quote: Toronto Star

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Later this year, at the Odeon Varsity, the company will launch a pilot project in which patrons pay an extra $2-$3 for the prime seats in the middle rows of the theatre.

Never mind getting to the theatre early and lining up for a chance at the best seats, Cineplex is going to start charging moviegoers extra to sit in them.

Later this year, at the Varsity location in Toronto’s Manulife Centre, the company will launch a pilot project in which patrons pay an extra $2-$3 for the prime seats in the middle rows of the theatre.

“We’ve had great success with our UltraAVX cinemas ($3-$5 surcharge) as well as our VIP cinemas ($7-$12 surcharge) which both offer reserved seating; and so people really like that opportunity,” said spokeswoman Pat Marshall.

“It’s really about providing our guests with choices when they go to the movies . . . I sort of position it akin to an aircraft where you have your regular coach seating, then you might want a bit more amenities, so you go into business class, and then you have a first-class.”

The airline analogy may not sit well with consumers already feeling nickelled-and-dimed by the airline industry, which now routinely charges for once free snacks, blankets and headsets.

“It all hinges on whether they see value in sitting in that particular area,” said Brock University marketing professor and pricing expert Eric Dolansky, when asked whether consumers will embrace the Cineplex concept.

“I’m an avid moviegoer myself. I prefer to sit there. Would I pay extra to sit there? It’s difficult to say.”

“I don’t perceive myself as seeing $2-3 worth of value unless there’s something special about those seats. If I can sit in the fourth row up for $2 less I would rather do that.”

And just like on a plane when the door slams shut, imagine the seat dance that will occur if the premium seats are empty when the film begins.

“Guests could certainly occupy those seats, but if at some point later on during the presentation the guests who have those reserved seats arrive they will be asked to move,” said Marshall. “We wouldn’t encourage that because it’s not only disruptive to them in the audience, but it’s also disruptive to all those folks around them.”

Fortunately, not everyone wants to sit in the traditional best in house seats.

“Some people absolutely believe that to be the sweet spot, but I’ve spoken with many filmgoers over the years and often they say the older you get the further back in the auditorium you tend to go,” said Marshall. “If you’re young you tend to be right up front; as you age, you move towards the middle; and as you get older, you want to go to the very back.”

The company is also planning to expand its arcade offerings.

“It represents about $66 million a year to us in annual revenue; it’s a lot of money and we see that there are opportunities to grow that business,” said Marshall.

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Guests could certainly occupy those seats, but if at some point later on during the presentation the guests who have those reserved seats arrive they will be asked to move.

I don't know. They should either do reserved seating, or general admission. This is neither, it will just annoy people. It shouts to me, stay home and rent a Bluray.
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 05-24-2014, 04:36 PM:
 
There's already a thread about Cimeplex's "Premium Seating" .
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-24-2014, 09:42 PM:
 
I would pay $2-3 extra if I could be guaranteed that NOBODY with a smart-phone
would sit anywhere within my field of vision. (That's assuming I actually paid
money when I to go see a movie, which I don't.)

It really won't make a difference. The movie exhibition buisness, as
we know it, has a limited lifespan and is now in it's death throes anyway.

In a few years, people will pay to come & sit in a theater, and we'll stream the
content directly to their phones & tablets, since that's what so many of them
seem to prefer watching now in the auditorium anyway.

Digital projection & large screens will be just as obsolete as 35mm. We'll be
dumping all those new projectors and fancy sound systems & replacing
them with hi-speed local wireless networks & streaming servers.

Aren'tcha glad you spent all the money upgrading now?
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-24-2014, 10:33 PM:
 
We got one better: "Reserved Seating" - no extra charge involved.

Either reserve your seating on FANDANGO (and spend the extra surcharge that FANDANGO charges), or go to the boxoffice and buy your tickets in advance.

All of our seats have numbers on them with row lettering on placecards mounted on the wall.

Or, spend the extra three bucks and have VIP seating up in the balconies and get food and drink (alcohol included) served to you prior to the beginning of the show.

We do get some attention this way since we're the only location in the area with this advantage.

Oh, we have a restaurant upstairs to go along with the fun.

One house had D-BOX seating - this attracts the ones who wants to spend the eight buck surcharge on top of the ticket price.

-Monte
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 05-24-2014, 10:58 PM:
 
How do you enforce that? If some little old lady reserves seat A29 and gets there to find a 300lb wrestler sitting there with his buddies, what happens next?
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-25-2014, 12:31 AM:
 
Our ushers will ask for his tix to see if he's in the right seat. Otherwise, he is given the choice of moving to his purchased seat or go out and get a refund. We've rarely experienced such an issue, but if so, they get solved in a respectable manner.

My only gripe with this reserve thing is that it really slows down the flow of tix sales with the patrons having to choose their seat on the touch screen in front of them.

The patrons are pretty good in understanding this reserve seat policy.

One can check it out all in this linky.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 05-25-2014, 10:22 AM:
 

quote: Jim Cassedy

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I would pay $2-3 extra if I could be guaranteed that NOBODY with a smart-phone
would sit anywhere within my field of vision. (That's assuming I actually paid
money when I to go see a movie, which I don't.)

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quote: Monte L Fullmer

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We got one better: "Reserved Seating" - no extra charge involved.

