Tour operator - Ski pass mark up

When ski operators offer to get you ski pass for your on the bus to the resort,
what sort of mark up do they get?

Michael Chare

It varies. Last couple of times I've skied with Silverski and Ski France
and they both charged face value - i.e. no mark up. Three years ago I paid
First Choice prior to leaving in the UK and later found out that what I
paid for 4 passes would have bought 5!! I suggest that you check the resort
Website and check prices before you leave, that way you'll avoid being
ripped off. I used to know a ski company pretty well and they told be that
as they buy in bulk they normally get a discount so it seems to be that you
should never pay more than face value.

Rob
"Michael Chare" wrote in message
...
When ski operators offer to get you ski pass for your on the bus to the
resort,
what sort of mark up do they get?

Michael Chare

Michael Chare wrote:
When ski operators offer to get you ski pass for your on the bus to the resort,
what sort of mark up do they get?

The profit a T.O. makes varies from resort to resort and also depends on
their sales, big T.O.s make more profit on lift passes. It is around 5
to 15% depending on the ski resort.

You still pay the list price. Beware that you can get discounts on your
lift passes for a variety of reasons and the TO may, or may not, be able
to pass these on to you.

A lot of resorts will deliver LPs to your accomodation if you book in
advance so the T.O. may not be offering a great service, especially if
lift passes are delivered at 10.30 am on Sunday morning.

Michael Chare wrote:
When ski operators offer to get you ski pass for your on the bus to the resort,
what sort of mark up do they get?

If you're buying on the bus you should still pay the same price as in
the resort. I have never seen a TO charge a mark-up over and above the
over-the-counter price [not saying it doesn't happen, just never seen
it]. Simply ask the rep on the bus and if they say there is a mark up
then don't buy, and if they say there isn't and it turns out there is
then complain bitterly.

The TO still gets a commission of course. The commission the TO gets
varies from resort to resort. I would guess anything from a couple of
percent to maybe 10% depending on volumes but I don't know for sure
(well, I do know a couple but that was a while ago and may no longer be
valid so I'd rather not say). In a sense the lift pass is a forced
purchase for visitors so there is no need for lift companies to offer
much of a comission, they are going to make the sale on way or another,
the rep just makes their easier and reduces queues on a Sunday morning.

Lift companies and tourist offices like to work with Tour Ops - afterall
the likes of Crystal, Inghams etc bring in huge numbers of guests every
week and so the local offices will very rarely sell anything to you that
undercuts the Tour Operators prices - they basicaly have a "public
price" and will stick to that. Depending on the resort the TO will
sometimes pay the public price too and receive a commision a few weeks
or months later (I know one resort holds the commission on account for
the next season where it is used to offset the cost of season passes for
TO staff).

If you buy in the UK when you book a package it's a differenct story.
Firstly you may be buying at a time when the TO doesn't know the exact
price, so they will err on the side of caution. Also, you are probably
paying in your home currency so there'll be the exchange rate to worry
about. The TO may well protect themselves from exchange rate changes by
buying foreign currency upfront - this requires losing cash in the bank
or a loan and of course they will paass on this cost to you in the form
of mark-up on the lift pass price. If you are lucky with exchange rate
changes you might get passes cheaper this way, but I reckon the odds are
against you.

While we are at it the same rules apply to ski schools, and you (the
guest) can't get out of it, even if you go to a ski school not
recommended by your rep you still pay the public price and the
commission either finds it's way back to your rep or staying in the
pocket of the ski school.

Do it when you are out there - and don't use the TO

A) It's quicker
B) Depending on your circumstances - family / time of year
C) TO's are not up to speed on available discounts

Go to the the main "bureaux" and see what's on offer - quite often a family
lift pass including ski lessons for the children will be a damn site cheaper
then what the TO has on his books....plus time of year i.e Jan could be much
cheaper...

Don't be a mug - if you must go with a TO then use your head!

"Steve Haigh" wrote in message
.. .
Michael Chare wrote:
When ski operators offer to get you ski pass for your on the bus to the
resort,
what sort of mark up do they get?

