Alterra Offer $17.5m in 23-24 Pass Credits To 19-20 Ikon Pass Holders in Pandemic Settlement
The Alterra Mountain company, the second biggest of the giant North American multi-ski-resort owning groups, has said it will pay out up to $17.5m to settle a class action brought against it on behalf of skiers disgruntled by not being able to use their 2019-20 passes after the start of pandemic lockdowns in March 2020 prevented ski areas from opening.
Alterra will offer discounts of between $10 and $150 on the future purchase of a 2023-24 Ikon Pass for next winter, depending on how many days the 19-20pass holder had skied prior to the march shutdown, with the bigger credit going to those who had used it least.
According to Outside Magazine this potential means a $17.5 million discount being offered on 23-24 season pass sales, with the lawyers involved, who operated on a no-win, no-fee basis, receiving $2.9m. .
“Although we fully stand by the decision to pause operations in the face of unprecedented and unknown health and safety risks, we wanted to move beyond March 2020 and have agreed to a settlement resolution for our valued pass holders who were impacted,” a statement from the Alterra Group explains.
Outside also report that Vail Resorts announced soon after the first lockdown began that it would offer pass holders 20% to 80% of what they spent on the 2019-20 Epic Pass, in a similar discount on the following season’s pass purchase price, costing then $106 million in pass credits. However it is also being pursued in legal cases along similar ground to the Alterra one, but so far with the case failing in the courts. However further cases are yet to be heard.
The Epic and Ikon Passes are season passes and membership discount programmes which ever offer holders access to dozens of ski areas across North America and around the world and numerous other discounts and incentives on all aspects of a ski holiday at resorts owned by or in partnership with the owning grpup.
Alterra operate 16 North American ski destinations including Mammoth, The Palisades, Deer Valley, Sugarbush, Steamboat and Winter Park and it’s Ikon Pass is valid in more than 50 resorts worldwide.
Vail Resorts, which offer the Ikon Pass, own or operate more than 40 ski areas in North America as well as Australia and Switzerland, more than any other company in the world.
