When the newly-formed Alterra ski company announced a new season pass product called the Ikon Pass, skiers were hopeful for an alternative to Vail’s Epic Pass. With top-notch Utah resorts as part of the Ikon Pass, including Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird, many were excited to see what the price structure would be. Did Alterra truly create a pass to compete with Vail Resorts? Well Alterra made their big reveal today and it landed with a thud for Utah skiers.
The Ikon Pass will have two price options – the $899 Ikon Pass, and $599 Ikon Base Pass. Both passes are a great deal, depending on where you live. A small number of resorts have unlimited access, while others only allow 7 or 5 days, respectively. The problem for Utah skiers, is that Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird do not offer an unlimited option. That means the new Ikon Pass everyone has been excited to hear about pretty much leaves much to be desired for local skiers.
So who really benefits from the Ikon Pass? Tourists traveling for a week-long ski vacation will discover moderately good deals. Local skiers looking for a discount on an unlimited season pass will have to live near resorts that are mostly in Colorado or California. Utah skiers will have to travel a lot to really get the full benefit from the Ikon Pass.
Ikon Pass Breakdown
Here’s what Ikon Pass holders will get from the primary and base options:
IKON PASS
Offering unlimited access to 12 destinations plus 7-days and 7-days combined at 13 destinations, with zero blackout dates, and a starting price of $899.
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, Tremblant, and Blue Mountain
7-Days: Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Killington Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort
7-Days Combined:
– Aspen Snowmass: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk
– AltaSnowbird
– SkiBig3: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay
– Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon Mountain
BLACKOUT DATES: Zero
Child Pass Promotion
– Discounted Child Passes (12 and under) will be available through April 9, 2018 for $199 with the purchase of an Adult Ikon Pass
Discounts
– Military and College discounts available
– Early winter booking privileges and 10% off summer reservations at CMH Heli- Skiing & Summer Adventures
More Benefits
– 10 Friends & Family lift tickets offering 25% off of the window rate at any Ikon Pass destination (excluding CMH), with no blackout dates
– 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 access to eight destinations plus 5-days and 5-days combined at 17 destinations, with three blackout periods, and a starting price of $599.
ACCESS:
Unlimited: Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (holiday restrictions), Big Bear Mountain Resort, June Mountain, Tremblant, Blue Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain
5-Days: (Holiday restrictions at all)
Steamboat, Mammoth Mountain, Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Stratton, Killington Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort
5-Days Combined: (Holiday restrictions at all)
– Aspen Snowmass: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk
– AltaSnowbird – SkiBig3: Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay
– Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon Mountain
BLACKOUT DATES: Dec. 26 – 31, 2018; Jan. 19 – 20, 2019; and Feb. 16 – 17, 2019
Child Pass Promotion
– Discounted Child Passes (12 and under) will be available April 9, 2018 for $149 with the purchase of an Adult Base Pass
Discounts
– Military and College discounts available
– Early winter booking privileges and 10% off summer reservations at CMH Heli- Skiing & Summer Adventures
More Benefits
– 8 Friends & Family lift tickets, good for 25% off the window rate at any Ikon Pass destination (excluding CMH), with select blackout dates
– 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
So what do you think about the Ikon Pass after this announcement? A good deal or does it leave Utah skiers in the lurch?
This leave Utah skiers in the lurch. Even the Epic pass has more to be desired with only one local resort, Park City. At least it is the largest in the country though. The Ikon pass only includes 10 to 14 days at any local resorts (Alta/Snowbird are considered one resort), which is far too few for a good season. If you want to do any other skiing in a season, you need to travel. Travel takes time and money as you need to find a place to stay and a way to get there. If I wanted to travel to ski, I’d live somewhere other than Utah. This would be better than the Epic pass, and they’d get my business if unlimited access to Solitude were included.