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Aspen Skiing Co. drops price on Premier Pass by $200 with chamber discount

Streamlined lineup, new prices released for 2021-22

2021-22 dates

The scheduled ski season at Aspen Snowmass is:

Nov. 25 to April 17 at Aspen Mountain and Snowmass

Dec. 11 to April 10 at Aspen Highlands

Dec. 11 to April 3 at Buttermilk

Aspen Skiing Co. unveiled Monday a streamlined season pass lineup for 2021-22 and dropped the price of the Premier Pass with a chamber of commerce discount by $200 from last season.

The Premier Pass is $1,599 if purchased through Sept. 17. Last season, the Premier Pass with a chamber discount was $1,799.

Last winter, Skico’s pricing strategy was designed to manage the number of people on the slopes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Skico vice president of communications Jeff Hanle. The price of the Premier Pass, for example, increased by $320 from the prior season.



“It’s back in line with the normal increases you see,” Hanle said of this year’s pass price. “Last year was sort of an outlier.”

The Premier Pass provides access all winter to all four Aspen Snowmass ski areas with no blackout days. It includes an Ikon Base Pass and Skico’s new Uphill Pass.




The Premier senior pass for ages 65-69 cost $1,849 while the Premier Silver for those 70 years and older is $599. The Premier child/teen and college passes are $729.

The full Premier Pass without a chamber discount is $2,399 if purchased through Sept. 17.

The pass lineup was simplified. The old one- and two-day per week passes are back for 2021-22 and now called the Alpine Pass. In addition, there is a Valley Pass that provides seven days on the slopes throughout the season with no blackout dates.

The Alpine One-Day Pass is $999 for chamber members and $1,179 for non-chamber buyers when purchased by the Sept. 17 early-bird deadline.

The Alpine Two-Day Pass is $1,399 with the chamber discount and $1,729 without the chamber discount if purchased by the super early deadline.

Additional days for the Alpine Passes can be purchased for 50% of the one-day, walk-up ticket rate.

The Valley Pass is $429 when purchased by Sept. 17. Buyers must prove residence in the Roaring Fork Valley region — Rifle to No Name on the Interstate 70 corridor and Aspen to Glenwood Springs in the Roaring Fork Valley and up to Marble in the Crystal Valley and Meredith in the Fryingpan Valley. Additional days can be purchased for 30% off the walk-up ticket rate.

Use of the Valley Pass could be subject to reservation system if COVID-19 requires adjustments on the slopes and on-mountain facilities, according to Skico.

“We learned a great deal last season, and we are confident we can meet the challenges ahead and hope to return to something that feels closer to normal as the season nears,” Skico President and CEO Mike Kaplan said in a prepared statement. “We feel this pass lineup will give people great flexibility and allow them to customize their access and experience to our four mountains.”

The reaction to the announcement was predictable on Skico’s Facebook page. Premier Pass holders applauded the drop in price. The biggest complaints came from people who live outside the region and don’t qualify for the Valley Pass. Several commenters bemoaned there isn’t an option that lets them purchase seven or fewer days on a pass.

Skico also announced that it would start charging for an uphill pass due to the explosion in people skinning, hiking and snowshoeing up its slopes (see related story).

An electronic process will again be used for chamber pass purchases so businesses can bypass the ticket office.

Skico offered the following guidance for buyers: “Guests can purchase online and utilize the pickup boxes located at the base of our four mountains to avoid lines at ticket offices. The Aspen Snowmass app can be used to upload photos and sign waivers to speed up the process. Be sure to download and update the app to access real-time updates on parking, base lift wait times, snow and weather conditions and to access rewards, passholder benefits and sign waivers in advance.”

More information is available at http://www.aspensnowmass.com.

 

scondon@aspentimes.com