Families who were told they could not apply both Whistler Blackcomb’s family discount and credits from last winter’s shortened season to the cost of their 2020-21 season passes will be able be able to combine both rebates, after all.
The resort confirmed it will honour both cost-saving measures after several frustrated customers spoke out about being told “it was one or the other” while attempting to purchase passes for the upcoming ski season. “If I wanted the family discount, then I had to forgo the 2019-20 credits,” explained one customer in a Letter to the Editor sent to Pique earlier this month (one of several the paper received).
Whistler Blackcomb’s longstanding 10 per cent family discount is available for guests purchasing at least one adult season pass in addition to at least one child or youth pass, or any Whistler Kids program passes. All passholders must live at the same address and be directly related in order to be eligible for the discount, while passes must be paid for in full. The offer is not applicable to Spirit Passes, Edge Cards, Parent Passes, Tot Passes or any Epic Pass purchases.
But when “COVID came into play, that kind of changed how we approached the unused days from last season,” said Vail Resorts’ West Coast director of marketing Marc Riddell.
Vail Resorts announced in April that it would offer a credit of 20 to 80 per cent to season passholders to put towards the purchase of a 2020-21 pass, based on the amount of days last winter’s pass was used.
When it came to some guests’ inability to combine the family discount with any available credits, “there was no real policy in place,” explained Riddell.
“Over the course of us figuring out how we're going to approach winter, clearly we have a lot of moving pieces and a lot of pass products, and I think this was just something that, frankly, was overlooked,” he said.
“Obviously when we received feedback from those particular passholders, we took that in and had a discussion about it, and we're coming back to say that Whistler Blackcomb’s 10 per cent family discount can now be combined with the (20)19-20 passholder credits for the WB Unlimited Pass.”
A maximum 80-per-cent credit is available for season passholders who skied no days last winter, moving to 68 per cent for those who skied one day, 56 per cent for two days, and so on. Everyone who skied five days or more is eligible for a 20-per-cent credit. Those credits, however, will expire next Thursday, Sept. 17.
Riddell said any customers who were told they could not combine the family discount with any individualized passholder credits from last season are encouraged to contact the resort. “Once they’ve paid for their pass products, we'll apply the 10 per cent discount,” he said.
As the deadline to use any available credits approaches, Riddell is encouraging any skiers and riders interested in hitting Whistler Blackcomb’s slopes this winter to check out which pass products best suit their needs, and make sure to purchase a pass and apply those credits prior to Sept. 17.
Whistler Blackcomb’s family discount, however, is not available online. Those interested should call 1 (800) 766-0449.
