Movie theatres are finally recovering from the lack of audiences due to COVID-19. After the pandemic, most people began to buy tickets online to avoid long ticket lines and to get a better seating spot to watch. But Landmark Cinemas, one of the two biggest theatre chains in Canada, is charging extra fees for booking online. Wouldn’t this un-attract the audiences?
One thing that doesn’t sit well with me is that Landmark is following in the footsteps of Cineplex. Ever since Cineplex started booking fees last year, I barely went to their theatres. Landmark is following the wrong things from its competitor, but since it worked out for Cineplex, why wouldn’t it work for Landmark?
Another thing that bothers me is the specific fee amount: $1.50 per ticket (stops after 4 tickets, though). The number seems kind of arbitrary, like not a neat dollar or two but one whole and a half. It sucks because that is the initial price, which is bound to increase later on. The theatres are really trying to milk out as much as money they can from us.
Speaking of milking out money, it does not help that movie tickets are pretty pricey already. The average ticket cost in Landmark Cinemas is $15. I get that the price rose due to inflation, but that amount is ridiculous. Remember Toonie Tuesdays? $2 is now $9.25 before tax. Another arbitrary number.
The worst part is that there’s a noticeable pricing imbalance. Those who buy tickets at the theatre avoid this online booking fee. Didn’t they create an online purchasing option because it’s faster and you could skip the waiting line? That contradicts the goal of encouraging theatre visits. I guess either line will be longer, or people will just save their money on something else.
There is a loophole, though. Landmark Movie Club members don’t have to pay the online fee. At a reasonable monthly cost of $10, including a movie ticket, and a 20% discount on tickets and concessions, it’s a pretty good deal for frequent moviegoers.
Still, not many people would sign up because some of us only watch a few times in the theatres. After the booking fee on already expensive tickets, those people might just wait for the movie to be released digitally and watch it, legally or otherwise.
Overall, the new booking fee in Landmark will discourage people from booking their tickets online, which can push away moviegoers. My only suggestion is to wait for it to be released online or subscribe to their club.