Stay connected for lift-ticket deals

“The ability to get the word out now is instantaneous,’’ says Tom Horrocks, Killington’s communications manager. “We have the technology to do this ourselves.’’

Last season Killington (www.killington.com) unveiled Deal Grabbers, where skiers could score a limited number of lift tickets for as little as $25 on certain days. Again this season, it plans to offer the low-priced tickets, a considerable savings to the Vermont mountain’s $82 Saturday and peak price, and $77 Sunday to Friday, off-peak cost.

Skiers and riders with flexible schedules can reel in deals. And they can sign up online for newsletters and alerts; ski on non-holidays, midweek, and at night; buy multiday tickets; or purchase discount cards.

Wachusett’s Text for Deals (www.wachusett.com) program enters its third season with alerts on mobile devices that can yield $10 savings off lift tickets at the Princeton mountain.

“I think text messaging today is what e-mail was five or 10 years ago,’’ says Tom Meyers, Wachusett marketing director. “We are seeing more interest in terms of people wanting to have these kinds of inside tracks on getting information.’’

Discounted online purchases will be available for the first time this season at Wachusett.

Okemo (www.okemo.com) in Ludlow, Vt., is offering Online Thursdays. Sign up online for $39 Thursday lift tickets on select days as well as select $39 Ladies’ Day Tuesdays.

“People are definitely taking the extra time to find deals,’’ says Karl Stone, Ski New Hampshire marketing director. “Traffic was up about 20 percent last season on the deals section of our website.’’

Granite State ski areas have a host of non-holiday two-for-one deals. Bretton Woods (Wednesday), Cannon (Tuesday and Thursday), Cranmore (online only, Monday to Thursday), Crotched (Tuesday), Gunstock (Monday), King Pine (Tuesday to Thursday), Mount Sunapee (Wednesday), Ragged (Tuesday), and Wildcat (Wednesday) all take part.

Some other deals include:

Roll Back the Clock Day Jan. 26 at Mad River Glen in Waitsfield, Vt., with $3.50 lift tickets.

Ticket Roll Back Day Dec. 18 at Cranmore in North Conway, N.H., with $3.30 lift tickets.

Wildcat’s Nine Dollar Fridays Dec. 18, Jan. 22, Feb. 26, and March 26.

Waterville Valley’s $1 tickets on April Fools’ Day.

Mad River Glen’s St. Valentine’s Day Kissing Special on Feb. 14 rewards those who kiss each other in front of the ticket booth with $14 tickets. Skiers who wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, pay $17.

There are even ways to snag free lift tickets:

Drive a hybrid and ski free Jan. 23 and March 20 at Cranmore.

Winter babies ski free at Wildcat in Pinkham Notch, N.H., on their birthdays.

Be a Santa Dec. 6 at Sunday River and ski free that day. Or grab two free early season tickets (250 spots available; online registration begins Nov. 29 at www.sundayriver.com).

Ski Vermont’s Free Learn to Ski/Ride Week is Jan. 4-10. Online registration begins next month at www.skivermont.com for participating areas.

Okemo early birds ski free from 9-10 a.m. midweek, and 8-9 a.m. on weekends and holidays during Try Before You Buy.

Some consider $50 a bargain for big mountain skiing. Celebrate Sunday River’s 50th birthday with $50 lift tickets on select days throughout the season. The deals begin with a $50 package that includes lift tickets, lodging, and adult ski clinic through Dec. 19 (non-holiday). The $50 lift ticket days are Dec. 5-6 (online only) and Jan. 19-22. The Newry, Maine, mountain will have at least one $50 ticket day each month (www.sundayriver.com/50).

Discount cards net savings at the ticket window and beyond. Jiminy Peak’s $45 Value Cards save users $15 off a lift ticket any day of the season. Buy it before Nov. 22 and get a free lift ticket for the Hancock resort. Mount Snow’s $99 FANfare Card delivers on half price non-holiday midweek tickets, 25 percent off weekend non-holiday fares and 10 percent savings on holidays.

Non-holiday Sunday afternoon deals include King Pine ($20) in East Madison, N.H., Sunapee (New Hampshire residents only, $38), Wildcat ($25), Shawnee Peak ($25) in Bridgton, Maine, and Burke ($18 starting Jan. 3) in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

Families can catch breaks, too. New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley has $12 all-day Sunday tickets for children ages 12 and under this season. Two adults and two children 17 and younger can ski for $99 and get a Grizzly’s pizza at Vermont’s Stratton during their select Sunday Family Four Pack Dates.

Ski areas with too many deals to list - many under $25 - include Shawnee Peak (www.shawneepeak.com), Ragged (www.raggedmountainresort.com), Black Mountain (www.blackmt.com), Crotched (www.crotchedmountain.com), Pittsfield’s Bousquet (www.bousquets.com), and King Pine (www.kingpine.com). Find $25 midweek, non-holiday tickets at Great Barrington’s Butternut (www.skibutternut.com).

College students enjoy $35 weekend tickets (with online coupon) at Butternut and $29 tickets during Freedom Friday Midnight Madness College Night from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Crotched in Bennington, N.H.

If you’d rather not go online or plan your trip around a deal day, head to ski areas with lift tickets under $40. They include: Mad River Glen (non-holiday, midweek), Bousquet, and Black Mountain in Jackson, N.H.

Marty Basch can be reached at www.onetankaway.com.