KillingtonZone.com

jimmywilson69 wrote:how would the line be any longer than purchasing a regular ticket? you got to window, buy reusable card and load it with ticket. Once you have card you load on line and go right to lift

Evidently the RFID chip that is supposedly in the max pass does not work for direct to lift at Okemo and not every ticket window was equipped to process one of the 5 max pass days so they could give them a working RFID card and the line builds up mightily.

Copper has gone to RFID passes this year. I suspect it won't be long before K goes that route also. The Vail Resorts system works very well. No delay in pulling your pass out as the scanner can read it in your pocket (FAST) and scanner shows your picture. I will the using my Copper RFID 4-pack next month. I'll report back on how that system works.

Copper Mountain's RFID works just fine.
Their access configuration is better suited to that technology (as are Stowe, Blokemo, and others) than Killington.

Multiple lower lift access points are a blessing and a curse. The expense here would back burner scheduled projects.

Take a look around.
K has way bigger needs than RFID.

I’m not sure how RFID solves the issue of full vs not full chairs.... unless you assume the person scanning would be actively organizing full groups of chairs instead of scanning.

Maybe the better immediate solution is to have one scanner and one line organizer and if the single scanner can’t quite keep up than so be it.

I was at Sunday River this past weekend and they still just use the old visual ticket system (fold over sticker style). It seemed as if there was barely anyone checking tickets at all.

RFID is not the silver bullet some make it out to be. Have seen tons of places with RFID not load efficiently. Night skiing at Wachusett this week was a great example. Empty chairs going up while some noobs couldn’t get their group together and oblivious liftys (3 in a shack) watching as many empty chairs go by. The only thing RFID would help is theft of services. I have not been scanned almost every midweek day I have skied K and Pico this season (including over holidays) but have been scanned on the weekend. As far as empty chairs go, chaos can ensue between the RFID gate and the ready line. Just wait til they install it and still have chaos and less CapEx to throw around. as far as ease of use, I have seen lots of people be unable to efficiently use RFID whether it be a poor pocket placement or some technical issue.

I would imagine it would be a net improvement though

With RFID (and detachable lifts), busy lifts can be efficiently managed with 3 active lift attendants. One managing the chair loading/stop button, one managing the RFID gates and one running the “front row” line layout and grouping people into full chairs.

Regardless of RFID or not, zipper/alternating merging lift lines won’t be as efficient as a good “front row” line management solution at getting full chairs.

As I've said before, Killington's archaic scanning 'system [incl. the hardware, software, and personnel required to operate it] sucks. They need to go RFID. With that said, they need to make sure the software is working accurately 'charge' skiers / riderson their Max Passes, Express cards, etc.

For whatever reason, the current system seems to operate sporadically. Last week at one lift my pass wouldn't scan but my friend's did. Later the day at another lift the opposite happened. These 'equipment' problems cause a lot of the issues. On one hand, when it is not real busy, they can't keep up with the chair capacity; folks shouldn't have to be waiting in line when empty chairs are going up to wait for the scanning. The associated frustrations carry on to the scanners themselves who develop an "OK, just go through attitude".

With the current 'system', it is so easy to ski for free, especially with the Express passes [and the Max passes?]. When the mountain is open, all you need to do is get by one lower lift [very easy to do] and you can ski a lot of the mountain without worrying about getting scanned again. This will be worse once the SR chair is put back in allowing 'upper mountain' connectivity without going through the lower lifts.

For one, I am tired of seeing so may peeps ski for free. You can hear them bragging about it in the gondola and working out plans on how to next get their buddy through by 'running interference' for them at the scanners.

So: There's my annual bitch session about this.

Captain Hafski wrote:As I've said before, Killington's archaic scanning 'system [incl. the hardware, software, and personnel required to operate it] sucks. They need to go RFID. With that said, they need to make sure the software is working accurately 'charge' skiers / riderson their Max Passes, Express cards, etc.

For whatever reason, the current system seems to operate sporadically. Last week at one lift my pass wouldn't scan but my friend's did. Later the day at another lift the opposite happened. These 'equipment' problems cause a lot of the issues. On one hand, when it is not real busy, they can't keep up with the chair capacity; folks shouldn't have to be waiting in line when empty chairs are going up to wait for the scanning. The associated frustrations carry on to the scanners themselves who develop an "OK, just go through attitude".

With the current 'system', it is so easy to ski for free, especially with the Express passes [and the Max passes?]. When the mountain is open, all you need to do is get by one lower lift [very easy to do] and you can ski a lot of the mountain without worrying about getting scanned again. This will be worse once the SR chair is put back in allowing 'upper mountain' connectivity without going through the lower lifts.

For one, I am tired of seeing so may peeps ski for free. You can hear them bragging about it in the gondola and working out plans on how to next get their buddy through by 'running interference' for them at the scanners.

So: There's my annual bitch session about this.

Not to mention the number of days I've skied but not gotten scanned. I don't give a crap about day counts but, for those who do, it's a problem.

I agree RFID would help to prevent “theft of services” but not sure it would help with lift line organization.

If they wanted to reduce the number of people who don’t get scanned and thus don’t pay, they could aslo scan at upper mountain lifts (which i have seen them do at Pico sometimes).

I will say that I have noticed if it gets backed up, they tend to let the pass holders and day ticket holders go through without a scan and focus on the max pass and express card holders...

