Vail Resorts announced Thursday that its new mobile pass and mobile lift ticket technology will be available to guests on a new My Epic app coming in fall 2023.

The technology, which allows your phone to be your ticket to the slopes, is planned to be available for the 2023-24 winter season at Vail Resorts’ U.S. resorts, including Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keyston Resort in Summit County, with availability at Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb to follow in future seasons.

“This innovation reflects our commitment to harnessing technology to improve your experience, making it easier to get you on the mountain faster and then help you have the best day exploring,” said Tim April, chief information officer of Vail Resorts, in a company news release.

The new technology will allow guests to buy their pass or lift ticket online, activate and store it on their phone in the My Epic app, put their phone in their pocket, and get scanned, hands-free, via Bluetooth technology designed for low energy usage. This reduces the need to visit the ticket window or wait to receive a pass or lift ticket in the mail. Vail Resorts said the innovation will also reduce the waste created by plastic cards and RFID chips in line with the company’s Commitment to Zero sustainability pledge.

Even after the feature is launched, Vail Resorts will continue to have plastic cards available to any guests who cannot or do not want to use their phone as their pass or lift ticket. The company will also activate the plastic cards of renewing pass holders and mail plastic cards to all new guests for the 2023-24 season, as part of the transition to Mobile Pass & Mobile Lift Ticket.

Mobile Pass & Mobile Lift Ticket will be available in the new My Epic app, replacing EpicMix as a new comprehensive app in the fall of 2023. Other features on the new app will include: 

• Interactive trail maps with GPS location tracking
• Real-time and predictive lift line wait times 
• Personalized stats, including vertical feet, number of lift rides and other data
• My Account and pass information, including resort access and any restricted dates associated with your pass
• Mountain and resort alerts, including operational information like grooming updates, terrain status, snow reports and base conditions​
• Direct access to ski patrol for emergency situations
• Weather updates, snow cams and more
• Resort Charge to pay for in-resort purchases, and apply eligible Epic Mountain Rewards discounts, by scanning a barcode

My Epic will be available in the Apple App Store and Google Play App Store in the fall of 2023. Current EpicMix users should be able to update the app on their mobile device and see their existing personalized stats imported over with no data lost.

This story is from VailDaily.com.