Big Sky Cuts Tram Access From All Ticket and Most Pass Products, Now an Extra Cost Add-On

UPDATE: Big Sky PR has clarified that this season’s Lone Peak boot pack will remain, so regular ticket holders will still be able to access the Lone Peak Tram’s terrain through an approximately 45-60 minute hike. This makes the situation for next season somewhat better, as interested visitors will still be able to access Big Sky’s best terrain after exerting a bit of effort to get there (and on busy days, may make it to the top faster than some guests waiting in the tram line).

Earlier today, Big Sky released their 2021-22 season pass products and announced some access changes for next winter’s ticket and pass holders. Most notably, Lone Peak Tram access will no longer be included on base ticket and pass products, including partner passes such as Ikon and Mountain Collective. Those wishing to ride the tram next season will need to make a day-of purchase at the lift or purchase a Tram Access Pack online. Only Big Sky’s Double Black (10 tram days) and Gold (unlimited tram access) season passes will come with no-add-on tram access. 

While tram access is not yet available for purchase outside of the high-end season passes, the resort suggests visitors can expect to pay $20-$80 per day. Ikon and Mountain Collective holders will be able to set their passes to auto-charge for tram rides. Despite this change, there will be no capacity limit for the tram next season. In addition, the resort says unused tram days will not be refunded.

Our Take

In our review of Big Sky, we noted that the tram was unreliably open with hours-long waits on busy days. Due to these factors, the 15-passenger cable car is hard to practically ride during peak vacation times. It seems that Big Sky is trying to address the latter issue with this access structure change.

The tram provides the only lift-serviced access to the resort’s most unique and challenging terrain. Though the wait can be quite long, we imagine converting tram access to a premium add-on will be a major negative for many people. While the limited access should certainly help keep crowds down on weekends and holidays, we wonder why the resort won’t allow the general public to access this lift with a regular ticket on less busy weekdays.

We’re also curious to see how this change affects ticket prices, as an appropriate cost drop for non-tram tickets could provide enough of a balance to keep some customers happy. But regardless of cost, this change will certainly come as a major annoyance to Ikon and Mountain Collective passholders, many of whom will book trips to Big Sky to visit the tram’s unique terrain only to find out they’ll now have to drop extra money to actually access it. While the tram add-on will be variably priced, we expect many vacationers to face truly absurd prices close to the $80 maximum on peak weekends and holidays. While we imagine the multi-day Tram Access Packs will come with a discount, the tram’s unreliable operating schedule may make these non-refundable products a risky bet.

This is the first time we’ve seen a resort price a specific part of its terrain as a premium add-on (although some resorts offer discounted tickets for beginner-only lifts). But ultimately, it’s a major bummer to throw a bunch of money down for this resort and then find out you can’t access the whole thing. Even if you waited several hours in the tram line in previous years, your ticket gave you the unrestricted access to make that decision. Hopefully, the resort at least uses the extra money they get from these tram tickets to invest in reliability or capacity upgrades for the lift.

Given the unprecedented structure here, we’re still debating how to handle this change in our ratings. We may split Big Sky’s assessment into two reviews: one for tram access, and one without. Without the tram, Big Sky loses at least two points in our Mountain Score, perhaps even more. However, it remains fairly competitive overall.

We’ll keep an eye on this change and see how the resort handles blowback from angry customers.

Considering a trip to Big Sky next season? Check out our comprehensive mountain review here.

Sam Weintraub

Sam Weintraub is the Founder and Ranker-in-Chief of PeakRankings. His relentless pursuit of the latest industry trends takes him to 40-50 ski resorts each winter season—and shapes the articles, news analyses, and videos that bring PeakRankings to life.

When Sam isn't shredding the slopes, he swaps his skis for a bike and loves exploring coffee shops in different cities.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-weintraub/
Previous
Previous

Last Day to Defer 2020-21 Ikon Pass to 2021-22

Next
Next

Okemo Foregoes Spring Skiing Ops, Begins Construction on 2021-22 Lift Projects