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ABT 2015 Season, Continued


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I've found ABT phone ticket agents to be unhelpful and not knowledgeable about their policies. It's only when I go to the box office I get someone who is. It's a shame you live so far away and can't get to the box office in person. If you got a trios subscription (as I did) that should still be considered a subscription.

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On another note, With these 3 performances, I'll know what I like for seating and will be able to choose a subscription package in the future, if I want, based on my experience at the Met this season.

If you buy a subscription/trio/create your own series, you can always exchange your tickets for different seats if you are not happy with the seats you've been assigned. However, you would have to pay any price differences if the new section is more expensive.

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Referencing #87 by Abatt, I have found this to be true at NYCB's summer residence at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. I used to buy my tickets in March to get great seats, but waiting affords me the opportunity to get tickets to see performers I'm interested in. I just checked the ABT website to see what is still available for Reyes' Giselle May 27, and there are many, many tickets available.

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Thank you, NinaFan. The problem is that I did a 3 performance create your own but it is not treated as a trio subscription for the reasons I state above in an earlier post. Very weird, IMO.

I also buy individual tickets instead of a subscription as I'm very picky with where I like to sit and I like to physically pick out the seat online. I wanted to switch Giselle performances from Saturday afternoon to Saturday night, and they would not let me. So now I'm seeing 2 Giselles on Saturday.

Their policy is annoying, because even though I chose not to subscribe, I'm going to nine performances this year and you'd think they'd allow loyal customers to exchange.

Maybe next year I will do a trio and then add the additional performances separately.

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The NYCB approach to subscriptions is great. If you buy tickets to at least six performances -- even if it's late in the game when you can pick your own seats and dates - they call that a subscription and don't charge for exchanges. Yesterday (Wednesday) I went to the box office to exchange my Saturday night ticket for Friday night. (I have to see Stella's Giselle, like many of you.) My tickets all said SUBS in the lower left and that's all they needed to make the exchange. No problem. I asked the agent if this generous exchange policy was only available to subscribers and he said, "Yes. That's one advantage of being a subscriber." If you buy 3-5 performances on "Create your own," you pay a $5 exchange fee, but that's still pretty reasonable.

I tried the "trio" subscription at ABT and won't do that again. You can't pick your own seats. No discounts. You could do exchanges, but that only works best for New Yorkers.

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I also buy individual tickets instead of a subscription as I'm very picky with where I like to sit and I like to physically pick out the seat online. I wanted to switch Giselle performances from Saturday afternoon to Saturday night, and they would not let me. So now I'm seeing 2 Giselles on Saturday.

Their policy is annoying, because even though I chose not to subscribe, I'm going to nine performances this year and you'd think they'd allow loyal customers to exchange.

Maybe next year I will do a trio and then add the additional performances separately.

I know this won’t help you for this year, but I totally understand your frustration as I have been in the same boat as you are right now. The MET is very difficult to deal with. Perhaps the following strategy will help you next year…... A few years ago I started to buy Trio/Create your Own series instead of ordering any single tickets just so it would give me exchange privileges. You can buy as many performances as you like, but from past experience anything over 8 performances needs to be ordered over the phone as the website kicks you out after 8 performances. I’ve ordered as many as 10 performances this way. I know you can’t pick your seats, but you can tell them your preference or type it in if ordering online. I am very picky about my seats too. The specific requests are often ignored, but sometimes they’ll actually give you what you requested. Any particularly awful seats can always be exchanged when you come in for your first performance. It may be worth giving that a try next year.

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I tried the "trio" subscription at ABT and won't do that again. You can't pick your own seats. No discounts. You could do exchanges, but that only works best for New Yorkers.

I have a Trio subscription and I got 13 performances, purchased over the phone. I have had no problem exchanging for other dates, no dynamic pricing added. Also, for the few performances where I didn't like my seats, I've looked online now, seen what is available based on the seating chart and changed my seats, specifically requesting the seats I wanted. No problem. Yesterday I changed my row T orchestra seats for row L (now available based on the seating chart) for the June 1 Kimin Kim Bayadere. Of course, you have to do this at the box office and I live a short subway ride away.
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If you buy one trio subscription, do you then become categorized as a subscriber and able to exchange all other single tickets you might purchase that season?

Yes, you can easily exchange. However, at ABT if you purchase extra performances and dynamic pricing has kicked in you'll be charged the dynamic price. In contrast, at NYCB, if you buy extra performances and you are a subscriber (even a Create a Your Own) you'll never be charged anything above the subscriber rate for a seat.

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Last year I purchased a Create Your Own series of the minimum 3 performances. Later when I wanted to add tickets for one of my performances I was told I had to pay the higher dynamic price. I was told only when purchasing 6 or more performances in the Create Your Own series can additional tickets be purchased at the subscriber rate.

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If you buy one trio subscription, do you then become categorized as a subscriber and able to exchange all other single tickets you might purchase that season?

Yes, you become categorized as a subscriber, but I believe that any additional single tickets purchased separately from your subscription cannot be exchanged. I’ve never tried to trade in any of my single tickets, so I can’t say for sure though. I just assumed I was stuck with them.

