Ikon Passes are making their final price jump of the fall before sales close in December. If you’re considering one of the Ikon megapass products, October 8 is the last day to buy at reduced rates before the midnight price increase.
There are three Ikon pass products that will go up an undisclosed amount: the “full” Ikon Pass, the lightly restricted Ikon Base Pass, and 2-, 3-, or 4-day lift ticket packs called Ikon Session Pass. Historically, the fall Ikon Pass price increase has been around $100 for “full” Ikon and Ikon Base Pass.
And this year might be one of the biggest for pow days. Skiers and resorts are banking on a “Super El Niño” winter to bring the winter back strong after a miserably low-snow year for much of the U.S. and Canada that had Ikon trying to entice visitors with $20 food and beverage vouchers midseason.
The Ikon and Epic passes now have ownership or affiliation with more than 50% of U.S. ski resorts, so one or more of these megapass products is usually in play no matter where you live. Read our comprehensive Epic versus Ikon comparison guide here.
Should You Buy an Ikon Pass?
In some Ikon Pass strongholds in Utah, Colorado, and California, Ikon Pass will be an obvious choice. For example, if you live in Salt Lake City and prefer Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, and/or Deer Valley, some type of Ikon Pass is your ticket. The calculus is more complicated in other areas, such as Colorado’s Front Range, where you have driving-distance access to a range of Ikon, Epic, and independent ski areas.
Even if you’re not considering the “full” Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass season-long products, the Ikon Session Pass can be a nice add-on if you want the flexibility to add 2-4 days at a fixed rate to your ski resort access quiver. At $529, $429, and $329 for the 4-, 3-, and 2-day Session Passes, they aren’t cheap, but you can reach the breakeven point after using then two or three times when compared to walk-up day pass prices.
Keep in mind that not all the ski areas listed for the Ikon Pass are part of the Session Pass. For example, bucket-list destinations Alta, Jackson Hole, and Chamonix aren’t included, so check the full list of Ikon Session Pass included resorts before buying. The Session Passes include several destination resorts, including Big Sky, Niseko (Japan), Valle Nevado (Chile), and Revelstoke (Canada).
