Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Regal Launches Ticket Subscription Service

This is topic Regal Launches Ticket Subscription Service in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=007668

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 07-30-2019, 07:13 PM:

Hot on the heels of the massive success story that is MoviePass, Regal has launched "Regal Unlimited", a monthly subscription movie pass service.

There are three pricing tiers, all of which get you unlimited movies for any standard price seat with no blackout dates. The restriction between the prices are the properties you can use it at:

$18/month: Access to Regal's 200 shittiest theatres

$21/month: Access to Regal's 400 shittiest theatres

$23.50/month: Access to all Regal properties

Oh hey look...Surcharges! The fine print...

quote:
Availability of plans vary by theatre. A surcharge of $1.50-$3 per ticket applies at theatres not included in your plan. Surcharges apply for ScreenX, 4DX, IMAX, RPX, 3D & VIP as well as premium seating other than recliners. Some foreign language movies and special movie events may be excluded or subject to a surcharge

You also don't get out of convenience fees for purchasing tickets in the app, though that fee is $.50 with a plan. You get a 10% discount on snacks and a free large popcorn and soda on your birthday.

The subscription is annual...you're committed to a year initially. If you pay monthly, your subscription automatically renews on a monthly basis after that until you cancel. If you pay the annual fee up front, they cancel you automatically at the end of the year and you have to re-subscribe. And you can't change plans once you've chosen one during that first year. The whole thing seems pretty danged convoluted.

Wondering how shitty your local Regal is? Here's a key.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 07-30-2019, 07:36 PM:

Bwa ha ha ha ha!

They must think our local Santa Clarita theaters are pretty special!

[puke]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 07-30-2019, 08:08 PM:

Regal should have at the very least ditched basic things like convenience fees in its subscription plan. AMC's basic $15 per year Stub Premiere program allows subscribers to book tickets online for free, among a few other perks. Also, Regal should have sweetened the deal for watching movies on premium screens. The current offer kind of sucks.

AMC's Stubs A-List subscription plan has its own limitations. It's not an unlimited plan. Subscribers can see up to 3 movies per week. The monthly fee varies on location ($19.95 in 34 states; $21.95 in CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, MD, MN, OR, PA, VA, WA & DC; $23.95 in CA, CT, MA, NJ & NY). The upshot is there are no surcharges for ordering tickets online. And viewers can see movies on any regular or premium screen (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, etc). Considering what it costs to watch a movie on a IMAX or Dolby branded screen the cost of an A-List membership can be offset in just 1 or 2 trips to the theater.

The 3 movie per week limit doesn't seem all that bad to me. I would really have to go out of my way to try to see more movies than that in a commercial theater. Just picking 3 movies good enough to see in a theater on any given week is tough.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-30-2019, 11:46 PM:

We have a great subscription plan. You can see one movie per week for $7.75. We only charge you for the movies you actually watch.

Given the convoluted nonsense offered by the chains, our plan seems a lot more reasonable and easy to figure out, not to mention more economical in those months when there are no good movies.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 07-31-2019, 07:55 AM:

Sounds more like a medical insurance policy than an enjoyable night at the movies?

And what's with the foreign film exemption? They figure they lose too much on foreign films already? Or is it so they can gouge the Bollywood audiences by showing the movie in three languages at different rates for different languages?

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 08-03-2019, 06:11 AM:

When I worked there I think the Bollywood movies were "four-walled". They were fun though.

These subscription things would be a good deal for a GOOD theater, but unfortunately we don't have any of those in my area which is why I never got Moviepass.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-03-2019, 08:53 PM:

Moviepass! I almost forgot about that. I took a look at their website and found this:

quote:
Big Changes are coming.
For the past several months, MoviePass™ has been working hard to improve our groundbreaking subscription service to ensure it meets the vision that we have for it. We are temporarily not accepting new subscribers as we work on these improvements.

Please enter your email below and you will be notified when we are accepting new subscribers to our improved service.

Are they even doing the cards thing anymore? If you click on the link to see the schedule, you get the same message as above (but no movie schedule).

Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 08-03-2019, 10:30 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Are they even doing the cards thing anymore? If you click on the link to see the schedule, you get the same message as above (but no movie schedule).

We've still had a few stragglers lately; some work, some dont.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-04-2019, 09:51 AM:

I think we have one person left still using the card. It adds a sense of adventure to the evening guessing if it will work.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-05-2019, 01:53 PM:

I'm willing to bet that Mike's plan comes with a quality presentation and good customer service, too.

Posted by Ronda Fitzsimmons (Member # 1418) on 08-19-2019, 01:46 PM:

Does anyone have any idea of what arrangements they've made with the film companies for this? Would AMC and Regal really put themselves in such a risky situation?