More than half of the major ski areas in Switzerland - including popular ones like Zermatt and Verbier - have introduced the so-called ‘dynamic’ ski pass pricing model, instead of fixed price-ones as was the case in the past.
How exactly does this work?
In the ski lift's computer system, the algorithm is mainly influenced by demand and expected weather conditions.
From this and other data — such as ticket sales from previous years, the usual number of skiers, and the hotel occupancy rate in a given resort — the system establishes sales forecasts for each day.
If, for instance, many ski passes have already been sold in a given day, the system automatically increases prices; if sales stagnate, prices are dropped.
This is just another example of how the principle of 'supply and demand' works in practice
What does this mean for skiers?
In reality, this system does not always work in skiers' favour.
According to a report by public broadcaster RTS, "on paper, the discounts look tempting. But not all discounted tickets are equally advantageous, far from it. In reality, our data reveals that the biggest discounts apply to only a very small number of offers. For adults, only 2 to 13 passes per day are available at the lowest price."
Therefore, "the vast majority of discounted passes offer only a few francs off. To get the best prices, there's only one rule: first come, first served," RTS pointed out.
Why, then, is this system in place?
The reason is strategic: ski lifts want a maximum of advance reservations, rather than last-minute ones, because they provide a guaranteed return even before the start of the season.
They can also plan more precisely — for instance, in terms of staff needed for the ski lifts — if their customers book their packages online rather than in person at the counter.
Additionally, "dynamic pricing allows for managing customer flows," Anne-Sophie Fioretto, a professor at the Tourism Institute of the HES-SO Valais told RTS. "If we see that there are peaks in attendance at certain times, we will set higher prices for lift passes to reduce congestion or at least encourage people to come at a different time in order to maintain quality."
READ MORE: Which Swiss Alps ski resorts are the most affordable in 2026?
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