Does this appeal to anyone?

smartski wrote:This sounds like a slippery slope to me [pun intended ]

SwingBeep partly got to the point before me. I suspect the lifts are running anyway, for staff etc. You can often see bubbles running an hour or so before they officially open, it's not extra "cost", just extra profit...which is my point about a 'slippery slope'.

Well, bringing the point that the lifts were already running anyway, I guess I can see the "slipperiness"... the charge cannot be seen as covering the costs, but rather as "fee" for a "priviledge" and thus a way to increase their profit.
--But I would still go for it, at least once; especially on a sunny/clear morning after some good fresh snowfall the previous night

Some ski areas in the US have privilege passes that allow the user to use a special lane while queuing for some lifts. Although I naturally feel a little resentment, I also know that squeezing some extra dough out of those passes keeps the cost of my ticket down. No different to a VIP box at a concert or theatre, and similarly, mostly for corporate entertaining.

Trencher wrote:Some ski areas in the US have privilege passes that allow the user to use a special lane while queuing for some lifts. Although I naturally feel a little resentment, I also know that squeezing some extra dough out of those passes keeps the cost of my ticket down. No different to a VIP box at a concert or theatre, and similarly, mostly for corporate entertaining.

Interesting! I don't recall seeing that in the NE/US (at least in the VT and NH resorts where I go). But they do have something else that I have not noticed in Austria: They have the so called "singles" lanes: The people queued in such lanes usually end up getting on a chair faster than if they waited in the "regular" lane, because they let the singles fill the empty chair seats left by people in the "regular" lanes who do not want to split from their partner/group and would rather wait for the "next" chair.

At some ski areas out west you will see a single lane, ski school lane, a privilege pass lane, and a couple of lanes for the rest. It only really comes into play when they are busy and have a person directing traffic. Not only does that person prioritize the lines, but also makes sure the lift is full (especially important with a six pack lift).

Trencher wrote:At some ski areas out west you will see a single lane, ski school lane, a privilege pass lane, and a couple of lanes for the rest. It only really comes into play when they are busy and have a person directing traffic. Not only does that person prioritize the lines, but also makes sure the lift is full (especially important with a six pack lift).

I loathe ski school lanes.
Whilst in ADH the Snapzzz family waited 30 mins for a drag lift while the same kids went up and down the run 4 times by skiing back to the front of the queue.

Snapzzz wrote:

Trencher wrote:At some ski areas out west you will see a single lane, ski school lane, a privilege pass lane, and a couple of lanes for the rest. It only really comes into play when they are busy and have a person directing traffic. Not only does that person prioritize the lines, but also makes sure the lift is full (especially important with a six pack lift).

I loathe ski school lanes.
Whilst in ADH the Snapzzz family waited 30 mins for a drag lift while the same kids went up and down the run 4 times by skiing back to the front of the queue.

ADH has queues !!!!
No one has ever reported that before

Snapzzz wrote:

Trencher wrote:At some ski areas out west you will see a single lane, ski school lane, a privilege pass lane, and a couple of lanes for the rest. It only really comes into play when they are busy and have a person directing traffic. Not only does that person prioritize the lines, but also makes sure the lift is full (especially important with a six pack lift).

I loathe ski school lanes.
Whilst in ADH the Snapzzz family waited 30 mins for a drag lift while the same kids went up and down the run 4 times by skiing back to the front of the queue.

You could sign up for the ski school too to avoid queuing

Snapzzz wrote:

Trencher wrote:At some ski areas out west you will see a single lane, ski school lane, a privilege pass lane, and a couple of lanes for the rest. It only really comes into play when they are busy and have a person directing traffic. Not only does that person prioritize the lines, but also makes sure the lift is full (especially important with a six pack lift).

I loathe ski school lanes.
Whilst in ADH the Snapzzz family waited 30 mins for a drag lift while the same kids went up and down the run 4 times by skiing back to the front of the queue.

Queue?

ADH?

Drag lift?

30 minutes?

Are you sure you weren't just being dim?????