Generally speaking, even before RFID at Okemo, I would say they did a better job at onload organization. I have seen it done well once or twice over the years at ramshead, but not often. It seems to work best if you have the lines staggered and call the groups out to get in the loading line, rather than counting on the merging of people using the alternating method. Killington could easily do a better job, just by managing the process rather than it being a free for all....

Bubba wrote:

Captain Hafski wrote:As I've said before, Killington's archaic scanning 'system [incl. the hardware, software, and personnel required to operate it] sucks. They need to go RFID. With that said, they need to make sure the software is working accurately 'charge' skiers / riderson their Max Passes, Express cards, etc.

For whatever reason, the current system seems to operate sporadically. Last week at one lift my pass wouldn't scan but my friend's did. Later the day at another lift the opposite happened. These 'equipment' problems cause a lot of the issues. On one hand, when it is not real busy, they can't keep up with the chair capacity; folks shouldn't have to be waiting in line when empty chairs are going up to wait for the scanning. The associated frustrations carry on to the scanners themselves who develop an "OK, just go through attitude".

With the current 'system', it is so easy to ski for free, especially with the Express passes [and the Max passes?]. When the mountain is open, all you need to do is get by one lower lift [very easy to do] and you can ski a lot of the mountain without worrying about getting scanned again. This will be worse once the SR chair is put back in allowing 'upper mountain' connectivity without going through the lower lifts.

For one, I am tired of seeing so may peeps ski for free. You can hear them bragging about it in the gondola and working out plans on how to next get their buddy through by 'running interference' for them at the scanners.

So: There's my annual bitch session about this.

Not to mention the number of days I've skied but not gotten scanned. I don't give a crap about day counts but, for those who do, it's a problem.

Those of us who care about our day count, make sure we get scanned at least once.

tyrolean_skier wrote:

Bubba wrote:

Captain Hafski wrote:As I've said before, Killington's archaic scanning 'system [incl. the hardware, software, and personnel required to operate it] sucks. They need to go RFID. With that said, they need to make sure the software is working accurately 'charge' skiers / riderson their Max Passes, Express cards, etc.

For whatever reason, the current system seems to operate sporadically. Last week at one lift my pass wouldn't scan but my friend's did. Later the day at another lift the opposite happened. These 'equipment' problems cause a lot of the issues. On one hand, when it is not real busy, they can't keep up with the chair capacity; folks shouldn't have to be waiting in line when empty chairs are going up to wait for the scanning. The associated frustrations carry on to the scanners themselves who develop an "OK, just go through attitude".

With the current 'system', it is so easy to ski for free, especially with the Express passes [and the Max passes?]. When the mountain is open, all you need to do is get by one lower lift [very easy to do] and you can ski a lot of the mountain without worrying about getting scanned again. This will be worse once the SR chair is put back in allowing 'upper mountain' connectivity without going through the lower lifts.

For one, I am tired of seeing so may peeps ski for free. You can hear them bragging about it in the gondola and working out plans on how to next get their buddy through by 'running interference' for them at the scanners.

So: There's my annual bitch session about this.

Not to mention the number of days I've skied but not gotten scanned. I don't give a crap about day counts but, for those who do, it's a problem.

Those of us who care about our day count, make sure we get scanned at least once.

My point exactly. Should you really have to go looking for someone with a scanner?

Bubba wrote:

tyrolean_skier wrote:

Bubba wrote:

Captain Hafski wrote:As I've said before, Killington's archaic scanning 'system [incl. the hardware, software, and personnel required to operate it] sucks. They need to go RFID. With that said, they need to make sure the software is working accurately 'charge' skiers / riderson their Max Passes, Express cards, etc.

For whatever reason, the current system seems to operate sporadically. Last week at one lift my pass wouldn't scan but my friend's did. Later the day at another lift the opposite happened. These 'equipment' problems cause a lot of the issues. On one hand, when it is not real busy, they can't keep up with the chair capacity; folks shouldn't have to be waiting in line when empty chairs are going up to wait for the scanning. The associated frustrations carry on to the scanners themselves who develop an "OK, just go through attitude".

With the current 'system', it is so easy to ski for free, especially with the Express passes [and the Max passes?]. When the mountain is open, all you need to do is get by one lower lift [very easy to do] and you can ski a lot of the mountain without worrying about getting scanned again. This will be worse once the SR chair is put back in allowing 'upper mountain' connectivity without going through the lower lifts.

For one, I am tired of seeing so may peeps ski for free. You can hear them bragging about it in the gondola and working out plans on how to next get their buddy through by 'running interference' for them at the scanners.

So: There's my annual bitch session about this.

Not to mention the number of days I've skied but not gotten scanned. I don't give a crap about day counts but, for those who do, it's a problem.

Those of us who care about our day count, make sure we get scanned at least once.

My point exactly. Should you really have to go looking for someone with a scanner?

being a pass holder for many years, never tried to avoid scanners and always get scanned. missed me maybe twice the last 2 seasons since i've been full-time and that's when i've gone out late on terrible weather days. sure you could dance around them. guess if you were so minded there are ways to do it, but at the bell, there's usually scanners at the entry lifts. k1 most of the day. there are holes at times during the day at the other lifts. but don't see it as a big deal given the start-up cost and when there are so many other things that need fixing.

Those scanners wreak havoc with you old fahts on pacemakers
.. as indicated, lotsa other things need fixin