If you're buying on the bus you should still pay the same price as in
the resort. I have never seen a TO charge a mark-up over and above the
over-the-counter price [not saying it doesn't happen, just never seen
it]. Simply ask the rep on the bus and if they say there is a mark up
then don't buy, and if they say there isn't and it turns out there is
then complain bitterly.

The TO still gets a commission of course. The commission the TO gets
varies from resort to resort. I would guess anything from a couple of
percent to maybe 10% depending on volumes but I don't know for sure
(well, I do know a couple but that was a while ago and may no longer be
valid so I'd rather not say). In a sense the lift pass is a forced
purchase for visitors so there is no need for lift companies to offer
much of a comission, they are going to make the sale on way or another,
the rep just makes their easier and reduces queues on a Sunday morning.

Lift companies and tourist offices like to work with Tour Ops - afterall
the likes of Crystal, Inghams etc bring in huge numbers of guests every
week and so the local offices will very rarely sell anything to you that
undercuts the Tour Operators prices - they basicaly have a "public
price" and will stick to that. Depending on the resort the TO will
sometimes pay the public price too and receive a commision a few weeks
or months later (I know one resort holds the commission on account for
the next season where it is used to offset the cost of season passes for
TO staff).

If you buy in the UK when you book a package it's a differenct story.
Firstly you may be buying at a time when the TO doesn't know the exact
price, so they will err on the side of caution. Also, you are probably
paying in your home currency so there'll be the exchange rate to worry
about. The TO may well protect themselves from exchange rate changes by
buying foreign currency upfront - this requires losing cash in the bank
or a loan and of course they will paass on this cost to you in the form
of mark-up on the lift pass price. If you are lucky with exchange rate
changes you might get passes cheaper this way, but I reckon the odds are
against you.

While we are at it the same rules apply to ski schools, and you (the
guest) can't get out of it, even if you go to a ski school not
recommended by your rep you still pay the public price and the
commission either finds it's way back to your rep or staying in the
pocket of the ski school.

Rob White wrote:
It varies. Last couple of times I've skied with Silverski and Ski
France and they both charged face value - i.e. no mark up. Three
years ago I paid First Choice prior to leaving in the UK and later
found out that what I paid for 4 passes would have bought 5!! I
suggest that you check the resort Website and check prices before you
leave, that way you'll avoid being ripped off. I used to know a ski
company pretty well and they told be that as they buy in bulk they
normally get a discount so it seems to be that you should never pay
more than face value.

I'm going as a group and we get 1 pass free if we all buy from the tour
operater. The price we pay them is face value, no doubt they don't pay that
but overall we're better off.

--
James...
http://www.jameshart.co.uk/

"Michael Chare" wrote in message ...
When ski operators offer to get you ski pass for your on the bus to the resort,
what sort of mark up do they get?

Michael Chare

In my experience they charge the same price it would cost you if you
bought it yourself. I would suspect that they get a discount from the
lift operator which they do not pass on but you could not get it
cheaper yourself.

Different operators might have different policies so to be sure look
up what the lift pass should cost (most resorts have it on their
website) and check that the operator is not ripping you off.

Carl

WeatherCam wrote:
Do it when you are out there - and don't use the TO

A) It's quicker
Not always. When I was doing it we usually got the lift passes to the
clients before they got of the coach from the aiport, saving any hassle
that night or the next morning, no queues, no stress for the guests. And
they were the same price as the guest would pay if they bought them at
the kiosk.

B) Depending on your circumstances - family / time of year
C) TO's are not up to speed on available discounts
Not true in my experience. The prices in the resort I worked at varied
week to week (multiple bands for different weeks and even more complex
if a stay covered 2 bands). We always (to the best of my knowledge) got
the price right, and I have never heard of any of my colleagues getting
it wrong either.


