April 7, 2020

When purchasing airline tickets to ski passes there is usually an extra “insurance” policy to cover unforeseen circumstances that you may not have an opportunity to use your flight or ski pass. You would not want to suffer a loss of your investment into a ski pass if something were to go amiss; so you read the marking material and decide to purchase a pass insurance. You feel a little more confident that your money was spent wisely purchasing the insurance policy, that is until you file a claim.

Ski pass insurance is offered when purchasing the Ikon Pass a multi resort season pass. These passes cost anywhere from $699 to $999. for 2020-2021 season and prices vary depending on time of year purchased, pre-season prices are lower and as it gets closer to opening day the prices increase.

In this story we are going to examine the Trip Preserver “Ski Pass Preserver” Underwritten by Arch Insurance Company and administered by Red Sky Travel Insurance in relation to a COVID-19 resort closure that made housing “uninhabitable” because it was closed by the government order.

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I purchased a 2019-2020 Ikon Base Pass on March 6, 2019 for $649.00 with a $30.00 renewal discount bringing the price to $619.00. After buying the Ski Pass Preserver Insurance for $37.14 the total bill was $656.14 I took the payment plan so it was not a big chunk all at once. Paying for the insurance it always felt like you were covered.

Each year I purchase a multi-resort pass such as the Ikon (prior to Ikon was MAXX) early so you get the best deal because the longer you wait there is usually significant price increases closer to opening day. Even though I knew at the time I most likely would not use the pass until the following spring it is usually a good enough deal to grab it early since western resorts cost close to $200 per day for window tickets and eastern resorts run around $100 per day or more depending on the resort. At those window rates you could well exceed the cost of a pass on one small trip.

One of my friends has a house near Killington Resort in Vermont and is shared with family so every March we would spend a planned week there and visit Killington and Sugarbush Resorts. That Vermont trip did not happen because of the resorts shutting down due to COVID-19; Killington suspended operations on March 15, 2020 until further notice. In addition to that annual spring trip to Vermont I had a trip booked to Colorado and should be in Summit County as I write this article but instead stuck at home on the east coast due to COVID-19. My Colorado Trip was supposed to be from April 3 to April 10 and would have visited Copper and Winter Park Resorts in Colorado. Copper Mountain and Winter Park suspended operations on March 15, 2020 indefinitely until the COVID-19 crisis resolved.

Knowing both mountains were closed and the season ended prior to using my pass at all for the 2019-2020 season I decided to file a claim on the insurance I purchased at time of sale.

I wrote into Ikon and they said contact Red Sky and a few days later Red Sky stated they would not cover COVID-19 but I could choose to file a claim and provided a link. I went to the website and filed a claim with supporting documentation of lodging dates, flights, government closures, and lodge/housing closures.

Reading the policy I felt that a government closure from COVID-19 a Natural Disaster would be covered as per their advertising. “Uninhabitability of the destination vacation home caused by a natural disaster” The building is uninhabitable because of the government closure due to the COVID-19 virus.

I could see if the conspiracy theorists are right and COVID-19 was made in a chemical weapons laboratory in Wuhan China and somehow escaped maybe it would not be a “natural disaster”. For now scientists say the COVID-19 was or is naturally occurring and skipped over to humans in China naturally. Not to digress we will leave that to someone else to figure out and write about.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued Colorado a Disaster Declaration on March 28, 2020

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Summit County Colorado Ordering Short Term Lodging Closed. I was staying in Summit County where my lodging is.

I filed the claim and a few days letter I received an explanation of benefits denying the claim.

“We have received and reviewed your Season Pass Cancellation claim of your trip for travel dates December 1, 2019 through May 25, 2020. We have determined that we are unable to approve your claim or to provide any benefits under your claim.

