Session Costs and Cards

[karne]

Because I can't skate so much this fortnight, but it's the start of a new month, I thought I might look into getting one of our ten visit passes for this month rather than a monthly pass. The monthly pass is $170. I was thinking the 10-visit pass might be about $80, but no...

$110!!!!!!

Only $60 less than the monthly? Huh? How does that even work? 

[FigureSpins]

Does the 10-punch pass expire at some point?  That would be a reason for the price to be higher per session.
Plus, you're not buying in bulk - the monthly pass probably entitles you to far more sessions, so the discount is higher.

These punch-passes are all money-float economics.  They collect the money up front for multiple sessions that they would run anyway, which gives them a cushion of cash to work from for the rest of the month.  Once the month has passed, that "unused value" becomes pure income for them since your monthly pass expired.  There's no refund due.

The 10-punch pass requires them to account for the balance owed until you've used all of the punches.  It's almost like the way a store gift card works and that's why they added the "monthly service fees" and "expiration dates to gift cards: to chip away at the balance so they can keep the money without providing services.

[sarahspins]

Only $60 less than the monthly? Huh? How does that even work? 

Some skaters may not use that punch card up in a month, and I'm sure it's still cheaper than the walk-on rate.

I buy a punchcard for 15 sessions for $135, and that usually lasts me around 2 months because I also skate a handful of public sessions too (at $4 each, and I have a punchcard for those too but it doesn't save me anything other than not having to carry my wallet). 

[fsk8r]

Some skaters may not use that punch card up in a month, and I'm sure it's still cheaper than the walk-on rate.

I buy a punchcard for 15 sessions for $135, and that usually lasts me around 2 months because I also skate a handful of public sessions too (at $4 each, and I have a punchcard for those too but it doesn't save me anything other than not having to carry my wallet). 

I'm not going to complain about ice costs again. I'm on a monthly pass of about $65, for unlimited freestyle or public ice. They only do a 10 session punch card for public and that is only slightly cheaper and only lasts for 6 weeks. For all my grumblings about the rink, ice costs isn't one of them (and neither is the cafe or the bathrooms). I probably ought to be more grateful. But when it's all you normally see, it's quite easy to get grumpy with what you've got.

[FigureSpins]

*whispers* we may be seeing prices that aren't in US dollars...

Our rink's non-expiring freestyle cards are 20 punches for $120.  Each punch is good for one 45-minute session.
The walk-on rate is $12/45-min session.

The 2 hr public sessions are $6 for walk-on, plus optional $4 rental fee.  I think the punch passes lower the cost to $5/session.
They have a Tues night session that's $5, so it's better to pay in cash and save the punches for other sessions.

If you buy a club membership, all public sessions are free, but you still have to pay for the freestyle sessions.

All prices are US Dollars.

[sarahspins]

That's true.. but what I listed is US prices

I think our rink has some of the most expensive freestyle sessions I've seen.  Morning freestyle (3+ hours) is $25 walk-on, and afternoon (45 minutes) is $14.

I skate "adult" sessions which are $10 walk-in for 1:15.  I save $1 by having a punchcard.

[FigureSpins]

But Karne is from Australia...

[fsk8r]

I think we get a very good deal in the UK. I'd be horrified to pay $25 for a freestyle session of 45min. I can have about 3hr for around $10. I haven't heard of a rink charging anywhere close to that over here.

[sarahspins]

But Karne is from Australia...

Ok, but right now the exchange rate is almost the same.  110.00 AUD = 117.313 USD.  That's roughly the same as our FS punchcards work out to (those are $180 for 15 sessions, so $12 for 45 minute freestyle.. 10 would be $120 if they offered it).

I wish we had better pricing options for ice time - I have a feeling our rink would attract more skaters and therefore more money if they did, but they don't (interestingly enough their LTS classes are priced on par with most other rinks).  On the flip side of that, I often enjoy sessions with just a couple of other skaters, and occasionally I get the ice all to myself.  I remember the rink being MUCH busier when I was younger.  It seemed that sessions often ran out of room, and I haven't seen that happen much any more outside of right before a competition. 

