Vail Resorts stock tanked this week, falling around 6.18% as angry vacationers dealt with hours-long lines to hit the slopes. The waits were caused by a lack of ski patrollers on the mountain, with the company and the local union battling over pay and benefits.
Skiers flocking to Park City, Utah, this holiday season expected pristine slopes and seamless service. Instead, they found themselves trapped in hours-long lift lines, navigating crowded trails, and confronting shuttered terrain.
With ski patrollers on strike, Vail Resorts—the parent company of Park City Mountain—has struggled to maintain operations, prompting backlash from visitors and investors alike. The fallout sent Vail stock tumbling more than 6% this week, with furious vacationers airing grievances across social media and demanding answers.
“Stay away from Park City,” one disgruntled guest posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Mountain is a disaster! Lift lines over 40 minutes and limited terrain. Don’t waste your money here!”
The chaos unfolded during Park City’s busiest week of the year, as some 200 ski patrollers walked off the job to demand better pay and benefits. A union representative told Fortune in a statement that there are typically more than 120 workers scheduled to be on the mountain daily. Despite efforts to mitigate the fallout—including flying in replacement patrollers from other resorts—Vail Resorts has been unable to meet demand. Of the mountain’s 350 runs, fewer than 100 are currently open.
"We are frustrated that Vail Resorts continues to operate with a fraction of the patrol they normally would rather than getting us back on the mountain by offering a fair contract," the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) told Fortune. "From the terrain impacts, long lines, and significant delays the impact on guest experience is palpable."
Mountain traffic jams and angry guests
For high-paying visitors, the disruptions have been more than an inconvenience. Many travelers spend upwards of $20,000 on luxury ski vacations, expecting VIP-level experiences. Instead, guests reported overcrowding and limited terrain, raising concerns about safety and value for money.
“Longest lines ever. No excuse. Operational and managerial fail during the busiest week of the year,” one angry guest posted alongside video and photo of the long lines. “$20,000 vacay with 2-3 hour lines for lifts. At least discount those who bought lift tickets while strike was occurring!”
Vail Resorts has acknowledged guest frustrations but stopped short of offering compensation.
“We are incredibly grateful for our team of highly experienced patrollers from Park City and our other mountain resorts, plus our thousands of other team members, who are working hard each day to deliver the experience and open the terrain we can safely open,” said Deirdra Walsh, COO of Park City Mountain in a statement to Fortune.
Despite these assurances, investors wary of further reputational damage are reconsidering their positions.
Vail Resorts sees shares drop
Vail Resorts' stock performance had been rocky even before the recent strike. Peaking at over $350 in 2021, Vail Resorts now hovers around $170 per share. Over the past few years, the company has faced increasing criticism for overcrowding and rising ticket prices.
During a Halftime Report segment on CNBC, trader Jim Lebenthal mentioned he was on the mountain during the traffic jams and pointed out the stock’s 6% one-day drop earlier this week.
“I’m a little angry at Vail Mountain,” he said, explaining how he was stuck waiting in the lines with “less than 20%” of the mountain’s slopes open.
“The stock's been lousy for quite some years,” he continued. “If you want to run a travel and leisure company, you darn well better give the experience that you are advertising."
As markets closed on Friday, Vail Resorts had recovered from its initial loss of more than 7% earlier in the week—but still sat lower than before the strike started.
Why ski patrollers are on strike
The PCPSPA initiated its strike on Dec. 27, citing unsustainable wages and growing financial pressure. Ski patrollers are calling for a wage increase to $23 per hour, up from the current $21.
"This ULP Strike could have been avoided if Vail Resorts had bargained in good faith during 10 months of negotiations with Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association," a PCPSPA representative said in a statement to Fortune.
"Ski patrollers and mountain safety patrollers work hard every day to keep the mountain operating and ensure guests are safe. We are a crucial piece of the puzzle in making sure guests have a good experience skiing and riding at the resort," the statement continued. "We deserve to be paid adequately for our work and the risk we take on every day that is inherent in this line of work, including but not limited to providing medical care, mitigating avalanche problems, ensuring that guests are skiing safely, and providing rescue to guests when needed."
Vail Resorts says it has increased wages by over 50% in the past four years, with average patrol wages now surpassing $25 an hour. However, union representatives argue that the soaring cost of living in the area has outpaced these increases.
In a letter to Vail Resorts CEO Kirsten Lynch, the ski patrol unions representing multiple mountains owned by the company joined together to call for a better contract. They also condemned the company for “pressuring employees to travel to Park City and to cross a picket line.”
Negotiations have stalled on three key contract items, with the remaining issues including wages, benefits, and the duration of the contract. While mediation efforts resumed this week, tensions remain high. Vail Resorts stated that it is committed to bargaining in good faith and has reached agreements on 24 of the 27 proposals.
The two groups planned to meet on Friday and continue discussions.
