Freedom Pass A New Direction in Australia’s Snow Resorts
The Freedom Pass gives committed skiers and boarders a value product. Image:: Perisher
Freedom Pass | Tessa Cook
On Sunday September 4 the Perisher Freedom Pass went on sale; a limited release of 2012 season passes for just $699, $200 paid now and the balance paid upon collection in 2012.
At $699 the Freedom Pass is essentially half the standard 2011 season pass price, for the same value and, more significantly, the Freedom Pass is the first discount product from an Australian ski resort aimed at core enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders.
Perisher’s Freedom Pass “is about delivering greater flexibility to our guests, to encourage greater visitation,” says Perisher’s Sales and Marketing Manager Richard Phillips. It is a carefully considered product, says Phillips, a reflection of the changing market. Freedom Pass holders can also purchase up to five day tickets at a 15 per cent discount, an offer, Phillips says, is to encourage them to bring their friends to the snow.
The Freedom Pass caused quite a stir in the snow community. Skiers and snowboarders posted their responses on facebook with comments such as “great work”, “about time”, and “it’s refreshing to see a great deal”, but just how much of a stir became apparent on Tuesday morning, when Thredbo, the other major NSW snow resort, released a price-matched offer for its 2012 season pass, also at $699 and also for a limited time only and also securable with a $199 deposit.
Season passes for the 2011 season cost around $1449 at the major NSW and Victorian resorts, a price rise in the vicinity of $650 – $700 over the last decade. Now skiers and boarders can purchase their 2012 pass for just $700. And by all accounts the response has been phenomenal.
“The first 24 hours has exceeded expectations,” said Phillips on Monday of the Freedom Pass. At the Australian Interschools Championships, which began Wednesday at Falls Creek, and where it might be said is gathered a strong cohort of Australia’s committed skiing and snowboarding families, talk has apparently been of little else.
“It was a very positive response, news spread very quickly,” said Annie Cook, the mother of a 15 year old ski racer from The Kings School in Sydney who is in Falls Creek this week. “Everyone was immediately interested in buying them and probably already have – there was a slightly panicked feeling that we didn’t know how long it would last.”
Cook has already purchased My Thredbo passes for the family, she says the ‘deposit now, pay the rest later’ concept made the offer especially appealing. “It’s such a different idea,” she says. Having skied in Australia for thirty years she cannot remember something similar being offered before.
As yet, none of the Victorian resorts have indicated their intention to offer a similar deal. Hotham stated on Monday it is still working on its 2012 products and Falls and Buller are in a similar position.
This idea of a value product that aims to attract a greater clientele by being within an affordable price range is undeniably smart, especially in the current climate. One facebook user wrote on Perisher’s facebook page “just in time too, as a bunch of us guys were going to start to boycott Australian winters. Because of price.” The implication here is clear, Perisher may have secured some wavering customers and that, Phillips says, the idea of the Freedom Pass. To secure a commitment from those who are on the fence, who’d like to ride regularly but balk at the season pass price, and then bulk again at the cost of day passes. If a $700 season pass brings them frequently to the resort in 2012 then both the riders and the resort are better off.
Perisher hasn’t yet started discussions about discounting other lift pass products says Phillips, which is of course the next question being asked by the snow community. Will day and multi-day ticket prices rise in 2012? However there are already some good value packages to be found, especially for families looking to visit early and late in the season, the first timer and family market is quite well served when it comes to value deals. Now Australia’s core snow market is also.
Both the Perisher Freedom Pass and the My Thredbo Pass include additional benefits, such as a free day pass in 2011 (Perisher) and upgrades – to include the ski tube in Perisher’s case and to a Platinum Pass in Thredbo’s – are available. Both can be purchased online.
Perisher forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Thredbo forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
