HOW TO: Squeeze Every Last Dollar Out Of Your Epic Pass

Epic Pass Details, Benefits, Buddy Passes and more — A powder day at Vail Mountain | Photo Credit: Jackson Lebsack | Cover: Vail Mountain

Maximize Your Epic Pass This Season With The Help Of Ski.com

New for 2021/2022:

Limited Time 20% Discount On All Epic Pass Products
The tentative plan includes no mountain reservations for Epic Pass holders for the 2021/2022 season.

With a bevy of benefits offered by every multi-resort pass on the block, it’s hard to keep track of where you should be saving all that hard-earned money.

So in order to keep your wallet fat, we’re checking out the EPIC PASS and giving you, THE SKI.COM COMMUNITY, an insider’s look as to how you can truly maximize your pass-holder benefits at mountain resorts across the globe.

EPIC PASS VS. IKON PASS | COMPARE & FIND YOUR PERFECT PASS

To begin, not all Epic Passes are created equally. The Epic Pass and its more affordable partner, The Epic Local Pass have different levels of benefits that apply to different mountain resorts at different times, so figuring out which applies to you and when is paramount to taking advantage of your pass.

Unlimited Access, Blackout Dates, And Partner Resorts

Vail Resorts continues to expand its pass offerings to include some of the best skiing destinations via its Epic and Epic Local passes. Obviously, the full Epic Pass has more expansive access when compared to the Epic Local. That said, the Epic Local also offers some amazing destinations, albeit with holiday restrictions. Here’s the general breakdown.

Epic Pass – Access to 37 mountain resorts, 7-day access at 9 North American mountain resorts, limited access to 21 European mountain resorts, and 5 consecutive days at Hakuba Valley mountain resorts as well as Rusutsu and others in Japan.
Epic Local Pass – Access to 26 mountain resorts, limited access at 8 mountain resorts including 10 days at Vail, 2 days at Snowbasin and Sun Valley (*blackout dates apply), and 5 consecutive days at Hakuba Valley mountain resorts as well as Rusustsu in Japan.

Ski.com Services

When you buy an EPIC PASS or EPIC LOCAL PASS through Ski.com, don’t stop there but instead, take advantage of our 65+ Mountain Travel Experts. Our team offers the following services:

Trip-planning + expert travel advice, including multi-resort itineraries Skiing’s largest inventory of lodging options, including discounted rates
Complete ski-vacation packaging, including flights, lodging, ground transportation, activities, and more
Access to a dedicated Mountain Travel Expert if anything goes wrong en route or while in destination.
Detailed confirmation and organized itinerary documents

Ski Resorts on the Epic Pass — Mornings like these make an EPIC PASS worth every penny | Photo: Keystone ©

Buddy Passes + Ski With a Friend

At select resorts, Epic Pass holders can gift 10 buddy tickets to friends and family. The discounts can go as high as 45% off the window ticket price (Epic Pass holder must be present at the time of purchase).

A similar discounted pass, Ski With A Friend (SWAF) tickets are discounted single-day lift tickets whose savings can vary on the resort and dates upon which they are purchased. Discounts up to 30% are currently available.

*Not all resorts include Buddy or SWAF lift tickets.

Epic Mountain Rewards:

At Ski.com, our Mountain Travel Experts want to make sure you don’t leave any of these great rewards on the table. Visit our Epic Pass page for more information on how we can make sure you save time and money while planning your next Epic Pass ski vacation.

20% off Food & Beverage (at participating on-mountain restaurant locations. Alchohol excluded)
20% off Ski School
20 % off Equipment Rentals
20% off participating outfitters, mountain activities, and summer vendors

COVID-19 Policies – 21/22

No Reservations:

Vail Resorts is tentatively planning on removing its reservation system for the 2021/2022 season. You can find more about the announcement here.

Epic Coverage:

Free with the purchase of a 21-22 Epic Pass, pass holders receive “Epic Coverage.” This protection program grants individuals refunds if they miss out on skiing due to COVID-19, personal injury, or job loss.

Pricing, Details, and Blackout Dates

Not doing your homework when it comes to blackout dates is a sure-fire way to put a damper on any ski trip. Always double-check THE BLACKOUT DATES* and make sure your pass is eligible before booking a ski trip.

Epic Pass – $783

ZERO blackout dates
Unlimited, unrestricted skiing at 37 mountain destinations
7 unrestricted days at 9 North American ski areas including Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, Sun Valley, Snowbasin, and Telluride
5 consecutive days at Japan’s Hakuba Valley, Rusutsu
Access to 26 European resorts (learn more here)

Epic Local Pass – $583

Unlimited, unrestricted skiing at 26 mountain destinations
10 Restricted Days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler Blackcomb,
Unlimited skiing with blackout dates* at Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, and Stowe
2 restricted days at Snowbasin and Sun Valley
5 consecutive days at Japan’s Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu
Half price and advanced ticket prices available during blackout dates at participating resorts.