Movie theaters are a place where we go to escape reality and enjoy some amusement, but with the most recent shift by AMC Theatres, that straightforward pleasure is becoming harder and harder to find. Sightline at AMC is the latest ticket price effort to be adopted by the nation’s largest exhibition chain, which charges moviegoers based on the location of their seat within the theater. This new pricing structure has already been put into effect according to an article posted at Variety Magazine.
You did read that sentence correctly. You will be required to pay a different amount for entry depending on where you choose to sit in the venue going forward. There will be seats available in the middle section of the theater for a reduced price, while there will be seats available in the front row of the theater for a lower price.
This will not be a one-time occurrence; rather, by the end of the year, this effort will be implemented throughout all of AMC’s domestic theaters. Unbelievable!
To make a bad situation even worse, AMC Theatres has segmented the seats into three distinct categories, each of which has a unique pricing structure. The first type of sightline is called the Standard Sightline, and it is referred to as the “most frequent seats in auditoriums.” This type of sightline will be offered for the standard price for a ticket. The second option is called the Value Sightline, and it is described as being in the “first row of the auditorium.” However, this option will only be offered at a reduced price to AMC Stubs members, including those with the free tier membership. And last but not least, there is the Preferred Sightline, also known as the “seats in the heart of the auditorium.” The price of these seats will be more than the price of the ordinary sightline seats. AMC Stubs A-List members will not be charged an additional fee to make reservations in the Preferred Sightline section of the theater.
This plan will be enforced through the use of a thorough seat map that they will present during the process of purchasing tickets. The seat map will outline each seating option and the price that will be associated with selecting that option. And to rub salt in the wound, this pricing structure will be implemented for all showtimes beginning at 4 p.m. and later, and it will not even be valid for Discount Tuesdays.
We should not have to put up with AMC Theatres’ never-ending practice of charging us additional fees. The recent increase in ticket prices is completely unacceptable, and it is time for consumers of cinematic entertainment to take a stand and demand reasonable costs for a night spent being entertained.
Sightline at AMC more closely aligns AMC’s seat pricing approach to that of many other entertainment venues, offering experienced-based pricing and another way for moviegoers to find value at the movies
Eliot Hamlisch, executive VP and CMO at AMC Theatres
Source: Variety
