Plattekill season pass price

I’m a big Plattekill fan. Great on a powder day, and the kids love the terrain (and I love that they’re less likely to get run over by an out-of-control Joey). So, I thought about getting a pass for next year, thinking they would have a decent early purchase price. Wrong. It’s $599. Only $70 less than Belleayre with their better snowmaking, 60 minutes less driving round trip, and additional 50+ days open. I can’t possibly go for a Platty pass when I figure in the extra gas and wear and tear on my car as well as the tickets for Belleayre I’ll need to buy for the occasional midweek day.

I’m just trying to figure out how their pricing makes economic sense for them. Who purchases their season pass? NYC folks with second homes in Roxbury? Can’t be that many of them. Is the higher price just an incentive to get people to take a job there as a ski instructor?

Why not price their pass more like Magic, another part-time place, which last year had an early season price of $399? At that price, I’d buy a pass not only for myself but my wife as well. As it is, I will look for discount tickets to Plattekill through Price Chopper, etc., and the mountain will probably only end up getting a fraction of that money.

Has Plattekill ever had a significantly lower season pass price? I’m wondering if they did but saw no benefit. If so, I’d argue that things would be different now. More people are looking for tree skiing, which Plattekill has in spades. And Belleayre no longer offers discount prices to people in surrounding communities. There must be a lot of families in the area like myself looking for a place they can afford to ski at.

Curious if anyone thinks Plattekill’s price structure makes sense.

IMHO, it's worth every penny.  

I'm curious how many there are like you who have purchased season passes. Just seems to me like it would be a really small number. As much as I like Plattekill (had another great -- but cold -- day on the hill yesterday with the kids), the numbers just aren't going to work for me next year.

I also wonder what the average season pass holder spends daily at the mountain on food, beer, etc. I don't spend a lot -- maybe $10 a visit -- but that would add up over 20+ days. I suspect others would spend a fair bit more.

If they had a $400 pass for adults and a $99 pass for in-state kids, like Magic Mountain does (I'm using them again as an example because of their similarity to Plattekill), I would spend $800 for passes (which would be $1000 in a few years when both my kids are over 7), and another $200+ on food and drinks.

So, next year that's $1000 they could have had. Instead, I will get a midweek pass at Belleayre and supplement it with discount tickets for weekend days (hopefully at Plattekill). Without crunching any more numbers, I would guess Platekill ends up with $400 of my money.

Maybe my situation is unique, and their pricing strategy works great for the overall market. But, to me, pricing similarly to Belleayre (and Plattekill's junior season pass is actually higher than Belleayre's), just strikes me as very odd.

Why is it odd that they would price similarly to one of their closest competitors?  Plattekill is in the Catskills; that is their market.  If you're skiing mid-week, than Platty isn't an option anyway.  Otherwise, to quote a friend, it's quality vs. quantity.  

I think that Plattekill's strategy is to sell more day passes and less season passes.  Most other mountains sell less day passes and more season passes.  Compare Plattekill's rates to Creek's for a regular adult weekend day pass and an adult full season pass.

Plattekill charges $58 for an adult weekend day pass and $600 for an adult full season pass.

Creek charges $66 for an adult weekend day pass and $350 for an adult full season pass.

Obviously Plattekill is going to sell more day passes than season passes and Creek is going to sell more season passes than day passes.

My two cents:

I'll bet a donut that Plattekill has carefully considered their pricing and the marketplace.

Whenever I see another passholder at Plattekill I ask him/her where they are from.  I'm meeting kids and parents from lower Hudson Valley, some Long Island. North Jersey too.  It's the lowest cost of any of the four Catskill passes, has the lowest number of skier days to break even.  And Plattekill is open 98% of the days when those people can ski.  Those families consider it a good deal, and they spend significant money beyond lift tickets.

Plus Plattekill has been aggressively buying tower guns over the past few seasons.  Laz watches and pounces when he sees value.  But that stuff isn't cheap.

*disclaimer: go Plattekill!

If the strategy works for Platekill's bottom line, great. It just seems that in addition to focusing on Roxbury-area second-home folks, he could also figure out a way to get business from full-time residents of the region, who, unlike those with a lot of money who rent or buy second homes in the area, are not going to pay full-time ski area prices for a part-time mountain.

Our little Plattekill is growing up....  

I hope it doesn't grow up too much...

moguljunkie wrote

If the strategy works for Platekill's bottom line, great. It just seems that in addition to focusing on Roxbury-area second-home folks, he could also figure out a way to get business from full-time residents of the region, who, unlike those with a lot of money who rent or buy second homes in the area, are not going to pay full-time ski area prices for a part-time mountain.

