Ikon Announces 2021-22 Passes, Retains COVID Adventure Assurance
Earlier today, Alterra released the Ikon Pass product suite for the 2021-22 season. Adults can purchase a full Ikon Pass with unlimited access to 15 resorts and no blackout dates for $999 and an Ikon Base Pass, which offers unlimited access to 13 resorts with holiday blackouts, for $729. Children and young adults under 23 are eligible for substantially cheaper pass rates.
Returning passholders can purchase discounted passes, with full pass adult renewals costing $849 (for a $100 discount) and base pass renewals starting at $649 (for a $70 discount). These renewal discounts will last until May 5, and the cheapest public pass prices will likely be available until at least that date.
The regular Ikon Base Pass still lacks access to Jackson Hole and the Aspen resorts, but those interested can purchase 5-day access to these areas for an additional $150. For the first time this year, Washington’s Crystal Mountain will drop from unlimited to just 5 days of access on the Ikon Base Pass; however, full passes will retain unlimited Crystal access.
As with the 2020-21 season, Ikon is including Adventure Assurance on every pass. This policy allows pass purchasers to defer the use of their pass until the 2022-23 season by December 9, 2021. In addition, if Ikon Pass destinations close due to COVID-19 between December 18, 2021 and March 6, 2022, passholders will receive a “proportional credit” towards the purchase of a 22/23 Ikon Pass product.
Ikon has also revamped their payment plan for 2021-22 pass products. For a limited time, purchasers will be able to lock in 3 and 6-month installment plans at no interest cost. Alternatively, purchasers may opt for a 12-month installment plan, which allows for the lowest monthly payment rate, at 15% APR. The payment plan is not available to Iowa and West Virginia residents.
Passes go on sale March 11.
Our Take
High-level, the Ikon announcement today suggests two things: that COVID will continue to exist as a circumstance well past the end of this year, and that Alterra, which owns and issues the Ikon Pass, believes the current pass system has worked well for them this season. It’s hard to believe that any of next season will be suspended by COVID after resorts got through the worst spikes this winter without shutting down, but it’s still good to know that purchasers will be able to defer their pass if they want to.
One major change for those in Washington is Crystal’s bump down from unlimited to 5-day access on the Ikon Base Pass. This means those who want unlimited access to Crystal will need to splurge for the full Ikon Pass. We haven’t finished our review of Crystal yet, but in our initial impressions, we noted considerable crowd flow concerns. Perhaps this change will partially address some of the issues.
It’s also worth touching on Ikon’s new payment plan, which allows for lower-balance installments than the old four-payment structure. This could potentially democratize the pass for those without a large amount of disposable income, and such a product could become a cash cow for Alterra (especially with the interest payments on the 12-month installment). However, more pass purchases could also lead to even more crowded resorts than we’re seeing today. It does look like these installment products may only be available through the spring, and it should be interesting to see if Ikon releases their early sales numbers to reflect the success or failure of this strategy.