There are no benefits under a travel insurance policy for shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders issued as they are not quarantines as defined by the CDC. These orders are intended to reduce harm from the spread of coronavirus in a community. Unlike quarantines, there are many exceptions provided under these orders that permit one to leave their homes for essential activities including but not limited to, seeing a doctor for medical care, grocery shopping, pick up carry out orders from restaurants, to bike or run, so long as social distancing is practiced

Reason Code 59: Shelter-at-place or Stay home order*. There are no benefits under a travel insurance policy for shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders issued as they are not quarantines as defined by the CDC. These orders are intended to reduce harm from the spread of coronavirus in a community. Unlike quarantines, there are many exceptions provided under these orders

Travel insurance is generally misunderstood to insure every circumstance. It does not. It only insures the perils listed in the policy, subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions. While we certainly understand your disappointment at the full denial of this claim, please understand that we must consider each claim and the applicable facts under the terms and conditions of the policy purchased. In closing, it is our position that the benefits issued were calculated correctly. If you have any additional information that you feel would affect our determination, please email it to the following address for review:“

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Where to turn to next?

Since my home state is New Jersey where I purchased the insurance policy I filed a complaint with the State of New Jersey Division of Banking and Insurance, Consumer Protection Services.

This story will be continued but this is where I am in the process of trying to make a claim on an insurance policy.

I know others who have purchased passes with no insurance that just took the loss. Those pass holders are hoping that Ikon would provide them some kind of credit or discount towards next year’s pass. For the souls like myself who purchased insurance thinking you are covered, so far your are not covered according to the insurance company.

How ever this works out either through a state agency like New Jersey who is currently working on legislation to make insurance companies pay for COVID-19 losses or though possible future “class action” lawsuit by some attorneys. You may get something, you may not get something. Time will tell how this all plays out.

As for now I recommend holding off on purchasing any multi-resort passes until this COVID-19 situation is resolved or we get a better idea how next season will go. You could purchase a 2020-2021 and if the season is canceled or cut short again because COVID-19 or another situation you could lose your investment in a pass product even if you have purchase insurance thinking you are safe from a loss.

At the time of the writing of this article I could not find anything on the Ikon web page in regards of any discount or assurance of 20/21 season investment in a multi resort pass.

19/20 IKON BASE PASS 0 DAYS USED THIS SEASON

March 14, 2020, Denver, CO: After careful thought and deliberation of our duty in the face of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, and in what I believe is in the best interest of our guests, employees and local communities, Alterra Mountain Company will suspend operations at our 15 North American ski resorts, starting the morning of Sunday, March 15, until further notice. All lift operations, food and beverage, retail and rental services will be closed until further notice.

Alterra Mountain Company destinations are Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia. (CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures will continue to operate through Tuesday, March 17.)

Each resort will work directly with guests in canceling their visit and will provide refunds to those who have hotel and other bookings during this closure period. We anticipate heavy call volume over the next several days and appreciate guests’ patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this short notice will undoubtedly create. We look forward to welcoming you back to the mountains as circumstances improve.

Rusty Gregory

Chief Executive Officer

Alterra Mountain Company

Ed Note: COVID-19 is serious business, this is not a “snow day” or “extended spring break” from school or work. It is not an excuse to got to the mall, theater, skiing, vacation, parties, etc. Mid-Jersey News follows snow sports since many from the Mid-Jersey region travel to locations such as the Poconos, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Colorado, etc. for recreation. Practice hand washing, hygiene and social separation to prevent the spread of this virus. This is a serious situation and a National Emergency. If everyone participates hopefully we return to normal sooner than later. If you feel that there is a chance you are sick, can become sick or have been exposed, separate yourself from others.

March 14, 2020

EAST RUTHERFORD (BERGEN), NJ– See note from Big Snow at American Dream Mall.

To Our Big SNOW Guests,

Like the rest of the world, we have been closely monitoring the developments and public health recommendations regarding the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) over these past few weeks. The health and safety of our team and guests are of the utmost priority for us. Although there have been no reported cases of coronavirus associated with American Dream or Big SNOW, both management teams agree that it would be in the best interest of safety and public health to make the hard but responsible decision to temporarily close our doors as a preventative measure in the national fight against the further spread of this virus.

Effective Monday March 16, Big SNOW and American Dream will be temporarily closing to all visits through the end of the month. This is a decision we did not take lightly, as we recognize the impact that this business interruption will have on the lives of our team members and our guests. That said, we do feel that it is a necessary decision for the sake of the greater public health. While we plan to stay closed through the end of the month, we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and follow the guidance of our local, state and federal officials, as well as the public health agencies. Any further updates and information on our re-opening dates will be posted on our website and social media channels and communicated to you as they become available.

