RFID is not created equally

[MissySki]

Well some of the Vail Lifties I've had 'face to face' with IMO need a dip in Pixie dust they had ZERO personality or desire to enhance the guest experience!

Right.. I can also say hi to the folks controlling the lines without needing to be scanned by them specifically. It is certainly an extrovert’s world, but for myself as an introvert I don’t feel my experience is elevated by forced interactions with a person scanning my pass.

 

[nopoleskier]

@diymom THANKS! Great idea for the multi passes I cart around, I just bought 2!

 

[SnowHot]

I picked mine up in person a few years ago at Sierra, but it is a Haiku RFID mini wallet.

Mine too!
And they have so many fun colors.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[SnowHot]

Right.. I can also say hi to the folks controlling the lines without needing to be scanned by them specifically. It is certainly an extrovert’s world, but for myself as an introvert I don’t feel my experience is elevated by forced interactions with a person scanning my pass.

And depending on where you keep your pass, it feels a little awkward when the're waivng the wand over you.

 

[SkiBam]

I used to have it so easy! I use two passes fairly regularly: The Tremblant one was attached to my jacket pocket and was hand scanned. The other (for Saint Sauveur and other local hills) was in the handy pocket on my jacket sleeve so I just sort of vaguely waved my arm around and the gate would always open. Now with the change in Tremblant's system, I have to find a place to store that pass. Can't keep it with the other in my sleeve and I don't want to be jumping up and down to make it work in a pocket (remember, I am short!). Oh my gosh, the problems we have!

 

[Jenny]

He did but the lifties were super cool about it….

The more I think on it the more it's coming back to me. After the first few times they started recognizing him and just waving him through, didn’t they?

 

[santacruz skier]

The more I think on it the more it's coming back to me. After the first few times they started recognizing him and just waving him through, didn’t they?

Yes!

 

[SnowHot]

The more I think on it the more it's coming back to me. After the first few times they started recognizing him and just waving him through, didn’t they?

The more I think on it the more it's coming back to me. After the first few times they started recognizing him and just waving him through, didn’t they?

Yes!

Mt Rose is super friendly.
I'm not sure the issue he had but its not the norm.

 

[TheGreenOne]

I don't like it when gate readers are set to I guess... too low of sensitivity or are slow to respond. Handhelds are fine if the attendants are paying attention or the guns are set to high sensitivity.

At Bolton valley, at one of the double chair gates, I timed wrong and almost flipped over bars in a hilarious cartoon style—Bars were perfectly at my hip level. Told the liftie "You didn't see that." who responded "I didn't, but there are cameras..."

 

[mustski]

Mt. Rise, Mammoth, and BBMR are easy but Palisades seems to have a day I. The system. I have to dance a fair amount if it’s in my pants pocket. I have an arm band holder for the Alterra resorts that hand scan. Personally, I’d rather load quickly than have a personal encounter with the liftie. I’m happy to wave a holler good morning.

 

[leia1979]

I learned the hard way that the readers at Sierra-at-Tahoe can't handle other cards anywhere on your person. I had my pass in my jacket pocket and the others in my camelbak and the gate would not work. Now the passes live in my boot bag instead (but an RFID blocking wallet or even just a mylar bag would be a good idea).

 

[marzNC]

The suggestion I got from the Alta season pass office last season when I had both Ikon and MCP was to put the one I wasn't using that day next to my phone. I was using the MCP that day, but had my Ikon pass with me in order to get a Friends & Family ticket for a friend.

Another day I put the extra RFID card in the pocket near the bottom of a pant leg (Nobody's Princess pants have the best pockets) to see if that would work. It does at Alta, which has the latest version of Axess gates.

 

[Jilly]

It's not a good idea to store any card next to your phone. It depends on the phone and the card. I don't know how many times I've not been able to get into my hotel room, because that card was too close to my phone. Yet one of my ski buddy's stores her bank card inside the case of her phone, right next to the battery. So....

