It seems like, once again, we have been betrayed by Nicole Kidman. She brought us to AMC theaters to laugh and cry and become way too attached to robotic dolls, only to sneak in a new price hike while nobody was looking. Only kidding. It’s not really Kidman’s fault, but her “heartbreak” commercial hits differently now.
AMC theaters announced that they will be adjusting seat prices starting this week at select locations. Despite sounding like a fun gondola ride, Sightline at AMC is a less-fun new ticket pricing model that will adjust seat prices based on where the viewer is sitting in the auditorium.
Kind of like how there is an unspoken hierarchy of seats in your family’s living room, each seat will be priced differently based on where it’s located in the theater according to the screen. Less desirable seats like the front row will be a lower price than those in the middle of the room, where you can get that crystal clear view of alien fish.
The new price model will begin this week in select New York, Chicago, and Kansas City locations and is expected to be introduced domestically later in the year. According to Variety, there will be three ticket pricing options: Standard Sightline, which is a standard price ticket for the most common seats, then there’s Value Sightline, referred to as “seats in the front row of the auditorium, as well as select ADA seats in each auditorium, and are available at a lower price than standard sightline seats” and finally, Preferred Sightline seats, which are middle “premium” seats at higher prices. These options are available to AMC Stubs A-list for no additional cost.
It seems like a potentially risky move, though there is one upside: Sightline is not applicable to $5 Discount Tuesdays, the best day of the week to see a movie. Tuesday Moviegoers, we are safe this round.