SkiAvo

Methodology

How we do the math

Plain rules, applied the same way every time. No AI touches a price.

Prices only for the dates they were quoted for

Lift tickets change price by date. A price we read for January 23 is used for January 23 and nothing else. If a date has no verified price, that day's cost is unknown, never zero, and the total is shown as "at least" the known part.

What we compare

Supported passes today: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass and Thredbo Season Pass 2027. For each skier or snowboarder we try day tickets alone and every combination of up to two of these passes, plus any pass you already own. Pass days, single-day tickets and multi-day tickets are chosen together, respecting per-resort limits, shared limits (like Epic Local's 10 days across Vail, Beaver Creek and Whistler), blackout dates, access windows and consecutive-day rules. Within those options the search is exact, and it's checked against brute-force tests on small cases. If a plan is too large to search exactly, we say so and it can't be bought as an exact comparison. Passes and products we don't list aren't compared.

When we name a winner

We show the lowest verified cost among these supported options. If an option we couldn't price might be cheaper (missing ticket price, pass price for that age not collected, unverified access), we say the result isn't conclusive. Options within 3% are flagged as a near tie.

Ages

We ask for birth month and year, nothing more. If a birthday falls in the month an age band changes, we say the band is uncertain instead of guessing.

Currencies

Every price keeps its own currency. To compare, we convert with one European Central Bank snapshot and show the rate and date. Missing or expired rates stop the comparison. You pay for passes and tickets in the seller's currency; regional prices can differ from a straight conversion.

Freshness

Every price is a dated observation from an official page or store, not a guarantee: sellers change prices, especially for lift tickets. We show when each was last checked and stop treating it as current after 7 days (dynamic ticket prices), 30 days (published season price lists) or 14 days (pass prices). Always confirm the final price, taxes and fees with the seller.

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