The term "ski season" frequently covers three or four seasons.
There are the times early in the year and near the end of the season when conditions are iffy, skiers are scarce and deals abound.
There are weeks when the crowds are larger; beyond that is peak season, when you'll pay top price for everything from lift tickets to your ride from the airport. To make matters even more complicated, dates for these seasons vary greatly by location.
Try to time your trip to fit with your budget needs. Skiers with flexible schedules make it down the hills with lower tabs.
Here are a few deals advertised on the Internet for the 2008-09 season. Note the expiration dates and other fine-print details carefully.
Please remember that these are only recommendations for starting points in your research, not endorsed travel products.
Colorado and the American West
You could spend the whole winter visiting different Colorado resorts each week and still miss many of the great slopes they offer in the Centennial State. Just considering all the possibilities is mind-numbing.
Crested Butte Vacations has a Friends and Family Fly Free offer: one free airline ticket for every two bought when you book a lodging package for three or more people. The offer is good until April 5, 2009. Airfare, lodging and lift ticket packages start as low as $584 USD. Avon Village near Vail offers one bedroom lodges starting as low as $175/night. Check dates of eligibility carefully. Hotwire.com offers four-star hotels in Vail from $119/night. The best deals are prior to January.
To the north at Jackson Hole Resort in Wyoming, you can ski for free when you book a room at $81 per person/night (quad occupancy). There are some blackout dates around Christmas and mid-February, so check those before booking.
Squaw Valley, California near Lake Tahoe gives children under 12 skiing and snowboarding privileges for just $10/day. College students ski and ride for only $49 Monday-Thursday. In North Lake Tahoe, Hotwire.com offers early season four-star condos from $125/night.
Closer to Los Angeles, Mammoth Mountain offers mid-week deals in January: lift tickets and lodging together in one package from $120 per person, per night on a three-night package or $125 per person, per night on a two-night package. Prices are based on double occupancy and subject to room availability. As of Dec. 18, Horizon Air started regular LAX-Mammoth air service, which continues throughout the winter. The flight reduces a five-hour drive from Los Angeles to a 65-minute flight.
Canada: Quebec or the Rockies
Skiers rave about conditions at Whistler, but they don't always rave about their expenses after returning home. But there are deals if you look for them.
Whistler's Monday Free offer requires booking prior to January 31. Stay a minimum of four nights, including a Monday, and the Monday is free (lodging and lift tickets). The deal could be limited by blackout dates and availability. Allura offers vacation rentals in the surrounding area. They claim it's possible to bypass the expense of an agent by booking rooms and even lift tickets with them. They also offer deals for other Canadian ski areas.
Banff, Alberta is a good base to explore the surrounding national park and do some skiing. The Aspen Lodge offers a four-night package from $389 USD/person double occupancy You get daily breakfast, four nights including taxes and service charges and three lift passes. Valid Jan. 6 - Feb. 1, 2009
Ever arrive at a resort, buy your lift tickets and then discover conditions are lousy? Le Massif in Quebec gives you 45 minutes after purchase to decide whether or not you want to stay. If not, you receive a coupon for a free return.
Another resource is About Canada for Visitors, which offers a list of major ski resort links.
New England/Eastern U.S.
In Vermont, Stratton Mountain offers a full page of deals for a variety of arrival times. Among them are lift/lodging packages starting at $59/person, per night. Joining the Stratton Trailblazers Ski Club offers those older than 50 some additional discounts.
At Killington, skiers who arrive Sunday night and stay five nights have snagged good rates. A five-day ski week starts at $81/night per person during the heart of the season; Early/late season starts at $62/night per person.
Mount Snow, Vermont offers a $99 "FANfare" card that entitles holders to half-off midweek rates outside of holidays and 25 percent off weekend, non-holiday adult one-day tickets throughout the season.
Snowshoe in West Virginia offers a fourth night free between Jan. 2 and March 29. That offer comes at $153/night per person and a free lift ticket on day of arrival.
Don't miss About New England for Visitors and its ski resource list by state (includes New York). You'll also find a frequently updated deals page for New England skiing.
Europe
U.S. skiers who favor European slopes should see better deals in 2009. The U.S. dollar has improved significantly against the euro.
Slovenia might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think skiing and Europe, but some say the sport was invented here. London-based SkiDeals offers some attractive rates (as low as £239) in British pounds for seven nights and half board in Kranjska Gora, a key Slovenian ski resort.
SkiEurope.com offers a series of "SuperSki Week packages" that allow you six nights starting at $749 USD for Andorra, Austria, France, Germany, Italy or Switzerland.
Europe Mountains offers a great planning resource for resorts across the continent. You're likely to see a number of flash-generated last-minute deals here, so skiers with flexible schedules bound for Europe might benefit the most here.
More Information
These links are only a few starting points for your ski deal searches. There are many more out there.
Here are a few additional resources providing general help with ski information:
About Skiing offers a comprehensive directory of U.S. ski sites. You'll also find a great list of tips and strategies for spending your ski money wisely.
About South America for Visitors offers information for those who would like to ski from June to October.
