For the past 4 seasons, I've bought a Snow Time season's pass for Liberty, Whitetail and Roundtop at the early spring discount rate. This year's season ended early, and Snow Time did not offer an early season discount. I wrote to ask about season's pass plans and received this reply on March 23:


Thank you for recognizing our efforts to provide our guests with a quality experience, despite the mild temperatures we were dealt this season. You are correct, our mountain operation staff and other on snow departments deserve a pat on the back for producing and maintaining the snow we did have on our mountain, which was pretty much all manmade.

We appreciate your loyalty to our Snowtime family, and understand your position on trying to get the best deal possible. I can tell you that at this time we do not plan to offer an early spring discounted season pass. We are in the preliminary stages of planning for our upcoming season pass sales, your suggestions and comments are valid, and will be considered when developing our season pass program. If we do decide to implement a mid-summer discount offer our season pass holders from this year will be notified.

We value our guests' opinions, and look forward to hosting you at our resort next season.

Sincerely,
Melissa
*****

Do you usually try to buy a pass at an early season discount rate? I do. In addition to the substantial savings over a pass purchased in November or December, I like to enter the summer knowing that a good chunk of my skiing is paid for. 'Not sure what I'll do if Snow Time doesn't offer a discount over their regular season's pass rate, but paying full price isn't an option.

Woody

Yes, at Timberline, which traditionally means by 5/31.

Strange move on the part of Snowtime. I guess they're assuming that the demand for season passes is inelastic, i.e. people will buy it no matter what cuz "Nothing else close comes close." They may be mistaken. (Cue finsout and Jamie.)

Plus, by offering an early season discount, they receive money months in advance, which for a bidness, is a good thing. Makes no sense now for a customer to pay early (even if they've determined their prices for next season.)

Woody, I don't know your age but assume you're a 'veteran' skier like me. I grew up in Mass. And know that Bousquet's goes back to the 1950s, perhaps earlier. Anyhow this season I learned that both Bryce and Massanutten have free skiing starting at age 70. They are a little longer drive for me in miles but the lack of beltway delays and traffic makes it a pleasant drive from my home in Fairfax Co. Some would argue that they are not quite the same for either extent or challenge of terrain, and I couldn't disagree. But, IMHO the differences are inconsequential when one is just trying to get the legs in shape for longer trips north and west, and have a couple hours of fun on the snow.

There effectively was no spring season this year for Snow Time resorts. If a spring discount had been offered, it would have been a miracle if anyone was happy with it. Since the 2011-2012 season was the kind that puts weak resorts into bankruptcy, we all need to thank Ullr that Snowtime is able to tough it through this weather. Personally, I'm glad I don't have to make pricing decisions for next year because this looks like a no win situation to me. Based on the stories I've heard a lot of people did not get full use of their passes last season and thus are not planning on buying passes for next season pretty much regardless of the price. I would expect that the price that Bousquet gets offered this summer won't be higher than the price that would have been paid for a spring pass if it had been available.

One would think that resort management has it easy in the off season, but the budget planning starts before the season ends and the pricing and brochure production often go right up to opening day, not to mention the maintenance and construction activities. If they hold to a normal schedule, we'll know about season pass pricing some time in July. Remember that Snowtime has traditionally offered an extra discount for buying a pass in person at one of the fall events where Snowtime has a booth (e.g. the Dilly sale). That's usually the best deal.

Thanks everybody for your comments. Good points, Rusty, about the problems of the past ski season and the challenges for management of figuring out next year's pricing in the spring-summer after a truncated winter season with precious little natural snow and too few good days for snowmaking.

Denis, it looks like you and I have headed down many of the same runs in Massachusetts. The first skiers came to Bousquet's (founded by my grandparents) in 1932, so the ski area celebrated its 80th season of continuous operation this past winter. Despite my love for the sport, I'm glad my dad's career path went in other directions when the area was sold in 1956. As Rusty said, it's not an easy business, even in the off-season.

In addition to the Snowtime resorts, I skied both Massanutten and Bryce this past season. I do think Whitetail and Liberty stack up better than the 'Nut and Bryce, but I can appreciate your point about the difference in driving conditions. Since I already live in the Shenandoah Valley, traffic isn't the issue for me. I like to ski the Mid-A ski mountains for their own sake, although they do prepare me well for some spring runs on larger mts in the NEast.

As I get closer to 70 (still more than a decade away) the free skiing will undoubtedly draw me to Mass and Bryce more often ... if I'm still able to carve a turn then.

Woody

do yourself a favor and take a year off from snowtime and check out other mid-atlantic areas. I hear lots of excuses about how bad they had it but that's all it is...excuses. Their quality and customer service have dramatically gone downhill over the last several years. Ive had passes for the last 25 years but bought a seven springs pass for 2012-13 even though roundtop is 20 minutes away.

Received a prompt response from Liberty today, in response to my request for an update re. plans for 2012-13 season's pass sales:

We did not sell a season pass this past spring but do plan on offering a discounted pass soon. We hope to have it for sale on or about August 1st. You should receive an email from our marketing team soon! Thank you for your support of our mountain! Please let me know if you have any questions.

*Wish for snow!*

After all, as kwillg6 so astutely observes, the days are getting shorter.

Woody

Per Liberty's website, SnowTime has gotten around to setting and posting season's pass prices for 2012-13. Regular rates are:
* $439 before 10/31
* $639 after that
These are the same rates as 2011-12, except purchasers the previous March-April paid $429 for a 2011-12 pass. Mountains of Distinction discounts continue (12 more resorts), as do special rates at Stratton and Breckenridge.

New this year is a bonus of $50 in Resort Cash if you buy your pass before the end of September. Glad to see that "extra".

Woody

Celebrated the break in summer weather by purchasing my 2012-13 pass today!

Woody

[quote=bousquet19]
Do you usually try to buy a pass at an early season discount rate? I do. /quote]
Yes . . . at Massanutten. They just posted 2012-13 rates, same as last season. 10% discount for a full pass before the end of Nov. Takes about 7 days of skiing for us to do better than break even. Since there are no blackout dates for the full pass, that's not hard to achieve.

WIntergreen has put their pass options on the website. Doesn't work for us because not good on Saturdays or Sunday mornings. If I were going to drive up mid-week often enough, I'd consider the 4-pack for $179.

Just verified on the Mad River website, "Share holders age 70 and over ski free every day.". I qualify!