 Poster: A snowHead
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Haggis got me thinking about something that occurred to me years ago... what people would be willing to pay for a lift pass that allowed them to jump to the front of any lift queue?
If conditions were good in Scotland, key lifts were running, but very busy I'd be quite prepared to pay double rate on a good day if it meant no queueing.
anyone else?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TheGeneralist, I don't generally find queues much of a problem.
But I don't ski much in Scotland these days!
What are singles lines for anyway?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 1-05-12 16:23; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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TheGeneralist, pretty sure a few US places do this so maybe worth having a trawl. Maybe somewhere like Vail would be a good start?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And how much would you be willing to be snowballed when you exercised your privilege? Lots of US resorts try to do this in varying formats. Trying to use it first chair on a powder day is the sure test of how well it's received by the majority of the locals (not very).
Not a fan myself - besides being a cheapskate it's also hugely divisive. If you've got cash to flash charter your own A Star or hire a private instructor and jump lines that way.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Don't recall ever seeing a priority pass available at any of the US or CA resorts i've been to, in fact the idea of queue jumping is heavily frowned on - although there are usually singles lines and the ski school bypass line... You can get VIP tickets which will get you access earlier (when safe) though so you can get first tracks.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lift queues are simply not an issue where I ski, so I wouldn't pay anything for one.
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Where's that then uktrailmonster?
| Quote: |
| I'd be quite prepared to pay double rate on a good day if it meant no queueing |
But surely if everyone did it there'd still be a queue 
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I would not ski where there were VIP passes.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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In a fridge 
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| jbob wrote: |
| I would not ski where there were VIP passes. |
So not the Midi or top tickets at GM where arguably prebookings are a VIP system? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Northstar-at-Tahoe has a priority pass system.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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All the Vail resorts I've been to have had the most organised lift queuing systems I've ever seen anyway - queues form at either side of the lift and each side takes it in turns to proceed forward in groups - supposedly of the same number of seats on the chair - although is frequently less. If you want to jump the queue you simply get into the singles lane to fill any empty seats - which has the added advantages of making sure that all the lifts are full to capacity and introducing you to lots of new people to chat with on the lift. Many European resorts could learn a thing or two from how these resorts bring order to what in Europe appears to be the chaos of who has the sharpest elbows and the rudest manners!
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| fatbob wrote: |
| jbob wrote: |
| I would not ski where there were VIP passes. |
So not the Midi or top tickets at GM where arguably prebookings are a VIP system? |
Rubbish, they are VOPs very organised persons. I once had a row with a scgb (my auto spelling corrects this to scab) rep who was pushing in by using the ski school line. Btw I have no problems with ski school lines. The GM top ticket has numerious pushing in options, bookings, guides, ski schools, etc. If all else falls there is always the snow balls.
I did see a couple of snowboarders take off their boards and run through the line on a powder day just as the lift opened, there was a riot.
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You know it makes sense.
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Having experienced the atmosphere of impending bloodshed in the ticket/funicular queue at Cairngorm last Sunday morning, with fights nearly breaking out over minor transgressions in queuing ettiquette, I think I'd be sticking to the standard pass if there was a choice ...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Austria, Italy & France never once stood in a queue I thought was close to long or a problem so I wouldn't pay a dime extra (they're bloody expensive as it is!)
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've never queued for more than 15 minutes for a lift that I can recall. So I wouldn't pay a penny.
Now, if you offered me a pass that guaranteed that I wouldn't have to share a chairlift with kids that aren't my responsibility or snowboarders, then I'd pay a lump for that 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Scampi Dellahanti wrote: |
| All the Vail resorts I've been to have had the most organised lift queuing systems I've ever seen anyway - queues form at either side of the lift and each side takes it in turns to proceed forward in groups - supposedly of the same number of seats on the chair - although is frequently less. If you want to jump the queue you simply get into the singles lane to fill any empty seats - which has the added advantages of making sure that all the lifts are full to capacity and introducing you to lots of new people to chat with on the lift. Many European resorts could learn a thing or two from how these resorts bring order to what in Europe appears to be the chaos of who has the sharpest elbows and the rudest manners! |
Spot on
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Interesting thread and would have been even more interesting for any takers who said they would pay for priority pass- would want to know where they go so could avoid there. Haven't had major problems with queues in places I have gone, although when I do see a queue I change my plan and find somewhere with no queue. Lift pass more than expensive enough as is. Some trouble spots like cable cars to glaciers in les arcs and la plagne, and often put off going to top when I see the queue. Remainder of les arcs trouble free so wouldn't be worth paying extra though. La plagne is a problem but I would have problem paying extra for premium pass only to get onto super-slow chairs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| leedsunited wrote: |
| Scampi Dellahanti wrote: |
| All the Vail resorts I've been to have had the most organised lift queuing systems I've ever seen anyway - queues form at either side of the lift and each side takes it in turns to proceed forward in groups - supposedly of the same number of seats on the chair - although is frequently less. If you want to jump the queue you simply get into the singles lane to fill any empty seats - which has the added advantages of making sure that all the lifts are full to capacity and introducing you to lots of new people to chat with on the lift. Many European resorts could learn a thing or two from how these resorts bring order to what in Europe appears to be the chaos of who has the sharpest elbows and the rudest manners! |
Spot on |
That's pretty much the New Zealand system too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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mountainaddict, Big White Canada. No queues, no problem.
