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June 25, 2007
By Bruce Edwards Herald Staff
Skiers weaned on affordable season passes at Killington are less than pleased with the higher prices rolled out last week by the resort's new owner.
Powdr. Corp. is charging $999 for an unlimited adult season pass, compared to $619 for the comparably priced pass that was sold last year under former owner, American Skiing Co.
Utah-based Powdr Corp. has defended the new pricing, saying its season passes are competitive with other resorts.
But the reaction from season pass holders, like John May of Franklin, Mass., is less than favorable.
"The management team says that this makes them the same as everybody else, then I'm sadly going to consider all the other places," said May, 52, who has been skiing Killington since he was 16.
May said he's already taken the step of quitting the Kil-Roc ski club, which has a house in Killington.
He said other members of the club, most of whom live in the Rochester, N.Y., area may also quit.
May said higher season pass prices combined with soaring gasoline prices makes it too expensive to ski Killington any longer.
Under American Skiing Co., skiers who bought a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum season pass in the spring saved a significant amount of money. Passes were priced based on the number of blackout dates and came with a variety of discounts and privileges, depending on the type of pass.
"It was one of the things that made it affordable," May said of the ASC passes.
Another long-time Killington skier called the new season pass prices "really bad PR."
"I was pretty upset," said Lynn Danzker of Hoboken, N.J., who has been a season pass holder for 10 years.
Instead of paying $700 for a season pass, Danzker said she'll now have to pay $1,000 to ski Killington.
Despite the jump in price, Danzker said with a home in Killington, she'll continue to ski there. That may not be the case, she said, for others who don't have the same loyalty or investment in the area.
"For the people who may have been on the fence or who don't go that often or saw that it was a great deal, those are the people that you're going to lose, I think" she said.
Robert Zega of Parsippany, N.J., says he been in touch with other season pass holders who are bailing at the higher prices.
"I've already got dozens of e-mails saying people are bailing out and going to other areas next year to avoid Killington's price increase," Zega said in an e-mail.
Not everyone was upset with hike in pass prices.
"I think it's fair," said Mike Delles of Fair Haven.
Delles will pay $600 for a pass this season, more than he paid last season. But Delles said he skis frequently so he'll get his money's worth.
"I was willing to pay more if it was going to be that way because that's the way things go," he said. "You've got new owners and stuff so you have to expect some changes."
Contact Bruce Edwards at bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com.
By Bruce Edwards Herald Staff
Skiers weaned on affordable season passes at Killington are less than pleased with the higher prices rolled out last week by the resort's new owner.
Powdr. Corp. is charging $999 for an unlimited adult season pass, compared to $619 for the comparably priced pass that was sold last year under former owner, American Skiing Co.
Utah-based Powdr Corp. has defended the new pricing, saying its season passes are competitive with other resorts.
But the reaction from season pass holders, like John May of Franklin, Mass., is less than favorable.
"The management team says that this makes them the same as everybody else, then I'm sadly going to consider all the other places," said May, 52, who has been skiing Killington since he was 16.
May said he's already taken the step of quitting the Kil-Roc ski club, which has a house in Killington.
He said other members of the club, most of whom live in the Rochester, N.Y., area may also quit.
May said higher season pass prices combined with soaring gasoline prices makes it too expensive to ski Killington any longer.
Under American Skiing Co., skiers who bought a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum season pass in the spring saved a significant amount of money. Passes were priced based on the number of blackout dates and came with a variety of discounts and privileges, depending on the type of pass.
"It was one of the things that made it affordable," May said of the ASC passes.
Another long-time Killington skier called the new season pass prices "really bad PR."
"I was pretty upset," said Lynn Danzker of Hoboken, N.J., who has been a season pass holder for 10 years.
Instead of paying $700 for a season pass, Danzker said she'll now have to pay $1,000 to ski Killington.
Despite the jump in price, Danzker said with a home in Killington, she'll continue to ski there. That may not be the case, she said, for others who don't have the same loyalty or investment in the area.
"For the people who may have been on the fence or who don't go that often or saw that it was a great deal, those are the people that you're going to lose, I think" she said.
Robert Zega of Parsippany, N.J., says he been in touch with other season pass holders who are bailing at the higher prices.
"I've already got dozens of e-mails saying people are bailing out and going to other areas next year to avoid Killington's price increase," Zega said in an e-mail.
Not everyone was upset with hike in pass prices.
"I think it's fair," said Mike Delles of Fair Haven.
Delles will pay $600 for a pass this season, more than he paid last season. But Delles said he skis frequently so he'll get his money's worth.
"I was willing to pay more if it was going to be that way because that's the way things go," he said. "You've got new owners and stuff so you have to expect some changes."
Contact Bruce Edwards at bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com.