Go to the the main "bureaux" and see what's on offer - quite often a family
lift pass including ski lessons for the children will be a damn site cheaper
then what the TO has on his books....plus time of year i.e Jan could be much
cheaper...
Possibly, but figuring out the options is often easier for someone who
works there and buys the passes every week. We were always kept up to
date. If Jan is cheaper then the rep should pass on he discount. If
family discounts are available the rep should offer these. If not then
s/he is not doing his or her job, in which case your comments are valid.


Don't be a mug - if you must go with a TO then use your head!
TOs are out to make money, but contrary to popular opinion most do so by
getting repeat bookings from happy (or at least contented guests). It is
not in their interests to blatantly rip of guests, and the price of lift
tickets is one area where they will be quickly found out.

Well I beg to differ - mind you have only used TO's on a few occasions
mainly because the majority of them were useless.......if you feel the need
to be a "sheep" and can't think for yourself then I suppose they are ideal!



"Steve Haigh" wrote in message
.. .
WeatherCam wrote:
Do it when you are out there - and don't use the TO

A) It's quicker
Not always. When I was doing it we usually got the lift passes to the
clients before they got of the coach from the aiport, saving any hassle
that night or the next morning, no queues, no stress for the guests. And
they were the same price as the guest would pay if they bought them at
the kiosk.

B) Depending on your circumstances - family / time of year
C) TO's are not up to speed on available discounts
Not true in my experience. The prices in the resort I worked at varied
week to week (multiple bands for different weeks and even more complex
if a stay covered 2 bands). We always (to the best of my knowledge) got
the price right, and I have never heard of any of my colleagues getting
it wrong either.


Go to the the main "bureaux" and see what's on offer - quite often a
family
lift pass including ski lessons for the children will be a damn site
cheaper
then what the TO has on his books....plus time of year i.e Jan could be
much
cheaper...
Possibly, but figuring out the options is often easier for someone who
works there and buys the passes every week. We were always kept up to
date. If Jan is cheaper then the rep should pass on he discount. If
family discounts are available the rep should offer these. If not then
s/he is not doing his or her job, in which case your comments are valid.


Don't be a mug - if you must go with a TO then use your head!
TOs are out to make money, but contrary to popular opinion most do so by
getting repeat bookings from happy (or at least contented guests). It is
not in their interests to blatantly rip of guests, and the price of lift
tickets is one area where they will be quickly found out.

WeatherCam wrote:
Well I beg to differ - mind you have only used TO's on a few occasions
mainly because the majority of them were useless.......if you feel the need
to be a "sheep" and can't think for yourself then I suppose they are ideal!

I also avoid TOs now, but I felt I had to correct some of your more
sweeping statements. If you have been ripped off then I sympathise. I'm
not saying it never happens, but most TOs, IMHO are honest in respect of
lift passes and the way the reps work in the resort. Yes, they do make a
commission on just about everything but they very rarely charge a markup
over and above the published prices. To do so is asking for trouble (and
reps get enough greif without inviting more on themselves:-)

The problem I have with TOs is more to do with the general policies of
the companies, things like charging the full cost of a holiday months in
advance, and if not the full cost then a whacking deposit. Fair enough
it they are renting out their own rooms or chalets maybe, but in the
case of hotel bookings the hotels do not demand the money from the TOs
upfront, so why do the punters have to fork over 2 to 3 months in
advance? Did you know that a large proportion of holiday companies
profit comes from cancellations where the traveller loses a deposit or
even the full cost of a holiday? If the company can't resell the room
then they "release" the room and never actually pay out a penny to the
hotel. The worst case for a travel company is if you turn up! Even if
you cancel with 10 minutes notice the company still only owes the hotel
for 1 or perhaps 2 nights stay. With the travel companies consolidating
more and more the negotiating power with hotels is immense, they can
negotiate room rates and room release policies on thier own terms.

And then there is the TO/charter airlines charging for the carriage of
skis... don't get me started on that.

My advice would be to use a TO if you really feel you can't do it
yourself, but in the days of budget airlines (OK, they charge for skis
now too) and Tourist Offices with websites it is so easy to DIY then I
can't see the need for TOs either.