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Original poster

Getting annoyed by empty seats at Olympics

54 replies

Nevercan · 28/07/2012 21:38

Have watched the swimming and gymnastics tonight and there are loads of empty seats at the front and I couldn't get tickets - how annoying and such a shame as they are good seats..... Pity they can't sell them again last minute don't you think?

OP posts:
landofsoapandglory · 28/07/2012 21:40

We didn't bother applying for tickets, but have had a look today and there are still loads to be had, especially for the Paralympics.

We might go to one of the football matches at Coventry, of DH can get the day off work.

blueskycp · 28/07/2012 21:41

I was thinking the same OP

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 28/07/2012 21:42

Quite agree.
I was listening to LBC yesterday they said the seats were the £1600 - £2012 price brackett.
OK they won't get that kind of money on the day, but if they'd announced "There are XXX tickets, the next XXX people who turn up can have them for whatever price " on the news, they'd be filled.

I didn't apply, but anyone who did must be Angry.
Plus it looks bad.

quoteunquote · 28/07/2012 21:43

we are thinking the same, they should be filled,

If someone haven't arrived and hand in a ticket within half an hour of the event starting the ticket should be resold.

trixymalixy · 28/07/2012 21:44

YANBU.

quoteunquote · 28/07/2012 23:20

Sitting here watching the Australian ,Great Britain women's basketball, the seats are half empty,

we were desperate as we lots of our friends for any of the basket ball matches.

It's really not OK not to fill those seats.

greenplastictrees · 28/07/2012 23:35

I agree on the seats front. I think they should give themmto schools/holiday clubs/youth groups if they cant sell them. Why Let them stay empty?

I'd also tell people who still want to go to check every day for tickets on the website as often as possible. We picked up basketball (GB game) about a month ago (£20 tickets) and this week (yesterday) got gymnastics for £65 each ( a bit behind our budget - whoops). Tickets are going up all the time. You have to be quick and checking constantly but reasonably priced tickets are coming back on sale.

Quote unquote - there have been lots of basketball tickets at the cheaper prices on sale. Keep checking As I'm sure you'll get it. No idea why but it doesn't seem popular!

Nannyto2 · 28/07/2012 23:38

It is wrong to see them empty & the organisers are looking at why they are empty.

I personally think it is something to do with buying you tickets then bring given a 3 hour slot

RedBlanket · 28/07/2012 23:46

There's another thread about it - they are the tickets allocated to the sponsors who either can't find enough people to give them to of they give them to people who don't bother going.

I agree there should be a system to fill the empty seats, if the soon does haven't given them away.

greenplastictrees · 28/07/2012 23:48

I did wonder if it was to do with trouble/delays getting into the park but as the media aren't screaming about problems I'm guessing that isn't the case.

Just so people know - the tube were great today. Far better than an average Saturday I. London. Hoping it'll be the same for the Monday commute!

lovebunny · 29/07/2012 00:41

there shouldn't be empty seats. when they know there are seats to spare, they should offer them free to local people.

ChippingInNeedsCoffee · 29/07/2012 00:45

People should be allowed to queue for the events and the seats should be sold/re-sold if the seats aren't taken....

I'm frustrated as I applied for the gymnastics, every event, and didn't get a single tickets - watching tonight and there were 100's of empty seats :(

Thumbwitch · 29/07/2012 00:52

I agree that there shouldn't be empty seats, but I don't think it's at all fair to sell off the expensive seats cheaper, or give them away free. What about the people who have paid for the seats behind? They'd be upset if they found that out, surely.

They should move people forward to fill the front rows and then give away the back seats. That would be more fair IMO.

Thaleia · 29/07/2012 07:56

corporate sponsors! I would limit them to max 50 tickets. It's those people who get them for free who can't be arsed to turn up.
Seen it everywhere: Wimbledon, Wembley, Last Night of the Proms ....

eurochick · 29/07/2012 09:42

It's dreadful. Awful for the athletes performing in front of empty seats and disappointing for those of us who applied for tickets and didn't get them.

I agree that empty seats should be resold.

TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic · 29/07/2012 09:52

The German news has reported that there are loads of tickets unsold and loads of London hotels are half empty, because of over priced "package" deals that never sold and of bad organisation over the release of tickets etc.

BookFairy · 29/07/2012 09:57

Jeremy Hunt said that LOCOG (?) are investigating. The 'olympic family' were allocated tickets and many were bought by corporate sponsors. These are the seats that are empty. So much for 'The People's Olympics' !!

DilysPrice · 29/07/2012 10:07

I assume that Coe is going to bring the sponsors in for a "chat" and if they don't find a way to fill the spaces themselves he'll send the boys from round "name and shame". I hope that this will mean they send the tickets to public service workers, but am afraid we may get a few bored P&G receptionists setting in the front row of 16 different sports they have no interest in just to fill the seats.

But for those who are keen, and prepared to shell out; there are still tickets in the website at a price, you just have to pounce. I narrowly missed out on some synchro seats at quite a reasonable price last night, and there are some high priced diving seats up for grabs.

Julesnobrain · 29/07/2012 11:02

Appalling. We got no tickets in first allocation and now see loads of empty seats. I wanted to see the horse events. Couldn't get tickets and now I see a whole section of the stadium empty. Really unfair and who ever did the ticket system should be shot. Apparently the empty seats were reserved for corporates who I think brought the wrap around packages and then couldn't use the tickets as customers not wanting to be seen accepting expensive high profile hospitality.

quoteunquote · 29/07/2012 11:28

It's really not fun explaining to very disappointed children, that we can't get tickets , and they are watching hundreds of empty seats.

we are at the other end of the country, so advanced tickets are a must,

These corporates that have failed to put bottoms on seats should be named and shamed.

thunksheadontable · 29/07/2012 13:08

I agree. No tickets for us here either. I had a look on the website again last night and tickets will come up as being available but they are either exorbitantly expensive or it will look as though you can buy them but when you put in a request it won't return with any reservations.

quoteunquote · 29/07/2012 17:20

British airways have thousands they are not using, and have no intention of using.

quoteunquote · 29/07/2012 17:22

They should have the logo of the company on the back of allocated seats, that way if there isn't a person in the seat everyone can see who are the dogs in the manger.

plutocrap · 29/07/2012 17:29

Good idea, quoteunquote! Although I'll bet LOCOG are too chicken to try shaming sponsors!

Jeremy Hunt is looking rather ineffectual: he's not really taking this chance to redeem himself for the BSkyB/Levinson debacle.

DontEatTheVolesKids · 29/07/2012 17:46

I don't believe the Olympic Family can be at fault, or not THAT much at fault.
It's also an assessment completely at odds with what David Hoy had to say about ticket allocation for family members: he said he had to pay for tickets & even then, there were far fewer available than he wanted. So the idea that there were loads of free & unappreciated tickets allocated to "Olympic family" category ... neah, I don't believe it.

Couldn't believe how many empty seats we saw at this morning's events. And they didn't even show the Judo qualifiers we tried but failed to get tickets for!