Is it cheaper to buy an Epic or Ikon pass early?

Yes — spring launch pricing is the lowest of the year, and both Epic and Ikon raise prices in steps through fall. Buying at launch versus at the final deadline commonly saves hundreds of dollars per skier, and some pass tiers sell out or are withdrawn before the season starts.

Do Epic and Ikon passes sell out?

Sales end each season — typically in early winter — and certain products and add-ons can sell out or be discontinued earlier. Once sales close, peak-week skiing means buying daily lift tickets, which are date-capped at many resorts and cost far more than a pass amortized over even a few days.

Should our group buy passes before booking the trip?

Lock the trip dates first, then buy passes immediately — in that order, and both as early as possible. The pass decision depends on where the group will actually ski (Epic and Ikon cover different Colorado mountains), which is set by the lodging you can get. JAE arranges passes as part of planning every winter trip.

The Journal · Ski season intel

When do Epic passes go on sale? The price calendar, explained

Q: When do Epic passes go on sale?

Epic passes typically go on sale in early spring for the following winter, at the lowest price of the year. Prices then step up through the summer and fall, and sales for the season typically end in early winter. The exact dates and prices change each season — our current-season guide carries the verified numbers.

By Jess Eymann · Founder, JAE Luxury Travel · September 2026 · Updated each season

Ski passes are one of the only products in luxury travel where the price is purely a function of the calendar: the product never changes, but waiting costs real money. Here's how the Epic and Ikon sales cycle works every year — and why the answer to "when should I buy?" is almost always "the day your dates lock." For this season's verified prices and deadlines, see our Epic vs. Ikon 26/27 guide.

The annual cycle

Early spring — launch. Epic and Ikon passes for the following winter go on sale in the spring at the lowest price of the year, often while the current season is still running. Committed skiers buy for next year before this year's lifts stop spinning.

Summer through fall — the price steps. Both programs raise prices in scheduled steps as the season approaches. Each step is real money per skier, which multiplies fast for a family or group. Some tiers and add-ons are also withdrawn or sell out along the way.

Early winter — sales end. Pass sales for the season typically close in early winter. After that, it's daily lift tickets — date-capped at many resorts during peak weeks, and priced at a level that makes even a short trip's pass math look brilliant in hindsight.

Why this matters more for groups

A hundred-dollar price step is an annoyance for one skier and a four-figure mistake for a multi-family trip. Group trips also decide slowly — that's their nature — which is exactly how they drift past deadlines. The fix is sequencing: lock the week and the lodging first, and buy every skier's pass the same day. Which pass depends on where you'll actually ski — in Colorado, Ikon covers Aspen Snowmass and Steamboat while Epic covers Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone — so the lodging decision genuinely is the pass decision. The comparison lives in the current guide, and the whole booking sequence is in our Aspen timeline.

The advisor shortcut

Pass arrangement is part of planning a JAE winter trip: we track the deadlines for the whole group so nobody pays the late-decision tax, then build the week — the ski-in/ski-out home, instructors, rental delivery, and the table after last chair — around the mountains those passes open. Start at Ski & Snow or go straight to a quote.

Dates locked? Buy the passes today.

Or hand us the whole winter — passes at the current price, the right home, and every reservation in the right order.

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