Cost Of Skiing Goes Downhill For Seniors

Q. I would like to get a list of ski areas that have free skiing for people 70 years of age of over.

A. About 120 areas offer free skiing to older skiers, 71 of them to skiers 70 or older, according to the National Ski Areas Association. A couple of areas - among them, Mount Eyak, which overlooks Prince William Sound in Cordova, Alaska, - offer free skiing to those 60 and older. A few areas - including Mount Tom in Holyoke, Mass., and Alta in Utah - set 80 as the milestone at which free skiing begins.

The ski area association’s listing of programs for older skiers (as well as others for children, women and snowboarders) - can be found on the Web by punching in http://www.travelbase.com/skiareas/ special-features.html. Bear in mind that the listing was compiled last November and that some information and rates have changed. The association’s director of communications, Stacy Gardner, said she hoped to have an updated list on the Web by December.

Here, listed by state, are the policies for 1996-97, compiled in late September at a sampling of areas at which skiing is free (or discounted) for older skiers and the age that one must have reached to qualify. Some areas require identification as proof of age, others say they may request it.

Alaska: Mount Eyak, 60 and above ski free.

Colorado: Arapahoe Basin, 70; Aspen Highlands, 70; Aspen Mountain, 70; Breckenridge, 70. Buttermilk, 70; Copper Mountain, 70; Crested Butte, 70; Keystone, 70; Snowmass, 70; Steamboat, 70.

Maine: Saddleback, 70. New Hampshire: Loon, 70 and above, $5 Sunday through Friday, $45 on Saturday; Waterville Valley, 65 and above, $25 to $29, depending on day of week.

New York: Bellayre, 70; Big Tupper, 70; Gore, 70.

Utah: Alta, 80; Park City, 70; Snowbird, 65 and above, $25 to $32, depending on type of lift.

Q. I’d like information about renting a luxury convertible for a week in Florida. I’ll be visiting Tampa-St. Pete and Fort Lauderdale on business throughout the year, and am interested in weekly rates for Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

A. If you feel strongly about a convertible, a place near the cities you have in mind that has all three cars is Prestige Auto Leasing, 1946 Northeast 123d Street, North Miami, Fla. 33181; (305) 895-0854, fax (305) 891-0004. Prestige, which has been renting high-end cars since 1990, has these “summer rates” in effect until early December: a 1995 BMW 325 ic (a six-cylinder) for $1,199.95 a week or $200 a day; a Jaguar XJS for $1,499.95 a week, or $249.95 a day, and a Mercedes-Benz 500SL for $2,249.95 a week or $375 a day.

The post-summer rates are $25 higher on the Mercedes and $50 higher on the other cars. On a weekly rental of any of the three - Prestige has one model of each car - the first 200 miles are free; thereafter, the charge is 50 cents a mile.