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quote:

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- Imax (Lie-Max) surcharge
- Imax 3D (Lie-Max) surcharge

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Scott, IMAX has had a surcharge on their product since way back in 2002, it does not matter if it is film or digital. IMAX does not charge a surcharge for 3D, the surcharge is there regardless if it is 2D or 3D.
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-25-2014, 03:02 PM:
 
That may be true. I was mostly referring to the current generation of DLP "Imax" houses that have infiltrated multiplexes of late. And I believe that the one of these that I have actually visited (AMC Boston Common) does charge extra for 3D shows in that auditorium.

My point remains, though, that the exhibition business will kill itself in short order if it insists on continuing to alienate customers with nickel-and-dime surcharges and high prices overall.
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 05-26-2014, 02:11 AM:
 
AMC Stubs program waives Fandango convenience fees which is a wise move.

I agree with all the surcharges and whatnot. It's getting a little crazy.

I'm thinking about it though... What if there were no surcharges? Everyone would flock to the 'premium' features, forcing the theater to widen that scale.
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 05-26-2014, 05:51 PM:
 
Surcharges for "premium seating" have been around in venues like theaters of all sorts as long as I remember. The single-tiered seating that most multiplexes are still using, at least for their "vanilla theaters" has rather been a special case.

Still, I do think this will be a rather hard sell, it feels like a cheap money grab to me. Besides sitting in the center, which a lot of people don't prefer anyway, the surcharge offers nothing extra, like more leg room or more comfortable seats.

Also, it will be hard (and expensive) to enforce, especially if a show sells just a few seats. Do they send someone in every few minutes to check if nobody switched places?

I personally detest "convenience fees" for stuff like on-line ticketing and reserved seating. It's really utter B.S., because the "convenience" is going both ways, since they can now cut down on box office staff. People are doing them a favor by ordering on-line or buy their tickets via machines, this stuff ought to make a ticked cheaper, not more expensive...
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-26-2014, 08:58 PM:
 

quote: Jim Cassedy

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The movie exhibition buisness, as
we know it, has a limited lifespan and is now in it's death throes anyway.

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quote:

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TV
Color TV
Cable TV
Video games (arcade version)
Satellite TV
HBO
Movies on video
Screen ads

Poor presentation
Movies on demand
Piracy
Talkative patrons
Video games (home version)
Cell phones being used in theaters
Video games (mobile version)
People putting their feet on the back of your seat

People getting shot in a theater in Colorado
The shortened video window

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Most of these all together have had a serious impact on theater exhibition. Not all but most. You are ignorant to think that they have not had a serious impact.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Dolby is now in on it with there new Atmos format and Cineplex is charging a premium surcharge for it.

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I thought originally Dolby's system wasn't supposed to factor in a higher premium pricing for this feature -

the only aspects where I feel premium pricing is justified is reserved seating, 21 and over theaters (AMC Mazza Galleria does this on certain nights) (i.e, I find most teenagers are assholes and their behavior and phone use to be beyond obnoxious) ... and if theaters had phone/cell jammers, but then of course everyone would be up in arms, and feel like they have the god given right to have their phones for emergencies and other similar shitty situations.
 

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Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 05-27-2014, 01:33 AM:
 

quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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I have been to some of the traditional one or two screen cinemas and I am sorry to say, these screens just don't cut it anymore. These screens really need to close up and head out for the pasture.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Last week we attended the VIP in Toronto, total cost was $85 and that was for two tickets, four alcoholic drinks, an appetizer and two main dishes. We had a great time out sitting in the ultra comfy leather chairs with foot rests, we were served at our seats, and it was adult only.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Mike. There is no need to use immature words or call me screwball or dork or things like that, that is just plain stupid of you to be doing things like that.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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The movie exhibition industry is not what it once was, I have always gotten the impression that you were stuck in a time warp and trying to run your theatre like a theatre from the 70s or even the 80s.

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quote:

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I thought originally Dolby's system wasn't supposed to factor in a higher premium pricing for this feature -

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quote: Jonathan Goeldner

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and if theaters had phone/cell jammers, but then of course everyone would be up in arms, and feel like they have the god given right to have their phones for emergencies and other similar shitty situations.

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quote:

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I thought originally Dolby's system wasn't supposed to factor in a higher premium pricing for this feature - [Confused]

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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You give me the impression that you think that having lower prices will bring more "butts" or "eyeballs" to the theatre

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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For a movie that I really want to see, I wouldn't waste my time watching it in a traditional, non-reserved seat cinema.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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I have been to some of the traditional one or two screen cinemas and I am sorry to say, these screens just don't cut it anymore. These screens really need to close up and head out for the pasture.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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I have always gotten the impression that you were stuck in a time warp and trying to run your theatre like a theatre from the 70s or even the 80s.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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There is no need to use immature words or call me screwball or dork

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quote: Jonathan Goeldner

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but what doesn't make sense regrading adding Atmos systems on chain's specialty screens is Regal's reluctance to installing them on 'brand new' RPX theaters.

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quote: Gordon McLeod

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Cineplex Odeon may be the dominant player in Canada but they are not alone in Quebec Guzo Theatres are the dominant player and in other areas the Landmark/Empire has the market sq
In the world scheme of things many other players are involved and the Cineplex AVX is not the only way to go

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Yonge Dundas 24+AVX+IMAX+VIP offered Godzilla on 6 screens: one was regular price admission at $12.992D, the other 5 screens were surcharged at $15.993D, 17.99AVX, 19.99IMAX and $24.99 VIP (2 screens) a whopping $375k was grossed in ticket sales in just 10 days at this location.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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The days of cheap volume pricing are coming to an end. People are willing to pay for premium priced tickets.

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