What SSP gets right about this is, he actually has something to share. Underlying our current predicament as ski teachers (and former ones) is a context and a long and almost tragic history.From the get go, the single concessioner model was designed to be a controlled or regulated monopoly. The standard Ski Area permit says:
"REGULATING SERVICES AND RATES. The authorized officer shall have the authority to regulate the adequacy and type of services provided the public under this permit and to require that these services conform to satisfactory standards. The holder may be required to furnish a schedule of prices for sales and services authorized by the permit. These prices may be regulated by the authorized officer, provided that the holder shall not be required to charge prices significantly different from those charged by comparable or competing enterprises."
Depending on the day and how you book, Vail and Beaver Creek charge $900-1,250+ for a 3 hour private.
One could say the USFS hasn't done their job as a regulator, but I suppose that Vail Ski School could always say they charge exactly the same as every other authorized ski school in Eagle County (the Vail Valley, which logs 2.5 million skier visits a year).
Of course, if you live in Avon, CO and are willing to drive 39 miles over Vail Pass to the Frisco Adventure Park you can take a 2.75 hour private beginner ski lesson for under $300 INCLUDING LIFT TICKET, about 70% less than what your local mountain, Beaver Creek, charges for a 3 hour private, NOT including lift ticket. When you advance beyond the bunny hill, you can make the 40+ minute drive to Ski Cooper and take a 2 hour private for under $200. Once you are good enough to become an instructor, you can take the wage offered by VR, or drive back to Frisco or 90+ miles to Aspen to get a higher wage.
For those that think a local monopoly isn't really a monopoly, would you be happy if all the grocery stores and gas stations within a 40 mile radius of your home had the same owner who charged 3 X as much as the businesses outside that radius? What if you were a worker who didn't own a car or were trying to reduce your environmental footprint by driving less...would you be ok if all local businesses had a common owner who paid low wages?
It's really helpful and informative to include and examine the facts about resort anti-competition.
(The other thing, not so much.)