SALT LAKE CITY — The two largest ski resort owners in North America face a class-action lawsuit that claims the businesses artificially inflated every day lift ticket prices to “coerce” skiers and snowboarders to purchase costly season passes.
Four skiers, three from Colorado and one from Massachusetts, declare within the lawsuit filed in federal court docket in Denver that Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company have interaction in anticompetitive practices that violate antitrust legal guidelines.
“For years, skiers have been told that soaring lift ticket prices, reduced choice, and overcrowding are simply the new reality,” Greg Asciolla, a lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, stated in an announcement, per Reuters. “Our complaint alleges that these outcomes are not the result of healthy competition, but of exclusionary conduct by two companies that dominate access to the most desirable destinations.”
The rise of the mega cross
Vail Resorts basically modified the ski trade when it launched the Epic Pass in 2008. The multi-mountain season cross offers entry to what are actually 42 Vail-owned ski areas and one other 30 it contracts with world wide. Alterra adopted with its Ikon Pass in 2018, for 18 resorts it owns, plus one other 70 it has offers with.
In Utah, the Epic Pass is sweet at Park City Mountain, whereas the Ikon Pass is sweet at Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, Deer Valley and Snowbasin.
For the 2025-26 season, a full Epic Pass bought for $1,051, whereas a full Ikon Pass went for $1,329. Locals-only season passes run somewhat cheaper.
After introducing the multi-mountain passes, Vail and Alterra raised every day lift ticket prices sharply, exceeding $350 a day at top-tier ski resorts.
“But this is no accident, or the result of competitive market forces … lift tickets for ski areas within the Epic and Ikon ecosystems are priced in a way to induce (or coerce) customers into buying the mega pass bundles,” in response to the lawsuit.
Why every day lift tickets price a lot
Speaking in regards to the introduction of the Epic Pass and the rise of every day lift ticket prices throughout the trade, Vail CEO Rob Katz advised The Wall Street Journal that “this was an industrywide, ultimately global transformation that happened that our company absolutely led.
“And a part of that was making the season cross the very best alternative you might have after which make the lift ticket dearer. If you are going to stroll as much as a ski resort and purchase a lift ticket, you are not giving the ski resort any advance dedication.(*2*)Skiers and snowboarders are led to imagine they’re making a cost-conscious resolution in shopping for the Epic or Ikon mega cross, however in actuality, and because of Vail Resorts’ and Alterra’s respective anticompetitive schemes involving bundling, they’re in actual fact being pressured into shopping for a mega cross, which is itself maximally (over)-priced as much as the purpose the place it seems to be like an excellent deal when in comparison with the overpriced lift ticket. In quick, each the lift ticket and the mega cross are overpriced,” in response to the criticism.
What the ski resort companies say about the lawsuit
Vail and Alterra say the claims in the lawsuit are without merit.
“We launched the Epic Pass in 2008 to make snowboarding and driving extra accessible, decreasing the worth of a season cross by 60%,” according to a Vail spokesperson, adding it’s still one of the best values in the industry, especially following our further 20% price reduction in 2021.
“As we acquired smaller resorts over the years, we additionally launched new, lower-priced cross merchandise, such because the Epic Day Pass Local and Limited, for company who solely wish to ski near dwelling,” to the spokesperson.
“We will at all times give one of the best worth to our cross holders who commit forward of the season —however that stated, we’ve additionally been intentional to cost our lift tickets, bought in season, on a resort-by-resort foundation, together with quite a few new low cost alternatives this previous season.”
Last month, Vail cut the price of an Epic Pass by 20% for people aged 13 to 30 to attract and retain Gen Z skiers and snowboarders.
An Alterra spokeswoman said the Ikon Pass “offers one of the best worth” with its access to more than 70 ski areas.
“We imagine these claims haven’t any advantage and intend to defend ourselves vigorously,” the spokeswoman said in a statement emailed to the Durango Herald. “It is disappointing that we’re pressured to defend this baseless declare and divert any consideration away from working our enterprise and delivering unbelievable experiences.”
The lawsuit contends high lift ticket prices for people who don’t ski often and locals “who lose significant selection about the place to go” because the season pass model “channels” them to solely affiliated resorts.
Vail skier visits, season cross income down
Park City Mountain and its five ski areas in Colorado generate the largest share of the company’s revenue, according to the company’s second-quarter fiscal report, released March 9.
Vail had a net income of about $210 million, down from $244.4 million during the same period last year.
Season-to-date total skier visits were down 11.9% at Vail’s North American ski areas compared to the prior year. A skier visit is counted each time a person uses a lift ticket or pass at a resort. Total lift revenue, including season pass revenue, was down 3.6%.
“This has been probably the most difficult winter throughout the Rockies that we’ve ever skilled with the bottom snowfall ranges in additional than 30 years for our Colorado and Utah resorts, mixed with hotter temperatures, leading to diminished terrain all through the quarter and into February,” Katz said in the report.
“Given that backdrop, we’re happy with the power and stability proven by our working mannequin, as we reported solely modest declines in lift income in what many would contemplate a worst-case climate state of affairs.”
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