August 4, 2008

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Lift Access Gate System

We hope the off-season for you has been a good one.  Doesn’t seem possible, but the start of the 2008-09 winter season isn’t very far away.  We have been busy preparing for the season with projects large and small.  One of the biggest, and a change all our guests will notice, is a new point of sale (POS) and lift access gate system. 

The POS system is from Resort Technology Partners, Inc., specializing in computer software programs for the ski industry.  Sales for lift tickets and passes, retail, rental and ski/snowboard school will be integrated into one system.  This makes transactions more efficient, especially if you are a regular customer who makes purchases in multiple locations around the mountain.  Thus reducing the amount of time you will spend at a sales point leaving more time on the mountain.

The big news for you as a guest is the addition of radio frequency identification (RFID) lift access system.   When you receive your season pass, Advantage Card or daily lift ticket (lift access media), there will be a RFID tag embedded into the card.  This tag will register with an access gate at each lift.  The gate will automatically swing open to admit an authorized skier or snowboarder into the lift boarding area.  SKIDATA manufactures the access gate system and has several thousand in operation across Europe.  Stevens Pass is one of two resorts implementing this system 2008-09; the other is Aspen, Colorado.

Some of the benefits of this new system for you are:

• Stopping to have someone check your pass or lift ticket is now a thing of the past. No more having to unbundle to get a pass out or have your ticket on the outside of your coat. Your pass or ticket (lift access media) can be kept in your coat pocket – the RFID tag will be read without having to show it to anyone to check it or have it scanned or put into a slot.
• Advantage Card holders will have the option of “backing” their card with a credit card.  By setting up this option you won’t have to stand in a ticket sales line again.  You simply go through the gate and your credit card will be charged automatically the first time you board a lift on the day you are skiing or riding. 
• Your future season pass and Advantage Card renewals after this season can be done completely online in our new Stevens Online Store, allowing you to reuse your existing lift access media card.   No more waiting in line to pick up your pass or card the first day you are on the mountain.
• For daily ticket purchasers once you buy your first daily lift ticket the card you receive can be reloaded for future visits as easy as going on-line.  You can reload this card (lift access media) via our website on Stevens Online Store from wherever you have access to a computer.
• When reloading your ticket online you’ll receive a $3.00 savings off the regular window price - compare.
• Daily lifts tickets purchased online will be good seven days a week.  So if you purchase a ticket thinking you’ll go on a specific day, but turns out you can’t for some reason – don’t worry that ticket can be used another day.  This gives you the flexibility to buy in advance and choose a day that works best in your schedule. No more waiting in long ticket lines on the mountain, you can go directly to the lift!!!

We’re excited to introduce you to this new way of purchasing passes/tickets and accessing our lifts.  Once you have experienced this we’re confident you’ll find it enhances your skiing and riding experience at Stevens Pass. 

Click for additional information and to learn more about RFID at Stevens and what this will mean to you.  Coming soon we will have a page on the website for answers to the most “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ’s). 

Visit us at Ski Bonkers on Labor Day Weekend to get more information about how all this will work and purchase your season pass or Advantage Card.  The Advantage Card will be at a special Ski Bonkers price of $55 plus tax.  This price is good only at Ski Bonkers and isn’t offered anywhere else before or after the event. 

There are a number of other projects we are working on this off-season.  We’ll have another Inside Stevens column dedicated to those in September. 

Looking forward to seeing you on the slopes this winter.  Enjoy the rest of your summer.  Remember it’s never too early to be thinking about snow!

John Gifford
General Manager

Questions and comments can be sent to customerservice@stevenspass.com.