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Last year I purchased a Create Your Own series of the minimum 3 performances. Later when I wanted to add tickets for one of my performances I was told I had to pay the higher dynamic price. I was told only when purchasing 6 or more performances in the Create Your Own series can additional tickets be purchased at the subscriber rate.

OMG! They’ve certainly kept that a secret. I have always paid ABT's escalated dynamic prices as I didn’t know I was entitled to a discount. I get the subscriber rate at NYCB, but I had no idea they also had it for ABT at the MET. So the MET considers the original ticket price before dynamic pricing has kicked in as the subscriber rate?

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I've had the experience that if you add performances to the. ABT Trio (Create Your Own) and dynamic pricing has kicked in you'll be charged that higher rate for those performances. I've always had more than 6 performances for the Trios. On the other hand, if you simply exchange tickets, you are not charged. I think it really depends on which ticket agent you get:(. ABT ticket agents have a long way to catch up to the NYCB knowledgable and helpful ones.

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I've had the experience that if you add performances to the. ABT Trio (Create Your Own) and dynamic pricing has kicked in you'll be charged that higher rate for those performances. I've always had more than 6 performances for the Trios. On the other hand, if you simply exchange tickets, you are not charged. I think it really depends on which ticket agent you get:(. ABT ticket agents have a long way to catch up to the NYCB knowledgable and helpful ones.

Amour - I've had the same experience as you. If I add performances I get charged the higher rate (dynamic pricing) even though I've always had more than 6 performances for the Trios. The same was true when I also had a regular subscription. The last time they charged me a price difference for an exhange was about 4 years ago. The last couple of years they didn't charge me the difference so I just assumed it was because it was only about a $10 difference. It's great to know that the MET has finally stopped charging us the dynamic price difference for the exchange. Thanks so much for the information!

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Honestly, when I lived in NYC and went to ABT regularly, I rarely bought tickets earlier than the day before a performance. And even though it's a gamble now that I'm only coming into town once a year, I still usually buy tickets on the day of a performance.

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So can you exchange with trio/ build your own? Does it count as a subscription or not? I don't want to go all the way to UWS to be refused, but I wonder if I would have better luck in person than I would over the phone.

Yes, it counts as a subscription. I've already done 3 exchanges (I have the Trios), no problem whatsoever.

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So can you exchange with trio/ build your own? Does it count as a subscription or not? I don't want to go all the way to UWS to be refused, but I wonder if I would have better luck in person than I would over the phone.

Did you receive a SUBSCRIBER IDENTIFICATION CARD with your trio/build your own tickets? For the past couple of years, they’ve sent me an ID subscriber card with my trio/create your own tickets. If you received an ID card, then you have your proof that you purchased your tickets as a "subscription". You should not need your ID card in order to exchange your tickets as the subscriber information is on the tickets. But you might want to bring it along with you in case they give you any trouble with your exchange.

I’m sure you know that once you trade in your tickets, you can’t exchange a second time. I’m waiting to exchange some tickets for as long as possible as I just don’t trust ABT with their bait and switch practices.

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I’m sure you know that once you trade in your tickets, you can’t exchange a second time. I’m waiting to exchange some tickets for as long as possible as I just don’t trust ABT with their bait and switch practices.

I've not had that problem. I've exchanged a few different dates a few times. And I exchanged 1 SB for a Cinderella and then exchanged that Cinderella for another on a different date. I haven't needed my subscriber card.

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I've not had that problem. I've exchanged a few different dates a few times. And I exchanged 1 SB for a Cinderella and then exchanged that Cinderella for another on a different date. I haven't needed my subscriber card.

It sounds like the moral of the story is that everything depends on which ticket agent you get and that, whatever their policies, their practices are erratic!

Interesting. Then maybe I will take a chance and exchange my ABT tickets tomorrow when I go in to see NYCB. But as nanushka has pointed out, the MET's ticket agents and their practices are erratic.

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You know, I've been thinking about ABT's guest artist policy a lot after last night's performance.

Shklaryov is the first guest performer I've seen, as I usually stick to the home grown team out of dislike of ABT's star policy of giving roles to guest artists over their own (although I did buy a ticket to see Nunez later this year-but I'm seeing Stella as well).

If I would have stuck to only seeing home grown performers, I would have missed out on what was probably the most technically thrilling and best acted Albrecht I may ever get a chance to see. But what made last night so special was the fact that not only was Shklaryov so amazing, but he and Stella were fantastic together (granted Stella is already a gorgeous dancer, but I think he elevated her performance to a level that may not have happened if she were partnered with Hammoudi or Stearns, no offence to those two).

So if ABT wants to bring in fantastic world class guest performers like Shklaryov, they should at least pair them with someone from the home team, instead of the double guest artist crap (like Osipova and Sarafonov). Then it's a win-win for ABT. They get the money from those who flock to see the guest artists, and they still give opportunities to the home team. And the guest artists should truly be world class artists (I'm not going to name names, but there have been a few who are NOT better than what ABT can front themselves).

Anyway, these are my post-Giselle frenzy hungover thoughts for the day.

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