chamber voucher to a Skico ticket office for the purchase. Tickets will be on sale starting Monday at the Aspen Mountain ticket office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at the Snowmass Base Village Four Mountain Sports from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Pass purchases without the chamber discount can also be completed online at http://www.aspensnowmass.com/store, or by phone at 970-923-1227.

scondon@aspentimes.com