some complicated choices for people deciding whether to change passes. very significamt that 15YOs count as adults on Epic but not till 18YO on Hero

 

While kids are at school they are still child passes on Aus Epic.

 

Just paid the $49 down for next year's Epic.
Interesting that adults are 13+

 

Epic USA 13+
Epic Australia - Till the end of High school

 

Bought Epic USA bc French connection. Nearly $5000 worth of "free" skiing for the family.

 

But there are student USA epic passes right through uni.

 

So i received an email from Perisher saying that Falls and Hotham are now epic.

However there was an asterix on Hotham only with the caveat of "access to Hotham pending certain approvals". Interesting that falls isn't pending anymore?

 

individuals should probably still read the comparison of conditions/benefits to make sure they are getting the best value

 

How to make a simple process like buying a lift ticket ridiculously complex.

 

At Falls Creek prices that is what? 6 beers? 10 cappuccinos ?
I haven't got the emails yet but I paid in full over 6 months ago due to the credit on my account

 

Yeah but maybe not access to Hotham!

 

Essentially I have to weigh up whether the local Hero benefits (one free friend day pass plus one free hire at Falls) plus Falls retail discounts suit me better than access to Perisher and the other resorts elsewhere.

It’s a no-brainer for Northern hemisphere skiers to convert, and for Falls locals to stay with the Hero Pass for 2019.

The better value is the Epic conversion, IF one also skies elsewhere.

 

Posted this in the other thread. Better here:

So, I think I've got this right...I've paid deposits for Hotham Hero passes for the fam for 2019 season. When these remaining government approvals come through (and I pay the outstanding balances) I'll be offered a conversion to EPIC Australia Passes (at no extra cost??). That bit seems clear enough. So here's where I'm unsure - we want to ski Telluride in Jan 2020. That's not covered on the EPIC Australia Pass but is covered on the higher cost EPIC Pass. My read of the news release is we wont be able to upgrade from EPIC Australia Pass to the EPIC Pass for the SH19 NH19/20 season. But it seems we may be able to buy the full EPIC pass post SH19 season that will cover NH19/20 and SH20. Correct?

Any clarity appreciated!

 

That’s how I read it too.
I’m sticking w Hero for this Oz season.
Then Epic for 19-20 NH and 2020 Oz season which pays for France too.

 

.... It's a T&C clusterfck and how to make the simple task of buying an affordable days skiing at a whim a chore.

Epic, Hero, Epic Oz, mates rates, early bird, Thredbo winter, 365 pass, Epic day pass, Ikon pass, it's a complete and utter mess only an accountant seeking yield and penetration could create.

 

I got a free 5 day pass at Hakuba
nothing else matters

 

And my neighbour got 10 days at Whistler for free Inc free accommodation in her friends condo.

The trick to all these passes is to have lots of friends with condo in the pass covered designations.

Ski house swapping based on pass coverage

 

Correct

 

My underestanding is that the passes run for the season of their home country and the following other hemisphere. So the us based epic starts after our season.

 

So if I want make use of certain benefits in NH 2020 that are only available to full EPIC pass holders I should 1) convert my Australian 2019 season pass to an EPIC Australia ("Local") pass, then 2) upgrade that to a full EPIC pass before the beginning of our SH 2019 winter? Is that how you understand it Currawong?

 

That's my understanding.

But you cant upgrade from Epic Australia pass to full Epic Pass from what I read somewhere..

 

I don't think you can upgrade. I think it's a separate purchase but I'm not 100% sure

 

You can upgrade from Aus Epic to full epic at anytime I think. Just pay the extra. Pretty sure I asked about it mid season but didn’t go ahead as it wasn’t worth it for my high school child.

 

Sure hoping so...thinking they would be happy to take the extra $$...

 

Apparently not happy to take the $$$s...response from the Australian EPIC Team:

"Thank you for contacting the Epic Australia Pass Team. You will have the ability to upgrade from a Hero Pass to an Epic Australia Plus Pass, however this is not option to upgrade to a US Epic Pass sorry."

So Boodwah was on the money - to access US benefits in 2020 that reside on the full (US) Epic Pass but not on the Epic Australia Plus Pass the strategy seems to be - buy a US Epic Pass this year and use as a season's pass at Mt Hotham in the Australian 2020 season.

 

until the hotham lease change is authorised and the sale is finalised, then Hotham won't be on the Epic pass anyway. AFAIK this still hasn't happened.

 

True. Most of us are treating this as a formality. It better be!

 

Yeah you’re right. The upgrade on the Aus pass removes the blackout days and gives unlimited to places like Whistler, removing the 10 day restriction.

 

That quoted para is not grammatically correct is it?

Are they saying you can't go from hero to full epic?

Chicski might be right that you can upgrade from epic to full epic.

 

No as above the Aus upgrade just removes blackouts and days restrictions. Doesn’t give you access to other Epic resorts such as the extra Canadian ones and Europe etc.

 

My understanding is that the US Epic and the australian offerings are quite seperate, as I said above

"My understanding is that the passes run for the season of their home country and the following other hemisphere. So the US based epic starts after our season" and it must be purchased in US$

 

I've just knocked together a quick and dirty comparison of the *access* benefits of each pass. This doesn't capture any discount benefits available at specific resorts for specific passes, because I can't be buggered doing that.

 

I find it surprising that reference to a possible inclusion of Hotham is included in the offer. Those who are specifically interested in the Hotham inclusion going through has 2 options. Purchasing now and taking saving (risk) or holding off until agreement is finalised and coping price increase. It’s a joke how this is being handled. Will be pissed if this falls through as I have finalised my purchase today

 

Hope your on the money with Hotham as I have just purchased 2 tickets today. Combining with my 10 days in Whistler next Jan has made this an amazing deal.

 

As suspected you cant do this....

Shame as I'd like the French days..

Means for 2020 Aussie season I'll get an epic pass for full aussie and USA and Euro benefits

 

From the scuttlebutt I have read elsewhere, if the lessee approval doesn't go through government in time, they may lean on the interoperability of Falls Creek and Hotham lift tix, and process Epic Passes as Falls Creek passes. It remains to be seen, however, and I should have applied Vail's "*" to Hotham.

 

but don't rely on that in your decision making

 

Last I checked the epic oz upgrade wasnt a full epic pass, it just removed the blackout days. The full epic pass includes the canadian rockies and europe as well as some additional US resorts.

 

Yep. I've been tic tacking with them as to whether my conversion / upgrade pathway could be Hotham Hero to Epic Full (skip Epic Australia and Epic Australia Plus). Their answer was an unequivocal "no" - Epic Australia Plus is the maximum benefit card for those converting & upgrading this year.

 

Correct

 

Frustratingly, if you want to move to the full epic pass down the track, you will have to endure at least one overlapping winter season (i.e either a northern or southern winter), since the Aus Epic Pass starts in our winter and runs into the following northern season, while the US pass starts in their winter and runs into the following southern season.

 

Yes it will catch me out in the next year or two.....

 

Just got an email from Falls - $16 (per pass) to upgrade from 2019 Hero Pass to 2019/2020 Epic Australia Pass
While I have no plans at this stage to ski anywhere else at the moment, in sounds cheap enough to do it "just in case"

 

I would change over, but, given that I’m not heading out of Oz am weighing up the single free lift pass and rental for a kid (Hero Pass) plus the slightly more generous retail discount against the Epic benefits, which in my case is mainly Perisher access.