Buy now, ski later: Last chance to get your Ikon Pass before prices increase

With this year's ski season coming to a close, now is a great time to start looking ahead. If you're still recovering from a week at the slopes, purchasing an annual ski pass may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, if you're looking to save money, begin planning for next year and get a few final runs down the slope right now, listen up — you only have a couple of days left before Ikon Pass prices increase on May 5.

Let's take a closer look at why now is the best time to purchase an Ikon Pass — whether you're an existing pass holder or considering it for the first time.

What you get with Ikon Pass

Before hitting the current details, let's review exactly what these passes get you. As an Ikon Pass holder, you'll unlock skiing at more than 40 top resorts across five continents — though the vast majority are right here in North America. This includes popular spots in the Rockies such as Steamboat and Aspen Snowmass in Colorado; Alta and Deer Valley in Utah; and Taos in New Mexico.

East Coast residents are also covered with access to resorts like Stratton, Killington-Pico and even Showshoe Mountain in West Virginia.

A full list of participating resorts is available at this link — though bear in mind that your exact privileges depend on the type of pass you get:

• Ikon Pass: Unlimited skiing or riding at 15 destinations, plus up to seven days at another 28 with no blackout dates.
• Ikon Base Pass: Unlimited skiing or riding at 13 destinations, plus up to five days at another 28 with limited blackout dates
• Ikon Session Pass 4-Day: Four days total at 37 destinations with limited blackout dates

As with last year, both the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass come with Adventure Assurance, including credits in the case of COVID-19 closures and the option to defer the value of an unused pass – no questions asked. And if, after purchasing any pass (including the Ikon Session Pass 4-Day), you decide that you're no longer interested in skiing next winter, you can elect to defer the entire purchase price as a credit toward a 2022 to 2023 pass — as long as you choose to do so by Dec. 9, 2021.

Additionally, Ikon Pass recently announced a new benefit for 2021 and 2022 pass holders: Ikon Pass First Tracks. This new program will give passholders early access to 14 participating North American resorts in the Ikon Pass network, granting you access to fresh powder on one designated morning in January, February and March of 2022. Sound like your kind of party? Read more details about the new program.

And keep in mind that Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders enjoy a variety of on-mountain discounts, including at ski school, on rentals, in retail shops and on lift tickets for friends and family. All told, buying a pass this year comes with a ton of flexibility and even more opportunities to make the most of your ski trips.

Current prices

Now, the good stuff. Everyone's looking to keep money in their pocket these days, and Ikon passes are currently at the lowest prices they'll be for the 2021 to 2022 season — but only through May 5. Rates start at $399 for adults, and renewing pass holders can receive up to $100 in discounts for the season. And if you're buying for the kids, you can unlock savings as well.

Here's a full breakdown of the prices:

As noted above, you can also buy now and save on child passes. Both the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass are offering $100 off on up to two child passes with the purchase of an adult pass. That means a family of four could save $200.

And if these prices cause sticker shock, you also have the ability to enroll in a payment plan. For a limited time, lock in an Ikon Pass for as low as $0 down and 0% APR — you can view complete details on these financing options at this link.

If you want to take advantage of this pricing, make sure to grab your passes before May 5. After that date, prices will increase and you'll be stuck paying more for your family's passes for the 2021 and 2022 season.

Now, it's worth pointing out that these passes aren't just for locals who can hit the mountain whenever they want. Select resorts can charge well over $100 for a single-day lift ticket, making a four-day pass a notable money saver.

Grabbing an Ikon Pass can obviously set you up for a winter full of skiing next year (and at a discounted price if you buy now), but there's a more immediate perk to committing to a purchase today.

Buy now, ski now ... and later

As noted above, buying the Ikon Pass now will ensure a winter's worth of excitement — but many mountains are still open today. And if you order an Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass today, you can squeeze in a final run for this season at a handful of participating resorts such as Mammoth and Squaw Valley, both of which are in California and expect to be open until the end of May.

Even if you can only squeeze in a day or two of skiing, that's still some notable value — plus an entire season's worth of skiing later in 2021.

Just remember that scanning a 2021 to 2022 Ikon Pass for spring skiing will count as using it — thus making it ineligible for deferral. In other words, if you hit the slopes this spring, you're committing to using the pass this winter, with no option to defer to the 2022 and 2023 season.

What to know about skiing right now

If you're considering buying an Ikon Pass today and looking to use it in the weeks to come, it's critical to know what to expect on the mountain. The ongoing impacts from the pandemic have led to notable changes in many resorts' operations — including limited capacity and mask-wearing requirements.

That said, most Ikon Pass destinations are not requiring reservations this season. For those mountains that are, you can reserve your days by easily accessing your Ikon Pass account online and booking in advance.

And (of course) you should refrain from visiting any spot when you're sick or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Your best bet is to review the specific COVID-19 policies and requirements prior to visit so you don't face any surprises upon arrival. You can access updated information on this page.

Bottom line

Ikon passes for the 2021 and 2022 ski season went on sale a couple of weeks ago, and now is a perfect time to buy one. The lowest prices of the year are always in the spring — including discounts for renewals and on the purchase of child passes at the same time as an adult pass. In addition, they'll unlock spring skiing at select resorts in the U.S. and Canada, allowing you to sneak in some final runs before the warm weather arrives permanently.

And if you're still on the fence about making such a big purchase, select passes come with COVID-19 coverage for closures — and you can lock in an Ikon Pass for a limited time for as low as $0 down and 0% APR.

All this means that there's little risk and a lot of upside to purchasing an Ikon Pass today, so make the commitment and begin planning your next trip to the mountain — which may be even closer than you think.

Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor.