Press Release
Safeway Offers Mountain Resort Guests Direct-to-Lift Tickets
PLEASANTON, CA ( April 12, 2006 ) – Pleasanton, Calif. (April 12, 2006) – Skiers and snowboarders at Northern California and Nevada’s premier mountain resorts can now bypass lift ticket lines and head straight to the slopes thanks to a high-tech lift card available for purchase at select Safeway and Vons stores and fuel stations. Guests simply present the ticket cards to lift operators who scan them just like a lift ticket.
“The direct-to-lift card is a hassle free, money-saving option for today’s resort enthusiasts and busy families that leaves skiers and snowboarders with more time to spend having fun on the mountain and extra money in their wallets for merchandise, food and travel,” said Rouzbeh Rotabi, director of business development for Safeway.
Booth Creek’s Northstar-at-Tahoe™ and Sierra-at-Tahoe™ resorts are among the first to offer the program. The Sierra-at-Tahoe™ card can be purchased for $49 at select Safeway stores—a $10 savings off the daily lift ticket price. The pass is valid for a single day and can be used any day of the season. Northstar™ resort guests can also purchase ‘two-out-of-three-day’ direct-to-lift ticket cards available for any day of the 2006 season for $104—a savings of $22.
“The program’s success in the 2006 season demonstrates resort enthusiasts’ strong interest in convenience when it comes to purchasing tickets and other resort essentials,” said Mike Roth, director of customer technology at Booth Creek Ski Holdings, Inc. “We continue to look for ways to offer even greater services to enhance the resort experience.”
During the past year and a half, Resort Technology Partners (RTP) worked with Safeway and Booth Creek to develop the first-of-its-kind ticket card technology.
“The simplicity is really the beauty of this innovation,” said Mark Roebke , RTP’s chief technology officer. “Resort enthusiasts can simply purchase a card while doing their grocery shopping. It’s less expensive, more convenient, and offers a more seamless experience for the resort’s guests.”
Only direct-to-lift ticket cards that are paid for will scan as valid at the resorts lifts, making the passes fraud proof.
Direct-to-lift tickets are available at all Northern California Safeway and Vons stores and fuel stations, except in the Lake Tahoe region. Safeway, Booth Creek and RTP plan to expand the program later this year to other regions, including Washington state. A list of participating Safeway stores is available at http://www.northstarattahoe.com/, http://www.northstarattahoo.com/ or call 1-800-GO-NORTH.
About Safeway
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates 1,775 stores in the United States and Canada and had annual sales of $38.4 billion in 2005. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.
About Booth Creek Resorts
Booth Creek Resorts, established in 1996, owns six resorts across North America , including Northstar-at-Tahoe™ and Sierra-at-Tahoe™ in the Lake Tahoe region of Northern California ; Waterville Valley , Mt. Cranmore Mountain Resort and Loon Mountain™ in New Hampshire ; and the Summit at Snoqualmie near Seattle , Washington . Booth Creek is the fourth largest ski resort owner in the country (http://www.boothcreek.com/).
About Resort Technology Partners (RTP)
RTP is the leading provider of technology solutions for the resort and attractions industries. The company’s products and services are used by some of the largest destination resorts in North America . RTP Distribution Services, the newest service offering from RTP, is a hosted technology platform that automates the process of third-party product distribution. Resort and attraction operators can seamlessly deliver products to a variety of distributors, such as retailers, online travel agencies, and tour operators. This technology reduces the need for direct connections between suppliers and their distributors, allowing suppliers to offer a wide variety of products through a broader group of distribution partners.