Meet the Ski-Resort Behemoths Accused of Jacking Up Prices

Complaints against ski resorts are raining down on social media, particularly from those who don’t fly private: “Quit gouging on the tickets.” “Fuck Vail.” “You are killing the industry.” “They charge $300 per day for lift tickets to ski on mud.”

It’s a bad time to go skiing on a whim. At Breckenridge resort in the Colorado mountains, a same-day Saturday ticket clocks in at $279. At Beaver Creek, Vail, and Park City, it’s $299 per day—and that’s before parking, rentals, lodging, and food.

Those properties are among 41 owned by the publicly traded behemoth Vail Resorts, the dominant player in North American alpine adventures and a polarizing force among skiers and snowboarders. Together with its closest rival, privately held Alterra Mountain Company, Vail has steadily raised prices on same-day lift tickets in the hopes of pushing skiers to buy season passes.

Read more at The Daily Beast.