This article originally appeared on Ski Mag

It’s no secret that skiing is not a pastime for the cheap or the budget conscious. Aside from the equipment, lift tickets, accommodation, lessons and off-piste activities, a passion for this sport is a big investment. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make deals, especially if you’re new to the sport or bringing the family to the slopes.

See also: 9 resorts where beginners can give up their base and enjoy mountain views

We’ve been at this long enough to uncover a few tricks to save some money here and there. From free and discounted lift tickets to hot deals on lessons, here are some amazing ways to keep costs down.

5 ways to save money on the slopes

Going well this season And Next

The Monarch’s Wings Pass, valid for this and next season, has just gone on sale. (Photo: Keri Baschetta)

As a general rule, when the sale of passes ends in December, you’re out of luck if you don’t buy them. But there are some ski areas that not only keep their passes on sale at the end of the season, but add them next season. Monarch Wings Pass is one of them. Monarch is one of those family-friendly ski resorts with a friendly atmosphere and far fewer crowds thanks to its off-piste location in the central Rocky Mountains. Their $659 season pass is valid in the Colorado ski area until the end of the current season, as well as the next ski season, and includes three free days at a long list of partner resorts including Loveland, Copper and Arapahoe Basin.

Resorts that offer a season pass with lessons

Beginners can’t do better than Bogus Basin’s $399 Lesson and Season Pass package. (Photo: courtesy of Bogus Basin)

The ski school is worth what it does these days, these deals are next level. Grab the Loveland 3-Class Pass: You get three full-day group lessons and a season pass for $607 for adults and $567 for kids. (By comparison, a single group lesson at one of the major resorts on the Interstate costs about $250 and doesn’t even include a lift ticket.) What’s more, rental and lunch are also included in the price. Another good example is the Learn and Earn series from Snowbasin, which takes a long-term approach. The three-year program includes three full-day lessons in Years 1 and 2 and one full-day private lesson in Year 3, plus an annual season pass starting at $799. In Idaho, the Bogus Basin Passport Pack might be the best deal of all. For $399, beginner skiers get four lessons, a rental, and a season pass. Register for the spring session and your season ticket will be valid for the 2023-24 season as well.

The story goes on

State Programs for Obtaining Ski Passports for Children

Every ski state has a passport program that gives you access to free or cheap skiing throughout the season. A Vermont passport gives fifth graders three days at 19 resorts, including Okemo. (Photo: Vail Resorts)

If you have kids, enrolling them in the passport programs where you ride the most is easy. Depending on the program, you may not always need to be a resident of that particular state. There are too many to run through here, but most of them are very similar, offering a few days at every ski resort in the state for kids of certain grades. For example, the Colorado Ski Country Passport Program is for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students and gives them four days at 20 different ski resorts for a $59 application fee. You don’t have to live in Colorado to get one. The Vermont Passport is for fifth graders only and offers three free days at 19 resorts for $20. Registration usually opens in October or November for the upcoming ski season.

Airline and airport without skis or cheap promotions

Arrive at or depart Reno-Tahoe Airport and present your boarding pass to receive a discounted ticket to the Rose Mountain Lift.

Various airlines have run lift ticket promotions over the years, but most have since ceased to exist. However, Alaska Air still offers its Fly Alaska, Ski Free program, under which the airline provides a free day of skiing at one of eight partner resorts including Steamboat, RED Mountain, Schweitzer and Marmot Basin when you fly to one of them. its ski slopes. Another flight-related way to get a discounted lift ticket is through the Reno-Tahoe Airport partnership with Mt Rose. Present your boarding pass for the day you arrive or depart from Reno-Tahoe at the ticket office and ski for $69.

Resorts that offer free skiing for older children

The Epic Schoolkids Pass gives elementary school students four free days at five Colorado resorts, including Keystone pictured. (Photo: Vail Resorts)

At most resorts, children can ski for free until they are 4, 5, or 6 years old, but after that they need to buy a season pass or lift ticket. But with the Power Kids Pass, kids up to 12 can ski for free, and parents don’t even have to buy an adult pass to use it. The Power Pass is valid in nine ski areas including Purgatory and Arizona Snowbowl. Epic Schoolkids is a Vail Resorts program for kindergarten through 5th grade that gives them four free days at every Vail-owned resort in their respective region. Colorado, Utah, and British Columbia have Epic Schoolkids programs. Registration opens in the fall and sells out quickly, so stay tuned.

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