Questions and Answers

It’s season pass time—before dropping ~$800, what cards are best for this type of spend? Do ski areas count as ‘travel’ for Sapphire and other cards?

[USER=789]@avsrock90[/USER] it really depends on how the ski area codes themself. You could try checking it in the Visa search tool at
[URL]https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator/search/index.jsp[/URL]. It is usually accurate but not foolproof. If you want certainty I am would check to see if they can run a small purchase for you to see what it gets categorized as.

[USER=789]@avsrock90[/USER] – I’d imagine it would make a difference too if you’re buying the ticket at the resort itself (or via their website) vs. a multi-resort pass like Vail Resorts Group’s Epic Pass.

One possible work-around: if a travel agent can get you the pass and you pay the TA directly, it would count as travel. A few years ago our ski club ran two trips to Vail-owned resorts and for those of us on both trips it was cheaper to buy an Epic Pass. We paid for those through the club – who got them from the TA. Sadly for me my ski club doesn’t take credit cards.