Well it seems that the slow, rumbling wave of national anger is building momentum, as more and more people from around Australia express their dislike of the allocated seating arrangement introduced by the national cinema group Greater Union (a.k.a Birch Carroll and Coyle cinemas).
ABCNews reported recently that many patrons were irate at the system, calling it both "stupid" and "irrelevant," vowing to avoid going to any Birch Carrol and Coyle(BCC) cinemas. AdelaideNow reported fights breaking out in the cinemas between patrons over confusion and altercations with the ticketed seats.
The official line from BCC is that the allocated seating system offers a level of convenience, choice and freedom, due to customers being able to pick their seats online, avoid queues through internet booking and have the freedom to reserve their favourite seat early.
The other argument is that this is all purely designed to drastically cut costs and make money. The system obviously favours internet bookings, of which there is a surcharge applied per-ticket. Less cinema staff will be needed overall, due to more people buying their tickets "in person," as well as significantly less cleaning being required after each film, with everyone crammed into a small portion of the rows.
Personally, I first experienced the inconvenience of allocated seating in late December for Beowulf. Sandwiched between strangers in the completely wrong part of the cinema to where I usually like to sit, I could clearly hear the dissatisfaction among other people in the movie as other patrons struggled to find their unlit 'correct' seats in the dark amongst rows of strangers.
The next time I was there for AvP2: Requiem, my friends and I had to force people out of our seats.
I Am Legend saw one member of my group allocated a seat three rows away, despite us all buying our tickets at the same time. The isolated friend waited a few minutes into the movie, then moved to sit down with us in a seat that seemed empty and unallocated. Can you guess what happened next?
I know I don't like allocated seating one bit.
If BCC claim they offer "convenience", "choice" and "freedom," then in the future I know I'll be enjoying the freedom of either independent cinema, or the convenience of a DVD sent from Quickflix to my home - at least there I get to sit where I want.
- Adam Q
- -
16 January 2008
Stand Up For Your Rights To Sit Down
Posted by Niche Meerkat at 9:35 AM
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11 comments:
HMM .... YEAH ..Allocated seating only truly works in fully ushered cinemas. BCC were fools to try and use it as a cost cutting thing for Internet bookings especially when it seems the system fails to keep groups together assuming you and you friends bought your tickets in the one purchase.
I agree totally. I was also shocked recently when taking the kids to see Alvin & the Chipmunks at Miranda. One of our kids has 'special needs' and it would have been great to get a seat closer to the back near the exit as I had to take him out half way through. Instead we were a couple of rows from the front. At least we got seats together. Allocated seating is a thing of the past and should be abandoned. I won't be going back to this cinema unless they change it back.
Sandra D
Sweeney Todd was less enjoyable for me as we were way over on the side with an intrusive wooden rail in front.(Glendale)We got in just before the movie started so couldn't really duck back to the ticket box for a reallocation. No more for us...
I've had a similar disappointing experience at Marion Greater Union in Adelaide. A complete mess. It took nearly 15 minutes at the counter to reserve 6 seats all together. We were told the cinema was pretty well booked out so we had to take the back row seats we were given, even though two of us would have struggled to see clearly from that far back.
When we got into the cinema there were only 5 other people in there, all spread across the back row - two of them sitting in our allocated seats. The "aisle seat" I'd asked for at the counter - my favourite seating - turned out to be at the far end of the back row up against the wall!
We chose our seats from one of the other empty rows further forward, not wanting to take on the big blokes up the back. As the movie had already started, we thought we were pretty safe doing that.
Then another group turned up and yes, we'd already taken their seats. They sat behind us and complained about us from time to time through the movie.
None of the rest of the people who'd "booked all the seats" ever showed up.
That's probably a dozen less customers for Greater Union right there. The only ones who enjoyed the movie were the 5 up the back.
I disagree completely with the writers view on this and was shocked that anyone would actually prefer the old 'non-allocated' system. We have some cinemas that don't allocate seats and getting a decent place means queueing up for a good 30-40 minutes before the movie begins in order to (hopefully) get a decent seat. Call me crazy but i would prefer actually choosing my seat myself walking straight in to the cinema, including late if i so choose, and being assured of a good position in order to watch a film i have paid for.
With allocation on the other hand you can either buy your tickets online and choose your actual seat rather than leaving it to pot luck, or buy your tickets 30 minutes ahead of the start time and go and do something else before the movie begins.
Hopefully the system stays as it is and more cinemas begin allocating rather than forcing people to stand in queues.
The weirdest thing is that my experiences was in a three-quarters empty cinema, and some goose insisted I shift because ``I was in their seat''! I moved tow rows closer to the screen to avoid the obvious idiocy of it all, and their were no further problems. Everyone else dutifully squeezed together into three rows.
It is obviously all about cutting staff (can they be cut any further!). Everybody was shoved into three rows so that they would be the only areas cleaned afterwards.
I have been using allocated seating facility at Greater Union since this was introduced. I have had no problems whatsoever. Cinema patrons need to learn how to use it and make an effort to book early and arrive at cinema on time.
what if you just ignore it? I couldn't find "my seat" so I sat somewhere convenient. No one spoke to me about it.
it works pretty well in Village Gold Class, but there it's not being used as a cost-cutting measure.
All i have to say about allocated seating is what ever happened to freedom of choice, I paid my money i sit where i like. I have never seen a problem with people sitting where they choose, if you want a good seat then get there early to be at the front of the line.
If it was truly allocated seating, such as with concerts or Gold Class, I can't see that there would be as many problems.
The problem however, is that it's NOT truly allocated seating...
-You have to choose an 'area' rather than seat number(s).
-Seat numbers aren't illuminated and/or there is no usher.
One possible way to keep it and allow everyone to keep their sanity, would be to have a selection of 'free range' rows in each section that can't be booked for those ridiculous cases where the cinema is almost empty.
The Marion complex in Southern Adelaide used to be our favourite cinema (I'm originally from Sydney) but we have opted for independent cinemas as nothing is actuially guaranteed as we;ve experienced all of the situations described in just three visits.
BCC has lost three families worth of customers for the foreseeable future, goodness knows how many others have followed suit, but I've noticed the local 'indy' cinema is enjoying the extra custom :)
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