 

[marzNC]

It's not a good idea to store any card next to your phone. It depends on the phone and the card. I don't know how many times I've not been able to get into my hotel room, because that card was too close to my phone. Yet one of my ski buddy's stores her bank card inside the case of her phone, right next to the battery. So....

Lots of different types of RFID chips in use these days. Always surprised when I get a cardboard RFID card for lift access. Never had an issue with my bank card.

I would guess that hotel keys are as inexpensive as practical, although in recent years I'm guessing even those are more robust. There was a time when you weren't supposed to have a room key near an electronic car key when those were less common. I try to keep a room key away from my phone and car key but I know there are times they have ended up together. Haven't had a rental car without an electronic car key in a while.

 

[MissySki]

I do not take any care to separate hotel keys or any RFID cards or credit cards with my phone or electronic car key when storing in my purse. In fact, I use a small purse where I stick my necessary cards and car fob touching each other in the same zippered pouch and my phone is right behind them in another compartment. I’ve never had any issues whatsoever.

 

[elemmac]

I do not take any care to separate hotel keys or any RFID cards or credit cards with my phone or electronic car key when storing in my purse. In fact, I use a small purse where I stick my necessary cards and car fob touching each other in the same zippered pouch and my phone is right behind them in another compartment. I’ve never had any issues whatsoever.

I'm in the same boat, never had issues. Knowing a little amount about the technology, I don't think it scientifically makes sense that they affect each other (at least to the point that they would deactivate another device).

From my understanding, RFID (Radio Frequency ID) is only "active" when an RFID scanner is present, otherwise it's just a piece of metal. Phones use a different technology with a shorter range, and a different frequency. There is some question about whether or not a phone could mess up a magnetic strip on a credit card or hotel key...as the only way to "reprogram" them is with a magnet. Technically, there are magnets in your smartphone, however, it's debatable if they are strong enough to reprogram a card. My personal experience (based on regularly keeping them together), is no... they're not. I think it's a cop out for hotels to blame you instead of their cheap system.

I have been with people that have their phone and lift ticket in the same pocket, and have trouble scanning. But I think that's mostly a function of the phone "blocking" the RFID physically, as the radio frequency won't go thru most metals.

 

[SnowHot]

It's not a good idea to store any card next to your phone. It depends on the phone and the card. I don't know how many times I've not been able to get into my hotel room, because that card was too close to my phone. Yet one of my ski buddy's stores her bank card inside the case of her phone, right next to the battery. So....

In my chats with Brian from Axess, most modern RFID cards like hotel keys are no longer "wiped" by being near your phone because both of those technologies have changed (improved)

I do not take any care to separate hotel keys or any RFID cards or credit cards with my phone or electronic car key when storing in my purse. In fact, I use a small purse where I stick my necessary cards and car fob touching each other in the same zippered pouch and my phone is right behind them in another compartment. I’ve never had any issues whatsoever.

Back in the day a magnet could wipe out a computer, phone memory and an RFID in the blink of an eye, now we have Magsafe chargers, and phone cases like the one I wrote about that has a magnet wallet and bike mount among other things.

Review: - Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount

Are you someone who uses your smart phone for fitness tracking? It may be for running, hiking, or biking, but many of us have taken to using our smart phones for these activities instead of investing in a specific tracker like Garmin or Suunto.Or...

www.skitalk.com

 

[SnowHot]

Since we've gone down the RFID rabbit hole....
At the recent event I attended in Utah at the Black Rock Mountain Resort, here is their wooden RFID hotel key cards.
All you had to do was tap.
You could scan the QR code on the back to order room service. I did not do that.

 

[MissySki]

Pretty!

 

[NYSnowflake]

Sugarbush RFID sucked when I was there all season two years ago. I had my Sugarbush Pass and it would have an error and interfere with participating in my lesson!

Pico gave me some trouble last year but customer service solved it over the phone while I was on the lift so that was awesome that I didn’t have to stop skiing and visit the desk.