Multi-passes, discount cards and other ways to save on skiing

Updated: Nov 20, 2023

Sep 22, 2022

If you want to ski more than a few times a season in Alberta or BC, it's no secret that multi-day ski passes are the best deal for your money. Many passes also come with perks like hotel savings, discounts on lessons and other savings.

But which among the various Alberta and B.C. ski resort loyalty cards, season passes, mega cards and direct-to-lift apps is best for you?

Here's our breakdown, including season pass deals now on for 2023-24.

How to save on skiing for 2023-24

There are lots of ways to save on the sticker price at the resorts. Here are some simple rules of thumb.

Online pass purchase
Simply buying online, at least 24 hours in advance at most resorts will save you around five to 10 per cent. Good for the fly-by-the-seat of your pants types or single visits without advance planning.

Membership discounts
Members at BCAA and AMA can find some decent deals on ski passes and vacations through the individual websites:

AMA ski pass discounts

BCAA ski pass discounts

Multi-day passes
At some resorts, buying multi-day passes will get you a discount. Doing a multi-day ski trip to a single destination? This could be your ticket. (Read on for links to savings cards.)

Loyalty cards
Individual resort discount cards start shaving the cost of your lift tickets after the second visit. Solid choice if you're sticking to one resort, but you're not quite hitting season pass visitation levels.

Season passes
Once you hit a certain threshold, usually about 10 - 12 days, a season’s pass or mega card is going to be your best bet.

Getting the most out of your ski budget is the objective. The math can be a bit messy but in the end, it all boils down to a few things: how many days you plan to ski/board, how loyal you are to one resort and how much you want to spend.

Photo: Dax Justin

An online lift pass pickup station at Marmot Basin, Jasper.

Summer/fall 2023 UPDATE

Some ski pass savings cards are only sold for a limited time. All cards currently for sale as of November 2023 are labelled below as AVAILABLE but we recommend checking the resort website for the latest update.

Early bird season pass purchase incentives: many 2023-24 season passes to Alberta and BC ski resorts are on sale between now and end of June. If you're planning on buying a season pass for 2023-24 to a ski area in Western Canada, check to see if they are offering an early bird incentive.

Also worth noting is that early season openings sometimes carry early season lift pass pricing. (This is partly to reflect the fact that only a portion of the hill is open.)

The Mega Cards

The big three mega cards—Epic, Ikon and Mountain Collective—are gaining momentum, adding more and more Canadian resorts by the year. If you plan on skiing multiple resorts this winter, you can cash in with these cards. Check the add-ons too: many have discounts on dining and accommodations.

Epic Pass on sale now for 2023-24, until DEC 4

price: ranging from $280 - 600 + gst (USD)
deadline to purchase: Dec 4, 2023
Deal:
Epic is one of the most flexible passes, with various card packages as well as customizable options.

Includes a total of 38 partner resorts across North America and Europe
Get a season pass, multi-day pass or customize a pass for your trip
Resorts include:
Canada: Whistler Blackcomb (unlimited), Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (available with Epic 4-day pass and above: Fernie, Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Nakiska)
US - Rockies/West: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, Park City, Stevens Pass, Kirkwood, Northstar, Heavenly

Mountain Collective on sale now for 2023-24

price: $650 (USD)/adult
deal: Mountain Collective connects you to great ski road trip opportunities across Western Canada and the Western US, with partner resorts that span Alberta, interior BC and the western US.

2 days of skiing per resort (no blackouts) at 25 partner resorts
50% off lift tickets for remainder of the season
special deals on lodging with Collective partners
Resorts include: Lake Louise, Marmot Basin (new for 2022-23!), Panorama, Revelstoke, Sunshine, Sun Peaks, Le Massif de Charlevoix (QC), Alta, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Snowmass, Big Sky, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Sugar Bowl, Sun Valley, Taos

Ikon Pass on sale now for 2023-24

price: starting at $929 (USD)
deal: The "yewww" crew (that's three W's) brings you a customizable slate of destinations and numbers of days. If you're looking to travel internationally for skiing, the Ikon Pass has you covered with locations in Canada, the US, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Includes 47 partner resorts
Unlimited riding with full season pass at 14 resorts
Up to 5 days at 33 destinations
Resorts include: Cypress Mountain, Panorama, Revelstoke, Red Mountain, and SkiBig3 (Lake Louise, Sunshine, Norquay), Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, June Mountain, Winter Park, Eldora, Mammoth, Big Bear, Solitude

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Resort Discount Cards

There are a lot of variations on the resort discount card. Some offer 50 per cent off all season, while others offer free days when you hit certain milestones (e.g. first, fourth, seventh days).

If you’re planning to ski multiple days in a season but maybe not quite hit the threshold to make the season pass worthwhile, these are a great way to save a few bucks. Many offer direct-to-lift options too!

Marmot Basin Escape Card available

Price: $99 + gst / adult
Deal:

50% off all season adult lift tickets (no blackouts)
Up to 50% off adult lift tickets at partner ski areas
Up to 30% off accommodation in Jasper
20% off junior passes (for card owner’s children)

Extra perks: 20% off high performance rentals and ski/board lessons, plus additional discounts buy it here

RCR Rockies Card 2023-24 available

price: $135 + tax / adult
deadline: Dec 24
deal:

3 free days (1st, 4th & 7th visit)
discount days on every other day of the season
valid at Kicking Horse, Fernie, Kimberley and Nakisa

Extra Perks: Check their website for Double Discount Days. buy it here

Banff Sunshine super card available

price: $99 + gst / adult
deal: 3 free days skiing/riding (1, 4 & 7 visit), 50% off * some retrictions apply buy it here

Skiing with family and friends

Norquay Power of 4 Pass available

Price: starting at $1276 + tax
Deal: ski midweek all season with three of your favourite friends.

* Buy the package as a group of four. buy it here

Norquay senior pass available

Price: $298 + tax
Deal: skiers and snowboarders 65+ years ski all season buy it here

Norquay super senior pass available

For any of you still cutting it up at the age of 80 your season pass is a delightful $25! Something to look forward to in your golden years, right? buy it here

Canadian Ski Council passes

grade 4/5 Snowpass

price: $29/ child (available to children in grade 4 or 5)
deal: kids in grade 4/5 ski free (two times at each participating resort)

This is a great way to save on your kids' skiing! Is your little darling in grade 4 or grade 5 this year? Rush over to the SnowPass website, slap down $29.99 and follow your athlete down the slopes of a multitude of resorts across Canada—twice each. buy it here

CSC lift pass savings on adult passes

Adults can also find lift pass savings for themselves via the Canadian Ski Council. The CSC passes are tiered buy price and amount of passes, get details here.

RCR Grade 2 Fun Pass

But wait! There is more! If you have a child in grade two, for a meagre $20 they ski/board unlimited at RCR resorts (including Lake Louise). Buy it here