AMC announce plans to charge more for certain cinema tickets
AMC, the largest movie theatre chain in the world, has been criticised for its decision to announce a new plan to raise ticket prices depending on where you choose to sit in the cinema.
More like the costing structure of choosing a seat on an airline, the new plan from AMC will mean that it will cost more to sit in the middle rows of the theatre than the front row. Whilst the theatre chain is looking to implement this by the end of the year in all US locations, they have already announced that the plan will be rolled out across New York, Chicago and Kansas City from February 11th.
The pricing structure will be broken down into three options: ‘preferred’, which corresponds to the best seat in the house in the middle row, ‘value’ for the front row seats and the ‘standard’ option for everything else.
The announcement has attracted a swath of criticism against the theatre chain, with fans speaking out against the nonsensical decision online. One major issue that has arisen is the claim that the move from AMC is ‘classist’, preventing individuals from less favourable financial positions from enjoying the best experience in a space that strives for inclusivity.
Joining this debate was the Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood, who lambasted AMC by stating: “The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by AMC Theatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income”.
The decision comes as the cinema industry is still struggling to recover from the Covid pandemic of 2020 and 2021, which saw theatres across the world being shut down. Whilst cinemas are trying as hard as possible to recuperate profits, this controversial, classist method will likely turn away more people from heading to the big screen.
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