London 2012 charging for babies

[DoodleAlley]

AIBU to think its extortionate that London 2012 are charging full price for all people including babies for all but a few events.

How can they justify charging for a baby which won't take up a seat?

We'd love to apply for a ticket but are thinking about trying for a second child before, oh, the next year and a half. But buying another twenty pound plus ticket for a child which might not even be conceived or might be 6 months old seems crazy.

And we just dont have the option to leave a baby with family.

How can this be encouraging children to be involved?!

I have had the same problem. I am due to have a baby also conceived after I got Olympic tickets. I rang the customer services line yesterday and they told me I might be able to buy a ticket for the event when more tickets are released in April. There were no child tickets available for this event when we got the tickets and they each cost £95. They told me their rule would not be revised. I told them this was going to be a common problem and nearly all other sporting events are reasonable (see BBC website 25th Jan) this did not seem to affect their decisions in any way. I will be breastfeeding and have effectively been told that as a mother I have to give up my ticket as they cannot use common sense or possibly equal opportunities. It seems very unreasonable to me.

I think this is a big pile of PURE BULLSHIT. My infant can't even say mama or distiguish between a right or left breast and we have to pay for him to be with us. This is gross stupidity and quiet discrimintory. The child is obviously not going to take a seat. If the child occupies a seat then that is fine but an infant in arms is really ridiculous to have to pay. UNFAIR!

How can we change their ignorance?

God get your purse out. Brats have to
pay!!

Why would you want to take your baby to the Olympics if they are so young they will never remember it? I bet these same mothers wouldn't like it so much if I took my baby to the theatre and had him crying, ruining their experience.

Buy a ticket for the kid if you must and stop whingeing. They should be banned never mind being allowed in with a ticket! This is not an event for babies. And some of you say 'we shouldn't have to pay for a seat next to us and then leave it empty'. Where do you intend to put your bag full of extra nappies, baby food, spare baby clothes if needed etc? Oh, you were going to put it in the aisle and block it for the rest of us paying customers were you? Typically selfish.

meez you say "The child is obviously not going to take a seat."
But that isn't the point. The child is going to take from the total amount of people allowed into the event.

All Olympic events have to have licenses from local authorities. The licenses are for a maximum number of people regardless of age. Every child going in, for free or otherwise, means that one less full paying adult can't go in. This is not a tricky concept to understand, is it? Where is 'their ignorance' in this? Why exactly should tickets be given away for free/reduced price when it means that when it means they can sell fewer full price tickets to adults who want to buy them?

I've not read through whole post, but when I saw this thread a couple of weeks ago I was disgusted. It prompeted me to write to the Mayor & this is the response I Just received:

Thank you for your email regarding tickets to the London 2012 Games.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is responsible for the ticketing of the 2012 Games and everyone attending the Games must be a ticket holder. The licences for the venues stipulate a maximum number of people that can be in a venue at any one time, this include babies. Therefore, if a baby has been allocated a ticket but does not use the seat, LOCOG cannot fill the seat with someone else in addition.

LOCOG established the 'Pay Your Age' scheme for children aged 16 and under, meaning they would literally pay their age for a ticket. Tickets for children aged one and under were charged at £1. These Pay Your Age tickets were available at a third of all sessions.

It is anticipated that approximately one million additional tickets will go on sale in April and there may be an opportunity for parents to purchase extra tickets for the sessions they already have tickets for. For those that wish to add a Pay Your Age ticket to an existing account, which should already have at least one full price ticket in it, they will need to call the Ticketing team on 0844 847 2012 when tickets go on sale.

Yours sincerely,

Isis Martin
London 2012 Team

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GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY

I wasn't pregnant or ttc when DH and I applied for tickets. I now find myself in the position of having tickets to two events and will have a 4 month old child who I would really like to breastfeed (managed it last time, but couldn't express) so I may not be able to be separated from him without discomfort and engorgement on my part and hunger on his. I don't mind if I have to pay a little extra to take an infant, but having got a ticket (when i don't know anyone else who did) it now seems that I won't be allowed to go. It seems petty to stop DH going, but I can't believe I'll have to just let someone go in my place because I'll probably be unable to get an extra ticket (and there's no way I could afford an extra full-price one!).

