San Jose, California will host 2018 U.S. Nationals (Dec. 29, 2017 - Jan. 7, 2018)

[maureenfarone]

The password does not work for me in Internet Explorer 11 (Windows 7 PC). It does work in Chrome. Try Chrome if you're having difficulties with IE.

Not sure what the deal is, but this is the third skating event in a row for which I've had problems buying tickets. I do believe I am jinxed.

Edited to add: Do take note of the small-print warning on the website that you cannot leave one unsold seat. They mean it.

Can't look right now, but what does your warning mean?

 

[Jarrett]

SKATESJ is another password code, I don't know why there are different codes.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Can't look right now, but what does your warning mean?

It means if, for example, there are 3 available seats left in a row but you only need 2, it won't let you buy just 2. It's an annoying TM thing that's happened to me before for a show.

 

[acraven]

Can't look right now, but what does your warning mean?

Sorry I wasn't clear. If there are four contiguous seats left in the row you like, and you want to buy three of them, you cannot, because that would leave one seat unsold. You must look for three seats together, or five or more seats together. If you want two seats, you're looking for a spot where you can see 2, 4, 5, 6, etc., available (not 3). Alternatively, you could of course split your order. I imagine that this seating policy is pretty standard, but we don't know about it because for Nationals, at least, we seldom get to choose seats from an actual live seating diagram.

Peibeck:

I don't remember the cost of tickets from one year to the next, but did you account for the fact that this year the top-price tickets include the exhibition, which usually (in recent years) has been an optional purchase? Not that I'm happy about having to buy the exhibition ticket, mind you. Also, if there's a service charge in San Jose, it's built into the ticket price rather than something that's added on at the end of the transaction. Yes, I still remember that $85 or $95 per-ticket service charge in Omaha.

 

[Debbie S]

There seem to be a lot of unavailable seats, even right at 1 pm ET when the sale started. I'm wondering if they are truly taken/reserved or if they are just holding whole rows for Thursday's sale. If they all really sold that fast, I guess it's a good sign for skating fandom, but

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I'm paying $468 including the gala for my seat in KC. To get the same seat location in San Jose I'd have to pay $1023. That's quite a difference.

 

[Jarrett]

Between 2017 and 2018 a 45% price hike for the top level seats, and a 50% price hike for the second and third tier of seat options?

Huh? Level 1 is 802 for Kansas City and 898 for San Jose? What am I missing?

 

[peibeck]

Huh? Level 1 is 802 for Kansas City and 898 for San Jose? What am I missing?

Kansas City level 1 = $895. San Jose level 1 = $1298
Kansas City level 2= $599. San Jose level 2 = $898
Kansas City level 3 = $399. San Jose level 3 = $598

 

[Jarrett]

Kansas City level 1 = $895. San Jose level 1 = $1298

Oh hahaha those aren't even for sale in the presale so I didn't consider them. lol

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Kansas City level 1 = $895. San Jose level 1 = $1298
Kansas City level 2= $599. San Jose level 2 = $898
Kansas City level 3 = $399. San Jose level 3 = $598

Level 3 in KC actually equals level 2 in SJ because they are both located at center ice and the adjoining sections. So it's $399 vs $898.

 

[acraven]

The only way to see the Platinum All-Event tickets in San Jose is to say you want to include the exhibition. It's a mandatory part of the bundle, more's the pity.

 

[peibeck]

Level 3 in KC actually equals level 2 in SJ because they are both located at center ice and the adjoining sections. So it's $399 vs $898.

I was really just comparing the three levels of price ranges, but yes you are 100% correct. And of course in KC and most expensive tickets were just for the first 3 rows. In SJ it is the first 5 rows.

Sadly I think I'll just be watching on IceNetwork.

 

[jkl]

Sorry wrong thread!

 

[stejoho40]

And cheapest seats are in upper tier rather than lower. Wow this is a lot more expensive. Ridiculous.

 

[Aaron W]

I don't think the tickets are that outrageously priced, particularly for California. When I saw the price, I was actually somewhat relieved. For example, even if one only goes to the senior events, it's possible to get an all-event ticket as close as row 12 (maybe even slightly closer at the far ends of the rink) for the 2nd tier pricing of $598. If you divide that amount over the 4 senior events, you're paying $150 per discipline. Breaking it down even further, you're basically paying $50 for each of the 4 short program events and $100 for each of the 4 free skate events (and of course this price includes the junior events and practice session admission as well). For most sporting events, sitting as close as row 12 and paying just $50 would be unthinkable. I know I can't get a seat just 12 rows from the ice at the Verizon Center here in DC to watch a random Caps game for $100, let alone just $50. Granted figure skating isn't quite as popular these days as the NHL or NBA, but we're also talking about an event that essentially serves as the Olympic trials. So I'm certainly not surprised it's more expensive than Kansas City.

