For me they did make an effort to find an equivalent seat but did not offer a refund, and FWIW when I asked whether I could get my money back my ticket rep said he'd have to talk to his manager.
To each his own...I rather sit semi-low about 5 yards up from the top of the box. I have great seats, but I hope they include the Sky Lounge in future tours and make it available for season ticket holder events...it does sound cool. Maybe they move the Quake memorabilia into the lounge or in the future have another similar site on the other side of the stadium for a Quake museum...hopefully with a bar...you can never have enough places to grab a pint.
The same Reddit poster who exclaimed "Horseshit" just answered my questions in a more recent post: "We got moved to the opposite corner, which is fine. Its [sic] just the way they handled it and the timing." (Emphasis added). So, in short, as I surmised, s/he was reasonably accommodated. Albeit, as I've acknowledged, the Quakes handled things in a clumsy and inconsiderate way.
This club has gone quite a way since the days of the "season ticket waiting list". I'm a bit shocked that the experience of seeing the number of STHs decline so precipitously hasn't spurred the FO to reach out and see what the problem is. Instead, they are simply trying to recoup the lost revenue by doing things like this, that essentially maximize revenue at the expense of the most dedicated fans. I'm not sure when cutting off your nose to spite your face became a rational busines strategy...
Totally agree......the bar/lounge area will be were casual fans can congregate, and I expect to see the seats in that section mostly empty..... just like Oracle and other stadiums (special club/bart/lounge/beautiful-rich people section that the average fan can't enter) have sections like this I'm not surprised the Quakes made this move.... Just curious since there is no longer a waiting list for season tickets, are all the lower level suites still sold out for 2018? I would like to know if "corporate" suite holders are bailing on this club like some many STH's did....
I think a 10% rebate (with an option to cancel for a full refund) would have been appropriate for moving people after they had already paid.
The first 5 rows of the bowl are "Midfield Club" seats and have always had access to the moat area. They are usually some of the most loyal longtime fans of the club. What I have problem with is the one game wonders who have tickets to row 4 in the moat, the table seats, for a game and take up real seats in the first 3 rows.
Don't disagree. But I also think the option to cancel for a full refund is always implicit. (Even if the ticket reps are ignorant of this or counseled not to let on.) Otherwise, this is bait-and-switch.
With all the "Sky Lounge" talk I didn't even notice the other new section... Go ahead, take a look around! ☁️⚽️🥂Sky Lounge at Avaya Stadium Photo Gallery: https://t.co/CQpPA2ptOb pic.twitter.com/o1MvsE8jcI— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) November 16, 2017 See those pairs of seats next to the bench? Yeah, you can sit in those. 😱Everything you need to know about our unique new Bench Suites: https://t.co/JNjmsYVLSZ pic.twitter.com/WzY2fg9NgU— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) November 16, 2017
"Always" as in all three years? The extra people were not a problem until this year, when at times the area behind the seats was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded. And then, as I noted, people grabbing seats which they knew weren't theirs. I wondered if the FO was selling SRO tickets to the moat. It will be interesting to see what happens when the contracts are up. Why would anyone pay for moat seats if we can sit in the bowl -- better sightlines -- and access the moat whenever we want?
I agree, the view of the field from up there is not bad at all. Personally, I would rather watch a game from up there, than from the luxury moat.
So that is interesting too. Did they actually improve the other rows in some way, or just change the name and charge more money? Because I remember that happening at Buck Shaw, when our less-premium seats suddenly became more-premium...without any other changes occurring.
I wouldn't pay any more than I would for the same seats in the corner on the other side of the goal. I also would not pay my section 107 prices to sit in the moat. I don't need to see how much someone is actually sweating out on the field, I prefer seeing the positioning and movement of the players.
LOL. That wasn't what I was getting at. Your unwillingness to pay a premium for the seats associated with the sky lounge anecdotally confirms my hypothesis that they are going to be a tough sell.
I pulled out the original fancy sales brochure from before the stadium's opening. The first 5 rows are the Midfield Club, (though row 1 is priced more). They list these perks: -Seating in first 5 rows -parking pass -larger, plush seats -invitations to exclusive VIP events. Nothing in the original brochure about access to the moat area, however, I do have a vague recollection of hearing that elsewhere.
When I selected my moat seats from one of the fancy brochures before the stadium was built, it showed no aisle separating the suite seats from the club seats, so rather than select the seats closest to midfield, I selected them one section away so I could have aisle seats. Yet, when the stadium opened, the defect was corrected and as-built there is an aisle separating the suite seats from the club seats. Had the seat selection brochure been accurate I could have arguably had better seats for the same price. Oh, well. From my perspective, there's not a bad seat in the house. And if someone's in my seat, I'll politely tell them to scram. No biggie.
Yeah, the bench seating option on a per-game basis allows fans to try out an up close seat without having to make a multi-year commitment to the moat. These seats are likely to be very popular. Whereas the sky lounge is an elitist innovation, the bench seats are democratizing. Of course that doesn't fit the monstrosity mantra.
As I read it, the bench seating is only available as a per-game suite buy that includes eight seats right next to the players. They're calling it Bench Suite, not Bench Seat.
I'm confused. Who used to sit in those seats? Players' friends and families? They aren't new seating areas, are they? - - - - - - edit: I just read the link above https://t.co/JNjmsYVLSZ and I'm still confused. I don't remember any open air space along the "tunnel" -- i thought that was where the stairs go up to my 106 bowl area. But this description says they are brand new seats, and a new wall.