2026-27 Season FAQs

General Information

How does this work?
This is a local workforce program. The Chamber Pass Program is only available to businesses/non-profit organizations that meet Aspen Skiing Company’s (ASC) requirements (see Who is eligible? above, and Chamber Qualifications on the ASC Chamber Pass Program page.).

Local chambers work with Aspen Skiing Company to administer the program for eligible local businesses. The Chamber’s role is to verify that the organization meets ASC’s requirements during the pass sales process AND again during the annual audit in January. Once chamber verification is complete, the business/organization may proceed to ASC’s online pass ordering and payment system.

Businesses purchase and manage the passes within their organization, ensuring that discounted passes are being used exclusively by bona fide qualified employees and spouses (per ASC’s definition), and that the program rules are being followed. This is the responsibility of the designated Chamber Pass Program representative who is the single point of contact during the three-step process. This person should be an owner, manager or a key person in an HR or Accounting role.

Once paid, the company receives a voucher tied to each purchased pass. This voucher is later redeemed when it is loaded onto an RFID card Aspen Card.

What products are available to Chamber members?
For the 2026-27 Chamber Pass Program season, ASC is offering four product types:

• Premier Chamber Pass (unlimited access + IKON Base pass + uphill pass + $1000 value in new benefits ) – $2,139 ($1,160 savings per pass)
• Weekday Chamber (Monday-Friday access) – $1,899 ($400 savings per pass)
• Alpine 2-Day Chamber Pass (two days to use per week) – $1,899 ($400 savings per pass)
• New – Chamber Program exclusive | Flex 15 Chamber (15 total days, no blackout dates) – $1,499

When do passes go on sale?
In recent years, the Chamber Passes have gone on sale at the end of June/early July, following the annual Spring Sale for regular (non-chamber) Premier Passes. This is accompanied by an official announcement by Aspen Skiing Company. Details appear in the local press and on the Chamber’s website, once available.

2026-27 Chamber Pass Program passes are on sale as of July 1, 2026. While pass sales continue through the start of the winter season, the best pricing is during the Super Early Discount time period – the first few weeks of pass sales. ASC releases these dates, along with the different pricing and pass products in the official announcement. Most businesses try to purchase Chamber passes during the Super Early Discount timeframe to lock in the lowest prices of the season. For more information on key price dates, visit Chamber Pass Pricing on the ASC Chamber Pass Program page.

Is it possible to obtain season pass insurance?
Yes. ASC offers season pass insurance through Travel Guard. With Travel Guard’s Multi-Event Insurance season passes are nonrefundable for any reason. The plan can help cover the ski pass investment for covered reasons prior to the beginning of the ski season or if other covered unforeseen circumstances arise during the ski season.

The insurance may be purchased by either the business or the individual but must be purchased under the passholder’s name. Call Travel Guard for questions about coverage eligibility 866-690-6859 (refer to plan number 101074 P2). To add pass insurance contact Aspen Skiing Company 877-872-7702.

Are passes purchased directly from the chamber?
No. The chamber’s role is strictly to verify business eligibility. Once approved, the business completes the actual purchase and payment directly through Aspen Skiing Company’s online store (“bStore”). Any payments made to the chamber are either for membership dues (an active membership is required to participate) or the $150 Rush Fee for those who wait until the last minute.

Can an individual employee buy a discounted pass independently?
No. The program is restricted to local businesses and their workforce. Individual passes can only be obtained if the person is a working owner or manager of a qualifying member business. Employees do have the opportunity to upgrade a pass to a higher product at the time the voucher is redeemed, but keep in mind that ultimately the business owns the pass (and the upgrade) if there is a separation.

Three-Step Process

How can a business see if it has an outstanding invoice?
Refer to the details in the pre-verification checklist for more information and instructions.

What is the First Chair (Early Action) Incentive?
To motivate members to act sooner rather than later, the chamber has created the First Chair (Early Action) Incentive. Chamber members who complete their opt-in registration between July 10 – August 14, 2026 are eligible to be in a drawing for a $375 membership credit. One lucky member will win! The 2025-26 winner was Schlumberger Scherer Construction.

Why must an organization opt in every year?
On average, 65% of the Basalt Chamber membership participates in this program. The challenge is that staff does not know which businesses will choose to participate until they complete the opt-in registration.

Will Chamber staff fill out the opt-in registration form for a member?
No. The opt-in form must be completed online by the business’s designated representative. Chamber staff cannot fill out or submit the form on behalf of an organization. Given the substantial financial savings provided by this exclusive benefit, organizations are expected to invest the brief time required to manage their own registration and record-keeping. Chamber staff are available to provide technical support or troubleshooting guidance, but cannot execute the form for a member.

Why is there a $150 Rush Fee during the final week of Super Early Pricing?
The fee accounts for the expedited manual review required to process late submissions before the hard deadline for Super Early Pricing. Participating organizations are given a generous nine-week window to complete the initial opt-in registration prior to the Chamber’s internal deadline of Friday, September 11, 2026 at 5 p.m. Submissions received during the final week require immediate, priority handling by Chamber staff, disrupting regular operations to fast-track the late registration through the database system.

