Anna Stonehouse/The Aspen Times
Aspen-area skiers and riders who have complained about the Ikon Pass this season will find themselves in an interesting position next ski season.
Aspen Skiing Co. announced Tuesday that many of its season passes for 2019-20 will include the Ikon Base Pass, which allows unlimited skiing and riding at 12 resorts owned by Alterra Mountain Co. as well as up to five days of skiing or riding at 25 affiliated resorts.
Ikon Pass users had limited access — seven or five days, depending on the type of pass — to the slopes of Aspen Skiing Co.’s four ski areas this season. Many local skiers and riders blamed Ikon users for creating weekend crowding. Now, people who have done the complaining may become part of the perceived problem at other resorts.
“We’ve been talking about reciprocity since the (Ikon) pass came into being,” Jeff Hanle, Aspen Skiing Co.’s vice president of communication, said Tuesday.
It took awhile to figure out how to set up the system with so many players involved, he said.
Aspen Skiing Co. will start selling 2019-20 season passes that are not eligible for the chamber discount starting today. The “super early price” will be offered through May 31.
The premier pass is $1,899 for 2019-20. The double flex is $1,539 and the flex, good for one day per week, is $1,049.
Passes that are eligible for a discount for employees of businesses that belong to a chamber of commerce in the Roaring Fork Valley will go on sale Aug. 12. The prices haven’t been announced yet for those passes. They also will include the Ikon Base Pass.
The scheduled opening days for next season are Nov. 29 at Aspen Mountain and Snowmass and Dec. 7 for Highlands and Buttermilk.
This is a developing story that will be updated.