Vail implements penalties for abusing reservation system

Cancelling your res after a few laps does NOT open up a spot for someone else

[ By Kendra Walker ]

If your plan this ski season was to book as many Crested Butte Mountain Resort reservations as possible and just ski when you feel like it, think again. Vail Resorts has implemented criteria for penalizing Epic Pass holders who abuse the reservation system, and has begun tracking and notifying those trying to take advantage.

“In the event a guest repeatedly misses reservations or cancels them last minute, they may lose the privilege to make advance reservations for a period of time,” said Crested Butte Mountain Resort senior communications specialist Will Shoemaker. “This only applies to cases of frequent, repeated violations.”

However, Shoemaker did not disclose any more specifics regarding how many times a pass holder misses or cancels reservations in order to be flagged, or how long the penalty time would be.

Shoemaker noted Vail understands that plans can change, and asks that guests cancel their reservations by 12 a.m. of their planned ski or ride date. “If any guests are feeling sick, we strongly urge them to stay home,” he added.

Since the start of the winter season, there has been some confusion around same-day cancellations. Some folks were under the impression that they could cancel their reservation after they were done skiing for the day, opening up a spot for someone who might want to ski that same afternoon.

Shoemaker clarified that cancelling your reservation when departing the mountain after skiing does not open up a reservation spot for that same day. “In order to safely and effectively manage the number of people on our mountains each day, same-day cancellations are not possible,” he said.

A number of people who had been doing just that—cancelling their reservations after departing the mountain, thinking they were giving their spot to a skier in need—mistakenly received “penalty” emails from Vail last week. At least one local was told that he would not be able to make reservations for the next three weeks, based on how frequently he had been cancelling, even though he had skied all of his reservation days. However, Vail sent out a correction/apology email to him and those in the same situation.

“We apologize for any confusion,” said Shoemaker in an email to the News. “Certain pass holders received the wrong email yesterday morning regarding our no-show/cancellation policy. A correction was emailed to those impacted.”

And while the new reservation system may be difficult to learn for those used to making last-minute ski plans, Shoemaker emphasized that it’s ultimately helping the resort stay open this season.

“Our goal is to safely accommodate everyone who wants to ski and ride at our mountains this season. To make that happen, we need our guests’ help. Guests should only book week-of reservations for days that they plan to use,” he said. “With everyone’s help, we aim to stay open throughout the season and provide safe, enjoyable experiences for our guests.”