Vail announced today it will useradio frequency technology on its season passes, instead of bar codes, giving skiers an “easy scan” process that lets them keep their pass zipped inside their jacket in the lift lines, much like EZ Pass drivers breeze through toll booths all over America with out having to search for change.“Instead of fumbling to find your season pass in your coat to present at the lift lines next season, our scanners will be able to detect your pass through your jacket which will provide our guests with an easier and more convenient experience,” said Rob Katz, chief executive officer for Vail Resorts.
I'm sure as soon as he said it, he realized a ton of ski bums are going to use this as a way to share season passes. Now you don't even have to buddy up with someone of the same gender.
4 comments:
I imagine they'd still have the guys with scanners, just RFID instead of optical bar code readers. They'd get your picture on their screen.
Yeah, you're right. Vail generally thinks things through. I didn't even consider the photo on the scanner.
Horrors! This will let more Front Range Riffraff onto the slopes of Vail. If anyone gets out of hand Dick Cheney's security detail can give them a smack-down.
I wonder if they'll eventually use it at 'speed points' on the mountain. Ex. Point A has RFID reader, Point B has RFID reader. If you make it from A to B too fast (where slow signs are posted) you get a warning delivered to your email. Too many warnings and you get banned from the mountain for a while.
Clearly the RFID is a good moneysaver even for regular 'day passes'. The prices are coming down enough on this technology that Vail can plunk 25 cents to 50 cents cost on each ticket and save an employee or two at each base lift station. I imagine they won't attract much of a workforce next year with the Epic pass being so dirt cheap.
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