Eligibility & Compliance

Can a business purchase discounted passes for 1099 independent contractors?
No. Only W-2 employees who meet the hourly and residency requirements are eligible. 1099 contractors, consultants, and freelancers do not qualify under a host business, though they may apply independently if they hold their own chamber membership and meet business qualifications.

How does a spouse pass work?
Only spouses of owners, managers, and employees living in the Roaring Fork Valley (as their primary residence) are eligible. The owner, manager, and employee must meet the qualifications above in order for the spouse to qualify. To verify eligibility, spouses must be able to provide one of the following legal documents: Marriage Certificate, Common Law Affidavit or Civil Union Certificate if audited. NOTE: The qualifying W2 employee does not have to get a pass themselves for their spouse to get a pass.

Can non-working owners, friends, contract laborers, and consultant get discounted passes?
No. Per Aspen Skiing Company guidelines, non-working owners, friends, family members, contract laborers, and consultants do not meet the working workforce definitions and are completely ineligible.

Do second homeowners with a business registered elsewhere qualify?
No. The program is explicitly designed for businesses physically located and operating within the Roaring Fork Valley area. It does not extend to businesses operated temporarily by seasonal residents or second homeowners whose primary operations are based outside the region.

Do Short-Term Rentals (LLCs) qualify as a local business?
No. Per Aspen Skiing Company guidelines, short-term rental properties and associated LLCs do not meet the active workforce and baseline employment requirements, rendering them ineligible to participate.

What steps must a business take if an employee with a pass separates from the company?
Chamber passes remain the legal property of the business. If an employee resigns or is terminated, the pass must be revoked. The business must follow these steps immediately:

1. Inform the employee (and spouse, if applicable) that the pass is no longer valid.

2. Confiscate the physical Aspen Card.

3. Contact Aspen Skiing Company at (877) 872-7702 to formally block mountain access for that pass. For Premier Passes, this will also block the associated Ikon Base Pass.

Failure to block separated passes exposes the organization to severe penalties during a non-compliant audit. Once blocked and recovered, the pass may be permanently transferred to another qualified employee for a $50 transfer fee. See Pass Transfers under the Chamber Qualifications section on the ASC Chamber Passes page to learn more.

What happens during an audit?
Selected businesses must provide official documentation (such as payroll summaries, W-2 forms, or legal marriage certificates for spouses) to prove compliance with the residency and hourly requirements. Failure to produce required documents results in severe penalties, including fines and the requirement to upgrade passes to full retail pricing. NOTE: Ignorance does not absolve a business – program qualification information is noted at EACH step of the Chamber Pass Program. Learn more about the Audit.

Vouchers, Changes, and Refunds

What is a voucher?
A “voucher” is a unique 10-digit digital code representing the stored financial value of a season pass, functioning much like a digital gift card. Voucher numbers are delivered to the business representative via a PDF attachment in an official Order Confirmation email from ASC. The representative distributes these codes to qualified staff members, who then input the code online to load the access privileges onto a physical RFID Aspen Card.

CHAMBER PRO TIP | A lot of change can happen in a few months, so it is a best practice to wait to distribute voucher number(s) until the beginning of winter season. This is to ensure that a voucher is only redeemed by the individual pass holder who is a qualified employee, spouse or owner of a Chamber member business. It is also a good idea to wait to redeem because of ASC’s refund policy (below).

Can a pass be transferred to a different employee if someone leaves the company?
Yes, but the administrative process depends entirely on the status of the voucher:

• Unredeemed Vouchers: If the digital code has not yet been loaded onto an RFID card Aspen Card, the representative can simply reassign the code to another qualified employee for the exact same pass product at no cost.
• Redeemed Vouchers: If the code has already been loaded onto an Aspen Card, the representative must contact ASC directly at ASCpass@aspensnowmass.com to request a permanent transfer, which requires a $50 transfer fee (limited to two transfers per pass per season). Once a pass is transferred away from an individual, it can never be transferred back to that same person. If a business needs to revoke a pass from an employee/spouse, the business must first inform the employee/spouse that their pass is no longer valid, confiscate the physical pass and then contact Aspen Skiing Company (877-872-7702) so access for that pass can be blocked. In the case of a Premier Pass, the Ikon Base Pass will also be blocked. Passes that are not blocked expose the business to a noncompliant audit.

Are refunds available for unused passes?
Full refunds are available for unredeemed vouchers returned to ASC by December 11, 2026. Vouchers returned between December 12 and January 29, 2027, are subject to a $200 late fee. No refunds are granted after January 29, 2027, or for vouchers that have already been redeemed for a physical pass.

Support and Troubleshooting

Why did the pass price increase while items were in the shopping cart?
Prices are never locked in until payment is fully processed and received by Aspen Skiing Company. Initiating the initial Chamber opt-in form or leaving items sitting un-purchased in the ASC online cart does not guarantee a specific rate if a pricing deadline passes before checkout is completed and payment is received.

Who should be contacted for assistance?

• For questions regarding chamber dues, invoice status, or eligibility verification: Contact the Basalt Chamber at (970) 927-4031 or email director@basaltchamber.org

• For technical issues with the bStore system, voucher tracking, or refund processing: Contact Aspen Skiing Company at (877) 872-7702 or via email at ASCpass@aspensnowmass.com. This is a shared inbox and will result in a faster response time.