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| Arno wrote: |
| TheGeneralist, pretty sure a few US places do this so maybe worth having a trawl. |
The Singles Lanes .
I cannot imagine a Priority or VIP Pass will get you on the lift any quicker unless you work for the Lift Company !
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VIP lift pass probably not but I might pay a little bit more for a first tracks ticket ie start the day early to get a few quiet turns in before the lifts open at 9-9:30 ish.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Elston wrote: |
| VIP lift pass probably not but I might pay a little bit more for a first tracks ticket ie start the day early to get a few quiet turns in before the lifts open at 9-9:30 ish. |
You can do that anyday, just hike up !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stanton wrote: |
| Elston wrote: |
| VIP lift pass probably not but I might pay a little bit more for a first tracks ticket ie start the day early to get a few quiet turns in before the lifts open at 9-9:30 ish. |
You can do that anyday, just hike up ! |
I wasn't really thinking about Scotland but for places with more vertical. I have only seen this option lake louise in canada. I enjoy a hike but if the lifts are running then I'd rather use the lift and get more skiing. If I only have a couple of weeks holiday a year then I want to make the most of it.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Squaw does a Dawn Patrol, which is an early up option - gives you an extra hour. Terrain open depends on conditions.
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I would boycott any resort that had a priority pass. When skiing we are all equal, or should be.
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You know it makes sense.
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The real problem queue on CairnGorm on Sunday was the ticket office itself (now there's a change I hear people say!). I'd not have a priority pass as such, what I would do is have a priority cash queue for tickets, further the ticket price was £21 on Sat, made it £20 for cash. With pre-printed tickets and a nice round ticket price at least 5 people can be served in the time it takes one person in the current setup (the ticket system is slow, card transactions are very slow due to poor phonelines).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Trysil do an "early ski" pass where twice a week you can get about 2 hours more on the slopes in the morning, but the only slopes open are the black runs in the middle of the piste map.
Not sure I'd bother paying for it, given how much skiing I can actually physically cope with in a day and that the crowds and queues weren't problematic anyway.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Very odd organisation over the weekend at Cairngorm. Both days advertised as opening 'facilities' at 9, train at 9.30. On saturday there was literally a queue of 1 person and I got in it at 8.35 and had a ticket at 8.36. Then got bacon butties (topnotch BTW - someone had just fried loads of bacon and was happy to jam multiple rashers in a bap) then we noticed a funicular went off at 9.10 so we got the 9.25.
On Sunday we had very tired legs and were somewhat hungover but I actually got the tickets at 8.51 so only 15mins later. I had queued for about 20mins by then but - I'm pretty sure the ticket office opened later. Same with the Cas Bar - didn't open until 9, whereas on Saturday I'd already eaten by then. The first funicular went off at 9.20 - 10 mins later than saturday. Considering the numbers standing in queues around the base station on Sunday, this wasn't really that helpful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In 2001 Mr Mogulski and I were the invited to the Freestyle World Championships in Whistler and had VIP passes (GBR Freestyle Committee). We paid for our flights and accommodation but the rest was free. Whenever we came to a queue the liftie would see our VIP passes - the days before handsfree when you had this large laminated ticket round your neck - and we were escorted to the front of the queue. Nobody ever complained but everyone accepted the World Champs were on and there were many VIPs. It was a great week apart from the fact a snowboarder crashed into me on the second last day and broke my left humerus right through just near the shoulder!! I travelled to watch the last day's events on a snowcat.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| fatbob wrote: |
| hire a private instructor and jump lines that way. |
Oh yes, that worked out well for those people in the video you posted on here, who queue jumped in... er... Big White Canada
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'd happily pay to avoid anywhere where such a system was necessary!
Big queues - even if you skip to the front, the skiing's still going to suck.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Slight flaw in the argument here. If the queues for the lifts are huge then that just means the pistes are packed to. You get to the really busy piste quicker?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| hire a private instructor and jump lines that way. |
Seriously... does this really exists? Because until now, I never saw this happening anywhere. And it's right. Why would someone who would hire instructor have right to jump line anyway? Just because he hired instructor? Well bad luck, it's not really my problem that he doesn't know how to ski.
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| primoz wrote: |
| fatbob wrote: |
| hire a private instructor and jump lines that way. |
Seriously... does this really exists? Because until now, I never saw this happening anywhere. And it's right. Why would someone who would hire instructor have right to jump line anyway? Just because he hired instructor? Well bad luck, it's not really my problem that he doesn't know how to ski. |
Inasmuch as most resorts I've been to in Europe have a priority queue for ESF. I'd guess with a private instructor you could take advantage of that.
Depending on the instructor, you could maybe be blunt with him and just have a good day skiing
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primoz, most resorts have a system that allows queue jumping for ski school pupils which includes private lessons, otherwise most of the lesson time could be spent in line.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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spyderjon, Only happened to us once but we misjudged a trip to La Plagne and the place was heaving (we got our weeks wrong). We booked several private lessons as it meant we could skip queues but he also knew plenty of quiet off piste places to head to.
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Every resort i have been to in North America has an early morning lift / masses beating system - its called "Fresh Tracks"
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