For any guests who have pre-booked their visits to Big SNOW between the dates of March 16 and March 31, we will be contacting you via email and making arrangements for you to move your visit to any time within the next year. If you have any further questions regarding your purchase or visit to Big SNOW, you may contact us via email at info@bigsnowad.com or by phone at 973-864-6600.

We thank you for your patience, support and understanding as we all work together to do our part in quickly stopping the spread of this global pandemic. Our hearts are with everyone who have been affected either directly or indirectly by the impact of this crisis. We hope to be safely skiing and riding with you again at Big SNOW very soon. In the meantime, we wish you and your families continued health.

Sincerely,

Joe Hession
CEO Big SNOW American Dream

Ed Note: COVID-19 is serious business, this is not a “snow day” or “extended spring break” from school or work. It is not an excuse to got to the mall, theater, skiing, vacation, parties, etc. Mid-Jersey News follows snow sports since many from the Mid-Jersey region travel to locations such as the Poconos, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Colorado, etc. for recreation. Practice hand washing, hygiene and social separation to prevent the spread of this virus. This is a serious situation and a National Emergency. If everyone participates hopefully we return to normal sooner than later. If you feel that there is a chance you are sick, can become sick or have been exposed, separate yourself from others.

Ed Note: COVID-19 is serious business, this is not a “snow day” or “extended spring break” from school or work. It is not an excuse to got to the mall, theater, skiing, vacation, parties, etc. Mid-Jersey News follows snow sports since many from the Mid-Jersey region travel to locations such as the Poconos, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Colorado, etc. for recreation. Practice hand washing, hygiene and separation to prevent the spread of this virus. This is a serious situation and a National Emergency. If everyone participates hopefully we return to normal sooner than later. If you feel that there is a chance you are sick, can become sick or have been exposed, separate yourself from others.

Updated 4 p.m. MT on March 14, 2020)
Update on Vail Resorts Operations from CEO Rob Katz
Resorts will not operate Sunday, March 15 through Sunday, March 22, with future guidance to follow

This has no doubt been an incredibly challenging time. With 37 resorts spread across 15 states and three countries, we – like the rest of the world – have been closely tracking every new development related to coronavirus (COVID-19) and have been in constant contact with local health officials for guidance. Without question, our top priority has been the health and wellbeing of our guests and employees – and to no lesser extent the health and wellbeing of the communities where we operate. We know each decision we make has a broad impact far beyond our operations.

With each of those stakeholders in mind and with the most updated information from local health officials, we have made the difficult decision to suspend the operations of all our North American mountain resorts and retail stores beginning Sunday, March 15, 2020 through Sunday, March 22, 2020 and will use that time to reassess our approach for the rest of the season. Our lodging and property management operations will remain open to service the guests we have on location or those with existing reservations, but we will not be taking new reservations for this upcoming week. Epic Mountain Express, our Colorado shuttle service, will also continue operations to support the travel needs of our guests.  We will be closing our corporate offices and apart from essential personnel, we will be asking other employees to work from home, where possible.  

All our scheduled employees, both seasonal and year-round, will be paid during this upcoming eight-day period, without needing to use any vacation or sick time. Their commitment to our company and guests during this uncertain time has been unwavering and I am personally grateful beyond words. 

This decision provides a pause for the entire ecosystem of our mountain resort communities. It gives everyone the time to assess the situation, respond to ever-changing developments, and evaluate the approach for the rest of season, if we believe it is advisable or feasible to re-open. This was not an easy decision to make, as we deeply considered the impact it will have on our guests, employees, and the people and businesses in our communities. We understand this change may be confusing given our communications of operational changes over the past week, and as late as last night. Please know that this has been a fast-moving, constantly developing situation with new information from our communities coming to us by the day, if not by the hour, and we are trying to react as quickly as we can.  People may also wonder why we are not giving more notice ahead of this closure. We understand the challenges this creates, but our priority is to minimize any additional issues from operating in further uncertainty and to avoid potential crowding. 

