ski co shocked that cheap lift tickets boosts demand

Are you kidding me.  For those of you who didn't read the Aspen times article monday ski co has stopped their $6.50 lift ticket promotion for December 15 (the day Snowmass turns 50) after they sold 12k of the 50 birthday special tickets.  Demand blew them away.  With limited acerage open that early in the season what are they going to do with all the skiers (besides hope they drink expensive beer and eat expensive food).

I was shocked to see Ski Co shocked by the fact that price impacts buyers.  That is basic Econ 101 stuff, or even something learned at the lemonade stand you set up in front of your house.

Ski Co seems to be willing to be very alternative with their marketing campaign (the Aspen way—love, respect, unity and commit).  How about applying some of that thinking to their business practices.  Given the demand for $6.50 lift tickets maybe they should consider a massive price cut for various types of lift tickets.   Ski Co makes money lots of ways,  (food, drink, rentals, ski school, lodging etc).  How important is lift ticket cost as a source of revenue?  They are willing to think outside the box for marketing, however Ski Co is super duper boring and conservative with their business practices.  All the mountains raise lift ticket costs every year.  How boring and predictable.  What would happen if you could ski our 4 mountains for let say $50 a day?  Could Ski Co make enough money from their other revenue streams to offset the loss of revenue from a much lower priced lift ticket?   

Figuring out the ‘right’ ticket price to maximize revenue for Ski Co and for Aspen in general is tricky, but it does seem the Ski Co hasn’t been particularly creative in their thinking.  Given the demand for a basically free ticket for an early season Friday, why not listen to what the market is clearly saying—ticket prices are too high.  Why not try cutting prices and see if having thousands of additional skiers every day isn’t more profitable.  And think of the money saved on the marketing budget.  'Ski for free' kicks the crap out of love, respect, unity and commit.  Ski Co talks like they think outside of the box but they sure don’t walk like it.