At Belalp Bahnen, all ski passes are now insured free of charge: “Guests were upset that they could not get their money back.”

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You buy a ski pass online for a specific day, but then the cable car stops. This is exactly what happened at the Belalp Bahnen in Naters VS on 22 and 23 December. The storm paralyzes the operations of the facilities. In such cases, it is inevitable that skiers will be disappointed.

Reason: Many mountain railways exclude refunds of the ticket price in their general terms and conditions (GTC). But not Belalp Bahnen. “We have insured all our ski passes for this winter,” mountain railway manager Mario Gertschen (42) tells Blick. And all this at no extra cost to the ski guest.

Belalp Bahnen previously offered ski pass insurance on a voluntary basis. “If trains couldn’t run or guests couldn’t come due to illness, we wouldn’t tolerate it either. “Otherwise, we would put the guests at a disadvantage regarding insurance,” says the cable car boss.

The new service has proven itself many times, including on the two days before Christmas. “So far the offer has been a complete success,” says Gertschen. “Previously, the lack of refunds for uninsured passports had led to many complaints. Guests were constantly in trouble because they could not get their money back, and we understood this.”

These situations are insured

So the railroads started looking for an insurance partner and found one. Daily and multi-day tickets and subscriptions are insured. In the event of a complete shutdown of facilities, guests will be refunded their money. Or if there are fewer than five systems operating in the area due to storm, avalanche danger or other reasons.

Disease conditions are also covered. “This applies, for example, if a family member is ill or breaks their leg and the family is therefore unable to travel. Then the passports of the whole family will be returned,” says Gertschen. To do this, those affected only need to present a medical certificate. However, bad weather conditions are not a reason for return.

Entertainment doesn’t come cheap for Belalp Bahnen. Gertschen is talking about a higher 5-digit amount. The bonus is based on approximately 180,000 skier days on Belalp Bahnen. The number of guests using the elevator in one day is accumulated throughout the season.

Will the bonus be transferred to skiers? Gertschen says no. “Last season we introduced a new, dynamic pricing model and therefore opposed the price increase.” Since then, the price is determined primarily by the time of booking and the season. The price of a day ticket is between 48 and 69 francs. “With the new insurance, we also save the effort of processing complaints,” says Gertschen.

Belalp Bahnen hopes for a positive advertising effect

Disgruntled guests are also bad advertising for a ski resort. “Therefore, we see the additional costs as a marketing tool. If guests are satisfied, there is a greater chance they will come back next year,” explains Gertschen.

With the new offer Belalp Bahnen also overcomes another problem: Many mountain railways enter difficult territory if they completely exclude refund requests in their general terms and conditions. According to the Consumer Protection Foundation, a contract is based on performance and price. If the customer does not receive the agreed price due to railway stoppages, he is generally entitled to a refund of expenses.

Source :Blick