Well atleast one Tory activist thinks Ministers have agreed a policy change and will be making tickets available for infants at a cost of £1

www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/community/opinion/letters/oh_baby_it_s_sorted_1_4228442

However, given there hasn't been a more general announcement I'd not bank on this just yet

meez you've just been quoted on 10 o'clock live!

I started a new thread to tell Meez but they've only ever posted once and that was the post that got quoted so Meez may or may not become aware of her fame. :(

London 2012 Need to offer more guidelines on this.... The current FAQ on this subject doesn't really help.

I sent them the question below - I will let you know if I get a useful response!

Dear Sir or Madam

When I applied for tickets I was not pregnant, now I am. My baby is due on 17th May and will be about 3 months old when we were hoping to attend the paralyimpics. I hope to be breastfeeding and the baby will not need a seat. as it will be too small.

I am happy to pay for an age ticket and if the price is OK I will buy an infant ticket if I have to, but if I can't be guaranteed a ticket for the baby for all the events we are currently attending then my husband and I will not be able to use our tickets as we can't leave the baby if I am still feeding them.

I understand from you FAQ that I need to apply for tickets when they go on sale later this year - by phone - lets hope I don't miss your email letting me know when this happens and that I can get through on the number provided!

If we cannot get tickets for the baby will it be possible to get our tickets refunded, if we can't bring our baby to any of the events. To be honest if we can't get a ticket for the baby you are leaving us no option but not to attend.

Is LONDON2012's view moving towards allowing newborns in arms in free? REGISTER ON THEIR WEBSITE

Hi all. I just called up Tickets London 2012 to enquire about the baby/ticketing issue as we are due #2 three weeks before the Olympics. London 2012 originally said they would make a decision in April and they would release additional tickets in April after a decision was made. Given this is the last day of April, I thought I'd check to see what was the latest.
There is no official update yet BUT the person I spoke to suggested that I register via their website to receive information regarding when tickets will be released. Throughout this conversation I got the distinct impression that if enough people register and show they intend to bring their newborn and if there are not enough additional tickets for that venue then it could be that newborns will be allowed to be taken in free (in arms).

I can only stress this is not an official view but if there is any truth to the impression I got from London2012 I can only recommend that EVERYONE PLEASE REGISTER AN ENQUIRY WITH LONDON2012 ASAP.

To do this you:
1 Go to the website: www.tickets.london2012.com
2 Click on the 'help' button, top RHS
3 Click on 'Frequently asked questions' (blue text). A pop up will emerge.
4 Choose the first option 'How do I contact you?'
5 Scroll right down to the highlighted text at the bottom right that states 'send us a question'. A pop up will emerge with the title 'Submit a question to the London 2012 Ticketing team.'
6 Fill in the details (Subject choice of 'Ticket application enquiry'), include your ticketing account, and either specify exactly what events you want to bring your newborn to or state you want to bring your newborn to all of them. You have to have your Ticketing Account Number.
7 Submit your enquiry.

According to my discussion, Ticketing London 2012 will contact us when a decision is made and tell us how to get additional tickets (free or otherwise).

Please pass this on to all relevant and affected people.

Thanks for that Sleepy.

Slight thread hijack but I notice you said you are due 3 weeks before the Olympics start. I'm also due 3 weeks before and as a ftm I'm wondering if I'm completely deluded/out of my mind to think we might still be able to go and watch the marathon finish and the show jumping final. Everyone who asks if I'm still going (depending on the baby being allowed to go of course) looks at me like I'm crazy when I say I hope I will be able to go. My mil has gone mental and said she will be extremely unhappy if we so much as think about taking the baby with us. Am I crazy for even thinking me and the baby might be fit for it?

Sleepy - thanks for that - just wanted to add that anyone considering going to the Olympics with a baby should register as in your post (have just been through this with the ticket hotline).
Definitely a good question as to whether anyone in their right mind should consider taking a newborn to the Olympics!

Has everyone interested seen the other thread, apparently babies under 12 months in a sling or similar will be allowed in to majority of Olympic venues. Hurrah, someone at LOCOG has seen sense at last!