Colorado ski giant shifts to premium experience

Here's what's changing:

🎿 Private lessons will include concierge-style planning for dining, rentals and other activities.

🍕 Pizza, chicken fingers and other cafeteria classics will feature higher-quality ingredients.

⛷️ Returning rental customers can skip in-store fittings, with tuned gear ready when they arrive.

Reality check: Ski companies aren't just trying to survive lean snow years. They're trying to build businesses that aren't reliant on Mother Nature's cooperation.

What they're saying: CEO Rob Katz told the Wall Street Journal the company's edge will come from "systemic improvements to experience" made possible by its scale and technology.

Between the lines: Katz likened the strategy to Delta's and United's, saying the airlines differentiated themselves through technology, communication and "premiumization."

Zoom out: Without much snow last season, many Colorado ski resorts turned to elevated on-mountain dining experiences.

Why we should care: Vail owns four of Colorado's biggest ski destinations — Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone and Beaver Creek — meaning many Colorado Springs skiers will likely notice the changes firsthand.

The bottom line: As unpredictable winters pressure the ski industry, Vail is wagering less-friction, higher-end experiences will give them a competitive edge.