The secret shopper tests online ticketing
By Michael Leaverton
(8/23/01)
(8/23/01)
The last time I went to the multiplex, I got trapped in huge box-office line of people buying tickets for Hannibal. I wasn't there to see Hannibal; I wanted to see Traffic, which unfortunately started 30 minutes before the gastronomically incorrect thriller. By the time I made it to the front of the line, Traffic had moved on without me.
I decided that it was curtains for me and the multiplex, but, recently, I became intrigued by the claims made by sites that sell movie tickets online: secured admission, no waiting in lines, print-at-home tickets, even reserved seating. I decided to return to the big screen.
I slipped into my secret-shopper disguise and settled on a no-nonsense plan: buy tickets for movies in San Francisco from each of the online ticketing sites, then arrive seconds before show time and see if I got star treatment as an average-Joe moviegoer.
AOL Moviefone
Jurassic Park III, the mother of all summer blockbusters, deserved the mother of all movie sites: AOL Moviefone.
Fandango
This new player in the online movie ticket game forced me to jump in the Honda and speed the 45 or so miles down to San Jose. Why? Print-at-home tickets.
MovieTickets.com
This online ticket service tempted me with the lowest service charge of all the sites. Unfortunately, the ticket I received wasn't a ticket at all.
Epilogue: Almost famous
Online ticketing is the Net's latest It app, but find out if this rising star has staying power. Plus, learn how to get the most out of online ticket services.
Michael Leaverton is a staff writer for CNET Tech Trends. Have a question or comment for him? Drop us a line.