We sincerely apologize to guests who are currently at our resorts – and those who were planning to come during this time. We have information on cancellations, refunds and travel credits on our websites. Many things like ski school, lift tickets, equipment rentals, and transportation can be fully refunded, and we have new credit policies in place for our owned and operated lodging properties. Please know that we will get to everyone and appreciate your patience as our most immediate priority must be the health and welfare of our resorts and communities.  I know there are a lot of questions about our season pass products and Epic Day Passes. Those products are non-refundable and not transferable to another season, however, we will be reviewing those policies and providing any updated guidance on that in the coming weeks.  Again, we very much appreciate your patience with this as well. 

We will be providing updated information on the remainder of the season by Friday, March 20, 2020.

These are unprecedented, challenging times for everyone. We will continue to navigate these unchartered waters with our guests, our employees and our communities remaining our highest priority. I am certain that there have been, and will be, moments where we will miss the mark and potentially disappoint. However, rest assured that we will continue to listen to your feedback – and continue to make the best decisions we can for everyone’s wellbeing. 
 

Guest FAQs

SEASON PASS

How does the closure impact my season pass or Epic Day Pass?

To the extent that any of our resorts re-open during the season, your pass will be valid.

Pursuant to the terms of all season pass and Epic Day Pass products, they are non-refundable and non-transferable to another season.  We will be reviewing these policies and providing any updated guidance in the coming weeks.  We appreciate your patience during this unprecedented time.

LIFT TICKETS

May I get a refund on my lift tickets that are pre-purchased and valid for 3/15/20-3/22/20?

Yes pursuant to the terms of Lift TicketsOur teams are currently focused on assisting our guests in resort. Please check back here for more information on how to request your refund. We are working to make this process as easy as possible with an online form. Thank you for your patience.

I have pre-purchased lift tickets for dates after 3/22/20. Can I get a refund?

Yes. Our teams are currently focused on assisting our guests in resort. Please check back here for more information on how to request your refund. We are working to make this process as easy as possible with an online form. Thank you for your patience.

What are my refund options for other mountain products?

We have information on cancellations, refunds and travel credits on our resort websites. Many activities – such as ski school, equipment rentals, and transportation – can be fully refunded. Please check back here for more information on how to request your refund. We are working to make this process as easy as possible with an online form. Thank you for your patience.
 

LODGING

I’m currently staying at a hotel. How long can I stay here?
You can remain at the hotel through the end of your reservation. If you would like to extend your stay or make any revisions to your stay, please talk to your front desk.

What is your rebook and refund policy for lodging?

For lodging owned and operated by Vail Resorts, you can receive a full refund for any bookings made for dates during the resort closure period..

For reservations due to arrive between 3/22/2020-5/31/2020, guests can apply the dollar amount of their deposit to a future stay at the same property for up to 365 days from the date of arrival. You can also rebook the same dates at another resort based on availability and at the applicable rate.

We are waiving cancellation fees for hotel stays through May 31, 2020 for guests traveling from international locations to Vail Resorts destinations.

Cancellation and date change policies through third party lodging and booking partners will vary by property. Guests should reach out to their reserved lodging property or reserved booking source if they need to discuss changes.

Are existing reservations beyond 3/22/20 still valid?

Yes, at this time our lodging properties will remain open.

Can I make reservations beyond 3/22/20 at your properties?

Yes, we will not be taking new reservations for stays between 3/15/20-3/22/20, but we are still taking reservations beyond that time frame.

DINING

Will your village and fine dine restaurants be open?

All on-mountain dining, including quick serve and fine dining, will be closed.  Limited dining will be available in our lodging properties.

RENTAL

Will your rental and retail stores be open?

All Vail Resorts Rental and Retail stores at the resorts will be closed. We will have some limited openings within lodging.

EVENTS

Are resort events cancelled as well?

Check our website, or the event-specific website for all event information. Events at our resorts between 3/15/20-3/22/20 are cancelled.

FUTURE OPERATIONS

What are the chances you will open after 3/22/2020?
We will be providing updated information on the remainder of the season by Friday, March 20, 2020.