March 16, 2009

Sticker shock continues for Yanks, Mets fans

Opening day for the New York Yankees and Mets new stadiums are less than a month away, and more and more people are noticing that the teams will be charging through the nose for the privilege of enjoying all those new cupholders. The latest developments:

• Jay Jaffe was finally offered seats for less than $85 a pop, but remains unhappy about the whole experience.
• The Yankees are offering first dibs on buying single-game tickets to season ticket holders, with the hoi polloi (and holders of smaller miniplans) going to the back of the line.
• With single-game Mets tickets going on sale to the general public today, fans are starting to notice what I noted last week during the pre-sale: They're crazy expensive. "I'm speechless," one Mets fan and blogger told amNewYork. "I was shocked by the pricing, especially the outfield seats."

It's pretty shocking, no doubt — as much as $70 a pop for seats in the front sections of the outfield, the kind that used to be known as "bleachers." It's little wonder, then, that fans look to be heading for the rafters as fast as possible — though this isn't helped by the team's online ordering system, which when a certain section isn't available (in my experience looking for tickets yesterday) appears to automatically offer much pricier seats closer to the field as a substitute.

As for the latest indignity to Yankees fans, it seems odd to offer season ticket holders first crack at buying individual game tickets — these are the people who already have seats after all. But there could be method to the madness: Doing it this way not only helps strong-arm fans into coughing up for season plans, but it effectively pushes the risk of whether tickets will sell onto fans, who will be the ones waiting and watching if their excess ducats draw buyers on StubHub. Not to mention that the Yankees now get commissions from every resale on StubHub, meaning they can effectively charge twice for selling the same tickets. Nice work if you can get it.