[aussieskater]

I'm jealous.  Here are our ice prices for comparison:

Public session:  usually 90-120min long.  Walk on is $17 plus $3 for hire skates if you need them.  A public session 10-entry card is $160.

Private (freestyle) session:  usually 90-120min long, and usually pretty busy.  Entry costs $14 (?).

Quarterly pass:  entitles you to as many public and private sessions as you want, assuming you otherwise meet the requirements for entry to that session: $635.

There is no monthly pass - I wish there was.  Not only that, you cannot buy a full quarterly except at the beginning of Jan, Apr, Jul and Oct.  If you want to buy a pass starting in a different month, you have to buy the remainder of that quarter's pass, the cost of which is calculated in whole months or parts thereof.

  

[Sk8Dreams]

Our public sessions are a bargain on weekdays, as they run from 11 AM to 4 (sometimes 4:30) PM and are $8 for adults, and $6 for kids.  Weekends are the same price, but shorter sessions.  Freestyle is another matter.  Walk on is $18 for 50 minutes and gets slightly cheaper if you buy bulk.  The lowest it goes is $12.50 per if you buy 40 sessions for $500, and that expires in 3 months. 

[Bunny Hop]

Because I can't skate so much this fortnight, but it's the start of a new month, I thought I might look into getting one of our ten visit passes for this month rather than a monthly pass. The monthly pass is $170. I was thinking the 10-visit pass might be about $80, but no...

$110!!!!!!

Only $60 less than the monthly? Huh? How does that even work? 

That's the same  prices as at our rink. My husband went through and did all the maths and worked out that the two most economical ways to buy ice time for the amount of sessons we do (usually 3 a week) were either the 10 session pass (valid for 3 months) or the yearly pass ($AUS1450). The number of sessions is important when working out what's the best option.

[aussieskater]

That's the same  prices as at our rink. My husband went through and did all the maths and worked out that the two most economical ways to buy ice time for the amount of sessons we do (usually 3 a week) were either the 10 session pass (valid for 3 months) or the yearly pass ($AUS1450). The number of sessions is important when working out what's the best option.

Care to come tell our rink manangement how little your ice costs?  Our annualised equivalent is nearly twice that...  (Where's the Mr Green smiley when you need him!!)

You're absolutely correct that the number of sessions is critical when doing these calculations.  I worked out that if you skate 10 weeks of a 13-week quarter, our rinks' quarterly pass becomes cheaper only if you average more than 4 sessions a week.  Costing on the basis of 10 weeks in a quarter allows for a couple of weeks holiday or illness or "life-gets-in-the-way" weeks.

[Bunny Hop]

Care to come tell our rink manangement how little your ice costs?  Our annualised equivalent is nearly twice that...  (Where's the Mr Green smiley when you need him!!)

I may end up coming to your rink once a week (if I can get away from work long enough at lunchtime), so you can look forward to me complaining about the prices there very soon!

[karne]

I'm jealous.  Here are our ice prices for comparison:

Public session:  usually 90-120min long.  Walk on is $17 plus $3 for hire skates if you need them.  A public session 10-entry card is $160.

Private (freestyle) session:  usually 90-120min long, and usually pretty busy.  Entry costs $14 (?).

Quarterly pass:  entitles you to as many public and private sessions as you want, assuming you otherwise meet the requirements for entry to that session: $635.

Where are you at, Aussie? I remember going up to Canterbury earlier this year and also down to Melbourne (the Icehouse) and being horrified...guess I keep forgetting that ours is relatively cheap, I remember it was $16 for me at Canterbury which seemed a lot, and I don't remember how much it was for that skate at the Icehouse but it was more than what it would have been at Phillip.

I keep forgetting. I should quit complaining! 

