Per a March 24 press release from DiCello Levitt, their law firm, along with Berger Montague PC and Salahi PC, has filed a federal antitrust class action lawsuit against both Vail Resorts, Inc. and Alterra Mountain Company.

According to the press release, the lawsuit is being filed “on behalf of skiers and snowboarders nationwide […] alleging that the two dominant ski resort operators have each unlawfully inflated prices and suppressed competition through anticompetitive bundling practices tied to their multi‑mountain season passes.”

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and the press release on the matter claims that it’s the “first action brought against Vail Resorts and Alterra over these claims, alleging an industry-wide scheme that has driven up the cost of skiing and snowboarding across North America.”

The lawsuit claims that single-day lift tickets have been priced “artificially high” as a means of ‘steering’ more resort guests to purchase season-pass bundles via Epic Pass and Ikon Pass products. The DiCello Levitt press release also states that the two aforementioned companies control “access to nearly every major destination ski resort in North America.” As a result of this control over access, the complaint alleges that consumers are left with few alternatives. The complaint also expresses concern of how this widespread control of access allegedly results in pressure on independent ski areas “to either join one of the two ecosystems or risk being shut out of skier demand altogether.”

“The suit alleges these practices violate federal and state antitrust laws by restraining competition, foreclosing independent ski areas, and forcing consumers to pay supracompetitive prices,” reads the press release.

Per the lawsuit, Vail Resorts owns or operates 42 ski areas with access provided via partnerships to 30 other spots. Meanwhile, Alterra owns or operates 18 ski areas and provides partnership access to 70 additional spots.

“For years, skiers have been told that soaring lift‑ticket prices, reduced choice, and overcrowding are simply the new reality. Our complaint alleges that these outcomes are not the result of healthy competition, but of exclusionary conduct by two companies that dominate access to the most desirable destinations,” said Partner Greg Asciolla, Chair of DiCello Levitt’s Antitrust and Competition Litigation Practice.

While the lawsuit acknowledges that there are close to 800 lift-served ski areas in the United States and Canada, a key part of the legal argument seems to be related to ski areas that are considered “extra-large ski mountains.” There are 31 ski areas in the United States that meet this threshold, 29 of which are included on either the Epic Pass or the Ikon Pass (the two that aren’t are Whitefish and Sugarbowl).

Per the press release, the goal of the lawsuit is seeking damages for those who have purchased lift tickets or season passes, as well as to “restore competition in the ski resort market.”

Four plaintiffs are listed in the lawsuit – three Colorado residents and one hailing from Massachusetts.

The lawsuit also defines the ‘class’ of those in a similar situation as the plaintiffs as “all persons in the United States who purchased a Mega Pass or a Lift Ticket for a ski area that is included on a Mega Pass directly from Defendants at any time from March 23, 2022 until Defendants’ unlawful conduct and its anticompetitive effects cease to persist.”

It’s also worth noting that the lawsuit points out that “plaintiffs do not know the exact number of Class members because such information is presently in the exclusive control of Defendants.” The lawsuit estimates the number of ‘class’ members to be in the millions.

The news of the lawsuit hits as both companies are offering consumers their multi-resort season passes for the 2026-2027 season. The Epic Pass and Epic Local passes are currently priced at $1,089 and $809, respectively, while the Ikon Pass and the Ikon Base Pass are priced at $1,399 and $949. Meanwhile, paying more than $200 a day for a lift ticket at a major resort has become fairly standard, with single-day tickets sometimes costing upwards of $300 at some spots.

In recent years, industry executives have openly pointed to how the season pass products can allow for more stability in terms of revenue compared to single-day lift tickets, thus there’s been a bit of an incentive when it comes to making these season passes more appealing to the consumer.

A big part of why companies that own and operate ski resorts seem to love these season passes is something Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, described as “advanced commitment.” Purchasing a pass in advance can make these companies less susceptible to years when bad snow conditions might disaude people from planning a weekend trip to the slopes – the notably short and dry season of 2025 to 2026 being a perfect example of this.

It’s also worth noting that both Vail Resorts and Alterra offer cheaper products for people not looking to purchase the full season pass, though advanced commitment is still a key component.

Single-day tickets purchased before the season via the Epic Day Pass are priced between $66 and $163. A single day at Colorado’s Keystone, for example, costs $106 if avoiding peak dates. Meanwhile, Alterra offers the Ikon Session Pass, which is priced at $299 for two days at select locations to $500 for four days (blackout dates may apply). In other words, deals do exist that make skiing and snowboarding significantly more affordable at major resorts compared to the standard lift ticket, but again, advanced commitment is key.

Any sort of decision related to this class action lawsuit is likely a long time away. At this time, it’s working its way through the system as Goloja et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc. et al.

Find the press release on this matter here or find the full text of the complaint here.

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