Alterra Mountain Co.'s 14 North American ski areas won't require pass holders to make reservations for their ski days during the upcoming season.
Alterra instead plans to control capacity by tightly regulating the number of daily lift tickets that will be made available.
"To this end, walk-up window sales will be eliminated, and the sale of most undated lift ticket products will be discontinued until further notice," CEO Rusty Gregory said in a Monday announcement.
The company's plans, which could change depending on how Covid-19 cases track over this year's ski season, contrast with those of Vail Resorts, which is the largest operator of North American ski resorts. Vail announced last month that its 34 mountains would, for the first time, require pass holders to make reservations in order to access the slopes. Vail's Epic Pass and Alterra's Ikon Pass are the two most prominent ski pass products in the North American market.
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Alterra's no-reservation policy won't be taken up uniformly by the 33 ski areas around the globe that are on the Ikon Pass but aren't owned or operated by the Denver-based company. Thus far, eight mountains that are on the Ikon Pass have said they will require reservations for Ikon Pass holders, among them Wyoming's Jackson Hole, Utah's Brighton, Big Sky in Montana, Loon Mountain in New Hampshire, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and New Mexico's Taos.
Potential reservation requirements for five other Ikon-affiliated ski areas, including the four ski mountains in the Aspen area, are pending.
Like Vail, Alterra said that customers at its properties will be required to wear masks. However, the policy won't necessarily apply while skiers and snowboarders are in motion. Face coverings, Alterra said, will be required for all guests and employees throughout destination property where social distancing cannot be maintained.
Alterra also said that capacity restrictions will be in place for retail and dining operations in accordance with local and state guidelines. Each destination will have its own specific plan for ski lift and gondola operations.
Check www.ikonpass.com/en/reservations for the policies, including reservations, of all Ikon Pass mountains.