 

[MacMadame]

I tried to pick tickets but had a lot of technical issues. And I'm so on the fence as to how much I'm willing to pay for what level of quality. Btw, I got an email with a different code, probably because I'm local. I may try with the other code and see if there is any difference.

 

[pvkirby]

I called them up and was able to my t he seats I wanted. However for the seats I wanted in the third tier Row 11 with three seats. One person did not want the gala but for that row I had to buy the gala also. I am local so I know I probably can sell that ticket to someone. I was on hold a for about 15 minutes before I talked to someone.

 

[Lutzcy]

I called the arena phone number provided on the emails. Spoke with Eric, purchased tickets, got my pick of seats, no service fees (ala Ticketmaster). Very helpful. Much cheaper than online with T M. Even though it says Group Sales, he took my order for only two very willingly. I did not buy gala tickets for either seat.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I called the arena phone number provided on the emails. Spoke with Eric, purchased tickets, got my pick of seats, no service fees (ala Ticketmaster). Very helpful. Much cheaper than online with T M. Even though it says Group Sales, he took my order for only two very willingly. I did not buy gala tickets for either seat.

Can I ask which level you bought and how much the tickets were without the fees? I'm just curious how much the fees are since they were built into the price.

 

[maureenfarone]

Can I ask which level you bought and how much the tickets were without the fees? I'm just curious how much the fees are since they were built into the price.

I called the number provided because I locked myself out of my Sharks account . While I was on the phone getting my password reset, I spoke to Matt and purchased 1 ticket in level 3 without the Gala and the total price was $598.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Ah so there was no difference in price between calling or ordering online then. Glad to hear because I would've been annoyed if we hadn't been told we could avoid fees by ordering over the phone.

 

[nlyoung]

S4AICE is another code in case people are still having problems.

 

[YukiNieve]

They told us that we can download the tickets one month prior the event - that is what it means by "online ticket." If they will keep our money more than 12 months, they should owe us interest rates!

 

[acraven]

YukiNieve, buying way ahead of time is standard procedure for US Nationals. Back in the 1980s (pre-Internet) tickets often went on sale 3 years ahead of time, and that was a period when you really were giving up a lot of interest on that money, as opposed to now when we have interest rates of 0.006% (or whatever--it's so minute I don't even think about it).

Exhibition Tickets: I will post in the Tickets for Sale thread, of course, but if anyone here is interested: I have three front-row center-section (across from the judges) exhibition tickets to sell. We had to buy the exhibition ticket as part of the all-event package even though all three of us typically skip the exhibition to save money. (That didn't work so well this time.)

 

[Jarrett]

Anyone know why they have the tv cameras on the other side of the arena from the judges when they didn't do that in 2012?

 

[Carolla5501]

They told us that we can download the tickets one month prior the event - that is what it means by "online ticket." If they will keep our money more than 12 months, they should owe us interest rates!

Until we change our buying habits, they aren't motivated to stop either collecting the funds far in advance or raising the prices

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Anyone know why they have the tv cameras on the other side of the arena from the judges when they didn't do that in 2012?

There's always one camera at center ice opposite the judges.

 

[YukiNieve]

　YukiNieve, buying way ahead of time is standard procedure for US Nationals. Back in the 1980s (pre-Internet) tickets often went on sale 3 years ahead of time, and that was a period when you really were giving up a lot of interest on that money, as opposed to now when we have interest rates of 0.006% 　

Wow.　I'd have forgotten if I had bought the tickets 3 years ago, lol.

 

[breathesgelatin]

I got a voicemail today from someone who works at the SAP Center and wanted to give me info on 2018 Nationals. I guess I probably gave permission at some point during signups/payment for Worlds 2016, but really interesting that they would actually call. It was a human being, not a robocall, too.

 

[kiches]

I got a voicemail today from someone who works at the SAP Center and wanted to give me info on 2018 Nationals. I guess I probably gave permission at some point during signups/payment for Worlds 2016, but really interesting that they would actually call. It was a human being, not a robocall, too.

I got the same call, but I'm also a local so I wasn't sure if that's why they decided to call me.