Alterra Releases 2020-21 Lift Ticket and Ikon Pass Reservation Policies (Many Resorts Don’t Require One)

In the wake of similar announcements from Vail Resorts and multiple independent mountains, Alterra released their initial lift ticket and Ikon Pass reservation policies for the 2020-21 season.

Alterra, which offers all of its mountains on the Ikon Pass but does not own every Ikon destination, will significantly cut down on their lift ticket products for next season. Walk-up sales will not be available, and only a limited number of tickets will be offered for advance purchase. Some undated single and multi-day ticket products, such as 4-Packs, will be discontinued until further notice.

At this time, none of the mountains owned by Alterra plan to implement any sort of reservation policy for resort access. Policies from non-Alterra-owned resorts on the Ikon Pass vary—some plan to require no reservations at all, while a few Powdr-owned resorts will require only parking reservations. A handful of resorts, including a few major destinations and some day-trip mountains, do plan to require reservations for Ikon passholders. Alta and Aspen have not made a decision on reservations at this point.

For a full list of lift reservation policies for Ikon destinations, see here: https://www.ikonpass.com/en/reservations

Our Take

The decision not to require reservations at the overwhelming majority of resorts puts Ikon in an entirely different league than Epic, which will require advanced reservations nearly everywhere next season. While some mountains will require lift or parking reservations, the overwhelming majority of unlimited Ikon destinations should not see any restrictions, resulting in Ikon staying practical as a true season pass for those resorts. However, the lack of clarity on Aspen’s policy and required reservations for Jackson Hole may disappoint those who paid a premium to get access to these mountains. It should be interesting to see how the Ikon reservation system shapes up for the resorts that require it—some of these mountains don’t require reservations from any other pass or ticket product.

The flexible use for Ikon Passes looks to come at the expense of day-ticket and multi-day pass availability. Those looking to book only a few days of skiing at Alterra mountains next season will need to buy their tickets for specific dates in advance and may have trouble purchasing spots for their desired dates. For these types of bookings, visitors may want to consider undated Epic Day Pass products (advanced reservations are required for these, but they don’t have to be made on the date of purchase).

Ikon's one key caveat, however, is the “at this time” clause in the reservation language. This leaves the opportunity open for Ikon to reverse their policies at each mountain. In the event that a resort starts reaching capacity constraints, it’s entirely possible that it will start implementing lift or parking restrictions (such as those A-Basin says they may have to resort to in the worst-case scenario).

With the exception of the flexible multi-day products, Alterra and Ikon’s operational policies for next season far outweigh Vail Resorts and Epic’s. Despite pass prices having increased already, these policies—along with Ikon’s very strong Adventure Assurance—are sure to win over some undecided pass purchasers. On the other hand, those who may have purchased 4-Packs or other multi-day passes in the past may want to commit to an Epic or independent product this year instead.