Laszlo deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award for keeping Plattekill going for more than two decades with some major disadvantages (location, better-funded competition, etc.) and you don't accomplish that without examining your pricing strategy with a fine-toothed comb. That said, Moguljunkie has an interesting question on attracting new season-pass audiences and the comparison with Magic (Fri-Sun operations, no real-estate revenues, a small but passionate following of loyalists who avoid nearby ski areas like the plague) seems pretty appropriate.

moguljunkie wrote

If the strategy works for Platekill's bottom line, great. It just seems that in addition to focusing on Roxbury-area second-home folks, he could also figure out a way to get business from full-time residents of the region, who, unlike those with a lot of money who rent or buy second homes in the area, are not going to pay full-time ski area prices for a part-time mountain.

There is a locals pass that is promoted in local papers and through local community organizations and schools. You need to prove local residency, and I'm not totally sure what defines the "local" zone.  I'd say call the mountain (326-3500) or stop by the office.

I see season pass sales as a way to keep a stream of revenue coming in, in what would otherwise be, a relatively low revenue time period.  (Late season-early spring off season).  I would also venture to guess that Plattekill, along with most ski areas get the bulk of their revenues from daily lift ticket sales.  

You're right, JD. I should give Laszlo a lot more credit for his marketing skills. It's really remarkable what he's built. And it's very possible my situation is not representative of that many others, though I do know a few other ski families who would consider Plattekill if the price were right. But maybe attracting these skiers with a lower price wouldn't offset the losses he'd incur from his locked-in season pass base.

And to play devil's advocate with my own Magic comparison, we don't really know who is faring better financially. Magic seems to struggle keeping their lifts in decent shape and I'm not sure how good their snowmaking is (I've only been there on powder days), whereas Plattekill does always seem, bit by bit, to be improving their infrastructure.

Marcski wrote

I see season pass sales as a way to keep a stream of revenue coming in, in what would otherwise be, a relatively low revenue time period.  (Late season-early spring off season).  I would also venture to guess that Plattekill, along with most ski areas get the bulk of their revenues from daily lift ticket sales.

There is a lot of truth to this.

moguljunkie wrote

...Plattekill does always seem, bit by bit, to be improving their infrastructure.

And there is a lot of truth to this.

When people used have guns to sell it's often at the beginning of the off season.

These pics were taken April 25, 2011.  This was Laszlo seeing an opportunity and probably using pass money to jump on it.

Driving his stakebody to the site, inspecting and negotiating the lowest price.





Recognize the setting?

Marcski wrote

I see season pass sales as a way to keep a stream of revenue coming in, in what would otherwise be, a relatively low revenue time period.  (Late season-early spring off season).  I would also venture to guess that Plattekill, along with most ski areas get the bulk of their revenues from daily lift ticket sales.

Agree..
Season Pass holders only count early season... :(

I'd consider a locals pass but I bet it will only be for Ulster County not Greene...

Marcski wrote

I see season pass sales as a way to keep a stream of revenue coming in, in what would otherwise be, a relatively low revenue time period.  (Late season-early spring off season).  I would also venture to guess that Plattekill, along with most ski areas get the bulk of their revenues from daily lift ticket sales.

Bingo. Season passes are a hedge against a bad season. Not to discount MJ's opinion. Perhaps there could be a silver pass or something that wasn't valid holiday periods that sold for a discount?

Skiing on holidays is the whole point of Plattekill...  :)

Skiing is getting awfully expensive, and the recession hasn't changed that, it seems. I guess it's raise prices or die.

moguljunkie wrote

You're right, JD. I should give Laszlo a lot more credit for his marketing skills. It's really remarkable what he's built. And it's very possible my situation is not representative of that many others, though I do know a few other ski families who would consider Plattekill if the price were right. But maybe attracting these skiers with a lower price wouldn't offset the losses he'd incur from his locked-in season pass base.

For the record, I didn't mean to imply that you weren't giving him credit for knowing his business. You represent potential revenue for either Belleayre or Plattekill and I'd certainly be asking that same question if I were in your position!

btw, to put things into perspective, I just put a down payment on the Colorado Super Pass, which gives me Copper, Winter Park, six days at Steamboat, and three days at Crested Butte, for $439. You tell me why I shouldn't spend two months out west (I'm retiring, sort of), instead of somewhere in the East.
I just don't get $400 hotel rooms at Okemo and $2100 season passes at Stowe. I mean, wtf?

Benny Profane wrote

btw, to put things into perspective, I just put a down payment on the Colorado Super Pass, which gives me Copper, Winter Park, six days at Steamboat, and three days at Crested Butte, for $439. You tell me why I shouldn't spend two months out west (I'm retiring, sort of), instead of somewhere in the East.
I just don't get $400 hotel rooms at Okemo and $2100 season passes at Stowe. I mean, wtf?

I need to do this next season...
Killer deal...