JHMR targets locals

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Jackson Hole Mountain Resort president Jerry Blann announced the resort’s new pricing policy for the 2010-2011 season, which, he said, “represents a major paradigm shift from the season pass structure of the past.”
The new all-mountain season pass, “The Grand Pass,” is set at $1,255, if bought in August. Blann said that prices represent a 25-percent price reduction from last season. After August, the price of the Grand Pass will be $1,570, a $400 savings over the 2009-10 season price of $1,970.

“We’ve been thinking about this for two years and we think now is the time to do it,” Blann said.

Internal auditing showed 93 percent of season pass buyers were locals – mostly younger, single and wanting flexibility in their ski days.

Blann admitted the resort was somewhat strapped last year as a result of the $31 million outlay for the new tram. “We stood down a little last year,” he said. “But we are ready to step it up this year.”

JHMR improvements
Blann announced $3 million in improvements for the resort. Included is a partnership with Burton that will construct four “Stash Parks” at Campground, Ashley Ridge, Deer Flats and Antelope Flats. Burton founder Jake Burton says the parks are the ultimate in natural environment freestyling, taking advantage of the resort’s natural terrain and wooded areas.

Blann said the parks are currently featured in only two other North American resorts – Killington and Northstar.

Other improvements to JHMR include beefed-up snowmaking capabilities and an additional winch groomer which will allow for steeper aspects of the mountain to be groomed safely. Seven downhill biking trails can now be accessed from the Teewinot Lift and the resort plans to have two miles of moderate hiking trails constructed by the fall.

Youth-friendly pricing
Blann said it was the resort’s intention to hopefully push users toward the season pass and away from the 10- and 20-day passes. Pricing for both the 10- and 20-day passes is slightly higher for the 2010-11 season over last year. A 20-day peak, in-season pass is priced at $1,450, nearly the price of the full season Grand Pass.

Blann also stressed a commitment to the area’s youth. Acknowledging that 98 percent of the mountain’s skiers and boarders tend to be locals, he announced the Junior Grand Pass (ages 6-14) would be set at $149 and the Student Grand Pass (ages 15-18) would be priced at $275. Both prices will be available during August.
Prices jump to $499 and $750, respectively, in-season. Senior Grand Pass (age 65+) pricing is $815/$1,020, August/in-season.

Blann said season pass sales represented 30 percent of ticket revenues for the resort last season and have risen steadily, with the exception of last season when the numbers were flat. JHMR sold about 1,400 all-mountain season passes in 2009-2010. JHW

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JHMR targets locals | Planet JH News Article: General News

Reader Comments
"Blann said it was the resort’s intention to hopefully push users toward the season pass and away from the 10- and 20-day passes." does he not understand that most purchasers of the 10 and 20 day pass work full time? it's not that they have been holding off on buying a full season pass because of the price, it's because they can only ski 10 or 20 days a season. why would i purchase a full seaon pass that i can't use? i bet the new pricing pushes absolutely no one to purchase a full season instead of a 10 or 20 day. please jhmr, stop trying to call a pure business decision anything other than what it is. if looking out for locals played any factor whatsoever in this decision, then why not do the right thing and cut the prices of all season passes? greg
greg...blann stated that most of the 10+20 day passes are sold to "out of town locals"...so those that don't live here year round. maybe 30% to locals...if i remember correctly. over 90% of the all mountain passes are sold to locals...therefore a price drop with that pass seems to help locals the most. randosteve
btw, i saw in the comments section on this website how you can get a 10 day pass at a discount on aug 7th only...check it out. ;) http://www.tetonat.com/2010/07/jhmr-goes-big-for-locals-with-season-pass-pricing/ randosteve
Are you sure the title shouldn't have been JHMR "screws" local working class?? I especially enjoyed where I read somewhere that Blann said that they were increasing the prices on the weekend as well as the 10 and 20 day "moderately" to encourage purchase of a full pass. People who buy a weekend pass usually do so because they WORK during the week and couldn't ski during the week even if they wanted to cause they are WORKING!! There was a $50 increase in this price...no reduction for the LOCALS who are the very ones buying this pass as they are here all year....FULL TIME locals I might add, not part-time locals or second homeowners or whatever they're called. The people who lose out the most, however, are the families who bought weekend passes in the past and were able to get a free child's pass for their kids...not only are they paying more for the adult passes, but they now have to pony up another $150 per kid Deb S.
So the Tram is paid for? Rob M.
I've finally found some comments on the way it really is: once again JHMR screws the working class locals. Most of us work 5 days a week so what good does it do us to purchase the Grand Pass? Seems to be an effort to get the local scum off the mountain on the weekend so the tourists can marvel at the short lift lines and low crowds. While researching 09-10 pass prices (to see how much the weekend warrior has increased)I couldn't believe that the ski mags fell for the marketing ploy and exclaim that Jackson Hole has reduced season pass prices by 25%! I've been around since the "Citizens for Seasons Passes Movement in 1980. Nothing has changed. Can the paper print an article that tells it the way it really is? Lee F.

News

JHMR targets locals

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Reader Comments