5 ms·

wait... I don't think I've ever experienced assigned seats in a movie theatre. Is that a thing?

by sbrother 5mo ago

IncreasePosts 5mo ago
Yes for higher end theaters like imax and the kind where everyone had a recliner chair
- jb1991 5mo ago
  Or just about any movie theater of any kind outside of North America.
Lindby 5mo ago
I've never been to a theater without assigned seats. Maybe it's a regional difference?
- voidfunc 5mo ago
  Regional where...? Never seen this in the Northeast.
  - jb1991 5mo ago
    Outside North America just about every country I’ve ever lived in or visited had assigned movie ticket seats.
    - nottorp 5mo ago
      And in some places there are so few movie theaters that, at least on weekends, you have to buy days in advance or you might as well stay home.
    - pjmlp 5mo ago
      As European, I can tell that it depends on the kind of cinema, and country. My experience, being discussed in another thread, is that only big commercial multiplex do it, many small cinemas with more alternative content, usually don't do assigned seats, only ticket reservations.
  - k4rli 5mo ago
    I'm also in the northeast (Europe). It is quite normal to have assigned seats.
  - disillusioned 5mo ago
    It's shifted a lot in the past few years: AMC has assigned seating in most (all?) theaters, for instance. Our regional theater, Harkins, same. Personally, I like being able to select the exact seats and pre-order popcorn and soda and just have it show up to me right as the trailers end.
- Jailbird 4mo ago
  Adding on and being specific: AMC in the GSP mall in Paramus, NJ. Assigned seating for sure.
deleted 5mo ago
[deleted]
ravenstine 5mo ago
When I grew up in LA 20+ years ago, seating was way more casual. Now everywhere seems to want assigned seating. I think this is in part because so many theater chains now offer a "premium" dining experience. It's yet another reason I rarely go to theaters anymore, on top of most of the film offerings being crap.
jb1991 5mo ago
It’s the only way I’ve ever seen movie tickets sold outside of North America anywhere.
- vasco 5mo ago
  You can find both kinds, in europe especially the cut is very clear, commercial cinemas ALWAYS have assigned sitting. The kind you see at malls and have the Hollywood rotation of marvel shit movies. Then you have smaller cinemas with indie movies, european movie festival rotation, etc, and many of those in at least 4 or 5 countries in Europe I can confirm do NOT have assigned sitting.
tdeck 5mo ago
I feel like the newer (e.g. post 2010s) theaters with more "premium" comfortable seats tend to assign seats these days. Probably differs by chain.
linsomniac 5mo ago
Yes, it's been a thing for at least a decade, I imagine it helps with pre-sales online, though it may just be offered as a convenience. It really does help keep the movie from unexpectedly being a lousy experience; if you're stuck in a crappy seat, or your family can't sit together, it's because you picked those seats. As someone else mentioned, it also allows them to bring you dinner and provide that upsell as well. Even our small independent theater in town has reserved seats, some of which are couches.
- LordDragonfang 5mo ago
  > it's been a thing for at least a decade Maybe in fancy theaters, but in most places it started during covid (and just never stopped)
  - bsimpson 4mo ago
    When I was in college in the 00s, there was a Hollywood theater that was renowned for having assigned seats and charging close to $20 per ticket. Neither of those is remarkable now, but they were both unheard-of then.
- sbrother 4mo ago
  That actually sounds... really nice. Like they've borrowed some of the things from traditional theatre that make the experience not awful. My reference point for movie theatres is the late 90s/early 2000s so maybe I'll have to give them another try.
  - bombcar 4mo ago
    The oldest theaters might still be the way they always were, but most have gone to offering direct ticketing (to cut Fandango and friends out) and they need something to offer you to make you buy ahead - being able to select the seat is the carrot.
duped 4mo ago
I live in a major metro area, basically every theater has assigned seats now.

wait... I don't think I've ever experienced assigned seats in a movie theatre. Is that a thing?

IncreasePosts 5mo ago

Yes for higher end theaters like imax and the kind where everyone had a recliner chair

jb1991 5mo ago
Or just about any movie theater of any kind outside of North America.

Lindby 5mo ago

I've never been to a theater without assigned seats. Maybe it's a regional difference?

voidfunc 5mo ago
Regional where...? Never seen this in the Northeast.
- jb1991 5mo ago
  Outside North America just about every country I’ve ever lived in or visited had assigned movie ticket seats.
  - nottorp 5mo ago
    And in some places there are so few movie theaters that, at least on weekends, you have to buy days in advance or you might as well stay home.
  - pjmlp 5mo ago
    As European, I can tell that it depends on the kind of cinema, and country. My experience, being discussed in another thread, is that only big commercial multiplex do it, many small cinemas with more alternative content, usually don't do assigned seats, only ticket reservations.
- k4rli 5mo ago
  I'm also in the northeast (Europe). It is quite normal to have assigned seats.
- disillusioned 5mo ago
  It's shifted a lot in the past few years: AMC has assigned seating in most (all?) theaters, for instance. Our regional theater, Harkins, same. Personally, I like being able to select the exact seats and pre-order popcorn and soda and just have it show up to me right as the trailers end.
Jailbird 4mo ago
Adding on and being specific: AMC in the GSP mall in Paramus, NJ. Assigned seating for sure.

deleted 5mo ago

[deleted]

ravenstine 5mo ago

When I grew up in LA 20+ years ago, seating was way more casual. Now everywhere seems to want assigned seating. I think this is in part because so many theater chains now offer a "premium" dining experience. It's yet another reason I rarely go to theaters anymore, on top of most of the film offerings being crap.

jb1991 5mo ago

It’s the only way I’ve ever seen movie tickets sold outside of North America anywhere.

vasco 5mo ago
You can find both kinds, in europe especially the cut is very clear, commercial cinemas ALWAYS have assigned sitting. The kind you see at malls and have the Hollywood rotation of marvel shit movies. Then you have smaller cinemas with indie movies, european movie festival rotation, etc, and many of those in at least 4 or 5 countries in Europe I can confirm do NOT have assigned sitting.

tdeck 5mo ago

I feel like the newer (e.g. post 2010s) theaters with more "premium" comfortable seats tend to assign seats these days. Probably differs by chain.

linsomniac 5mo ago

Yes, it's been a thing for at least a decade, I imagine it helps with pre-sales online, though it may just be offered as a convenience. It really does help keep the movie from unexpectedly being a lousy experience; if you're stuck in a crappy seat, or your family can't sit together, it's because you picked those seats. As someone else mentioned, it also allows them to bring you dinner and provide that upsell as well. Even our small independent theater in town has reserved seats, some of which are couches.

LordDragonfang 5mo ago
> it's been a thing for at least a decade Maybe in fancy theaters, but in most places it started during covid (and just never stopped)
- bsimpson 4mo ago
  When I was in college in the 00s, there was a Hollywood theater that was renowned for having assigned seats and charging close to $20 per ticket. Neither of those is remarkable now, but they were both unheard-of then.
sbrother 4mo ago
That actually sounds... really nice. Like they've borrowed some of the things from traditional theatre that make the experience not awful. My reference point for movie theatres is the late 90s/early 2000s so maybe I'll have to give them another try.
- bombcar 4mo ago
  The oldest theaters might still be the way they always were, but most have gone to offering direct ticketing (to cut Fandango and friends out) and they need something to offer you to make you buy ahead - being able to select the seat is the carrot.

duped 4mo ago

I live in a major metro area, basically every theater has assigned seats now.