IKOSTMORE
Alterra announces 2018-2019 pass prices, options
On Thursday, February 22, Alterra Mountain Company announced pricing and access for its Ikon Pass, which will be available to skiers for the 2018-2019 season. The company also announced the addition of SkiBig3 in Alberta, Canada, Revelstoke Mountain in British Columbia, and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont to its list of 26 included mountain destinations.
Alterra Mountain Company distributed an email to season pass holders on Thursday, February 22, announcing that the Ikon Pass will start at $599 for the 2018-2019 season.
However, that price only covers the Ikon Base Pass, which provides five days of access to Mammoth Mountain. The Ikon Pass, the only pass available as an unlimited season pass to Mammoth, will cost $899. There will be no lower-cost option for a Mammoth-only pass.
Starting in 2018-2019, unlimited skiing at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area will only be available through the full Ikon Pass, which will also include unlimited access to 12 mountain resorts and limited access to seven. Discounts will be available for military personnel, college students and teenagers (all starting at $719, according to Kristin Rust, Director of Public Relations for Alterra Mountain Company). A pass for children (ages 5-12) of an adult passholder will start at $199 until April 9, 2018, said Rust.
In comparison, an adult Vail Resorts Epic Pass (unlimited access to 15 resorts) for the 2017-2018 season cost $859 if purchased prior to April 9, 2017.
Interestingly, the Ikon Base Pass, in addition to 5 Mammoth days, also offers unlimited access to Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and June Mountain. That pass is also available at discounted rates for military personnel, college students, and children of adult pass holders. Overall, it provides unlimited access to nine resorts and offers five days of skiing at Mammoth along with 16 other destinations.
The company has done away with senior discounts, said Rust.
“It looks like Mammoth Mountain has decided seniors don’t matter,” wrote Andy Fried in an email to The Sheet on Thursday, February 22. “They can pay full price or go away. As a senior and a second homeowner I have always bought a pass and maintained a locker … I now question whether the expense of owning a home in Mammoth is worthwhile. I suspect many others like me will be asking the same question.”
Tony Cole, a 71-year-old Redondo Beach resident and Mammoth second homeowner, called The Sheet’s office on Thursday to say he was “astounded” at the lack of a senior discount and the refusal of Alterra to offer a Mammoth-only pass.
“I mean, back in the day, the fortunes of the Mountain relied on the fortunes of the Town, and vice-versa,” said Cole.
Cole said he skied Mammoth in the days of Dave McCoy, and that “McCoy was a considerate guy. He wanted to make money too… but this is just not right for Mammoth. At least not for the old-timers that remember the good old days.”
Longtime Former CEO of Mammoth Resorts Rusty Gregory was appointed CEO of Alterra Mountain Company on February 7.
“So much for hometown loyalty,” said Cole of Alterra’s decision.
“This is really short-sighted,” said Marjorie Greenfield, who also called The Sheet’s office to complain about the announcement.
Editor’s note: A Double Flex pass at Aspen (2 days of skiing/week) costs $1,500.
An Adult Lift Only Cali4nia Pass was $699 (plus $14 in “Tourism Fees”) for the 2018-2019 ski season, if purchased in the spring of 2017. Additionally, Mammoth Mountain offered a $599 season pass for senior citizens (ages 65-79), and offered a free season’s pass to skiers 80 and older with proof of age and a $25 processing fee. Mammoth Mountain offered a Child’s pass (ages 5-12) for $359, and a Youth pass (ages 13-22) for $749.
When asked why Alterra opted to make Mammoth the only one of its California resorts not eligible for the Ikon Base pass, Rust told The Sheet in an email that “we spent a lot of time looking at travel patterns of popular current and former products and built the Ikon Base Pass based on where those guests were going, and how often. We also balanced the guest experience and the desires and needs of each destination and picked a number that could serve a lengthy vacation and regular days in the mountains.”
When asked what she would say to people who hoped Gregory would help Mammoth out with regard to a local pass option, Rust did not respond.
In the print version of this article, published on Saturday, February 24, 2018, the quote, “‘Mammoth is just a bunch of thugs,” was incorrectly attributed to Marjorie Greenfield. The Sheet regrets this error, and will run a correction in the upcoming March 3 edition of the paper.
