Village Cinemas Is Trialling Surge-Priced Movie Tickets Over Summer

Haven't seen The Last Jedi yet? Been waiting until the Boxing Day rush dies down to see the last batch of 2017 flicks? If so, and you're a Melburnian headed to a Village Cinema, you might want to keep an eye on ticket prices. During the summer holidays, the cinema chain is trialling dynamic pricing at selected sites. In other words: if you go during peak times, you'll pay more for the privilege.

As first reported on Reddit, after 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays, customers can expect to spend between 50 cents and $1 more to watch whichever feature takes their fancy, and to see candy bar costs rise by between 30 cents and $1 per item. Yes, it's the same concept that Uber users hate during busy periods, now showing at multiplexes including Crown, Fountain Gate, Doncaster, Jam Factory, Southland and Werribee.

The idea of variable movie ticket prices isn't new — student discounts, cheap Tuesdays and the like — but charging more during peak cinema-going slots isn't going to be well-received given that Aussie ticket costs rose 31 percent in the decade to 2016. Interestingly enough, while Village Cinemas is ramping things up in popular periods, it's not decreasing them for slow sessions and times. It might be school holidays, but we're guessing that some titles on their schedule aren't selling out to weekday morning crowds, particularly if they're not aimed at kids.

In 2017, an app called Choovie proposed the same concept, calling themselves "Uber for movies" and offering up bargains in quiet spots. It currently features deals at selected times in selected locations, all for less than the regular multiplex ticket prices.

Going to the cinema hasn't died out as many have predicted over the years, and isn't likely to. The thrill of seeing a new film on a big screen in a darkened room with (hopefully) no distractions is something that your huge TV and Netflix just can't beat, and nor can piracy. Still, with Aussie attendance in decline, charging viewers more for seeing a flick at times when most people like to go to the movies is up there with the rumour that Apple would introduce a 'theatre mode' option for mid-movie texting — that is, it's a downright terrible idea.

Via news.com.au