Good News, Billings! AMC Theaters Decides To NOT Charge Per Seat

In a rare W these days, AMC Theaters announced they will "pivot away" from their newest (terrible) idea, Sightline, after they completed pilot testing of the program.

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A Few Months Ago...

Back in February, I wrote on this issue, where AMC had plans to charge different seating prices based on the location of your seat in the theater. That would be the first major change to ticket pricing in years, however (thankfully), AMC simply did a pilot run... and realized this wasn't the best move.

Not All Roses And Rainbows

In the announcement, AMC admitted they did not see an increase in usage of the front seats in theaters trying Sightline, and instead, saw customers pay the upcharge to sit where they normally would.

After also realizing competitors did not adjust pricing, simply ignoring the AMC test, AMC has chosen to end the program to keep their own pricing competitive.

What's Next?

AMC is learning from this... adventure... and is pivoting to its next grand scheme. In late 2023, AMC will begin testing a new seating concept. Large, comfortable lounge-style seating areas to allow guests to lay all the way back and relax. This, according to AMC, will also make it more enjoyable to watch movies from the front-row seats closest to the screen.

My Take

The Sightline pricing was a terrible idea, as nobody was going to pay less to sit in crappy seats... when the price is already too high.

This idea of changing to front row seats to be better, and allow you to fully recline? Now THAT is something I like. And I hope it makes it to Montana!

What are your thoughts?

Did you also hate the idea of paying more for the same seats? Would you enjoy the front row if your seat was premium? Let us know on App Chat or on Facebook.

(Source: amctheaters.com)