[blue111moon]

Wa;k-on rate for rink-run freestyle sessions is $14 US for 40 minutes.  Public skating is an hour and 50 minutes for $6 not including skate rental.  Starting this week though the only freestyle-only sessions at my home rink are run by the skating club - they are $18 for 50 minutes. 

[jjane45]

I wish all the "skating costs" posts could be split into a separate thread. It's very interesting to see how session lengths (public and freestyle) and rates spread over different regions!

Mod note: split out from the rink rants thread.

[Qarol]

I've lived in 3 different states with different set ups for freestyle. Growing up, freestyle sessions were by stickers (and were $7 per sticker for a 20 minute session). You had to commit to a session in advance by putting your sticker in the book, and if you couldn't go, tough noogies. As an adult, my rink is first come, first serve (but the ice never fills up). I prefer this, as sometimes I've had to skip a session due to work. Freestyle sessions are $5 for a 30 minute session. We put money on an account card that just gets deducted when you skate a session. I think public sessions are $6.50, but I don't skate on those.

[rosereedy]

Wow at these prices!  We pay $8 for an hour freestyle session and there is no change of price to do a "walk on".  Most skaters at this rink don't do public sessions because we have a lot of freestyle time.  At the rink in Atlanta I skate at on Saturday is $9.75 for a 40 minute freeskate with no change in price for walk on.  At that rink they do have an unlimited monthly card for $300. 

[Qarol]

At the rink in Atlanta I skate at on Saturday is $9.75 for a 40 minute freeskate with no change in price for walk on.  At that rink they do have an unlimited monthly card for $300. 

I used to skate at Parkaire. They operated by stickers. I don't live in Atlanta anymore, though.

[Rachelsk8s]

One of the rinks I skate at, usually when I train with my coach, is $20 for a walk on and its only 55 mins!!!!  There are soo many rinks in Mass you'd think they'd have more competitive prices especially with freestyle sessions, but I think its because hockey is so huge here and it takes up a lot of the ice time in the first place.

[emilayy]

One of the rinks I skate at, usually when I train with my coach, is $20 for a walk on and its only 55 mins!!!!  There are soo many rinks in Mass you'd think they'd have more competitive prices especially with freestyle sessions, but I think its because hockey is so huge here and it takes up a lot of the ice time in the first place.

AMEN SISTER. ice rates are way too high here! i think fall ice was over $500 for 4 sessions a week...$12 for 45 minutes, $16 for an hour, which is pretty reasonable. but at my other rink (which is mainly occupied by hockey), an hour session is $20 a pop! it's so annoying because that rink is 5 minutes from my house, but significantly more expensive! but i think we can all agree that our love for skating is why we tough out the hefty price tag!

[hopskipjump]

Freestyles:
One rink is $9 an hour for freestyle ($8 if you buy a punch card).  The other is $11 for 60 or 50 minutes (depends on when hockey takes over - it could be an hour or 50 so there is time to Zamboni).  It's $10 if you buy a punch card.

She doesn't pay for public sessions - they come with classes - she gets 15 publics every 8 weeks.

[CaraSkates]

At my home rink:
I can get a punchcard of 40 hours for $320 ($8 per hour) and it can be used in 15 minute increments on any freestyle session.
We also offer 20 hours ($200/$10hour) and non member 20 hours punchcards ($240/$12hour). Walk on is $14/$16 per hour depending on if you are a club member or not.

I also skated at 3-4 other nearby rinks this summer and payed $10-$15 per hour session. I usually find my ice prices/times average out to $11 per hour.

[Rachelsk8s]

Emilayy---Right??!! LOL:)  I don't get why every rink's freestyle sessions are about on average $17=$20 for a session around here...I used to skate at a rink close to where I teach, but they're ice time is so erratic that I don't even check out their schedules anymore (Bridgewater Ice Arena) but their sessions where a full hour and were $16 for a walk on...God there's like a hundred rinks in Mass!!  But there are definitely limited freestyle sessions for us:) But your right, our dedication to skating outweighs the price