Reserved Seats: Do They Improve the Movie Theater Experience?

Film centers began rolling out reserved seating in mid-September that will require customers to choose movie theater seats as they buy tickets, causing mixed reactions from patrons.

In Manhattan, N.Y., people became surprised when they found out about the new arrangement in six movie outlets. Prior to choosing reserved chairs, film watchers only need to come on a first-come-first-served basis to pick their desired spot inside the cinemas.

Critics say the new system will only slow down the pace of ticket queues, as it will require people to go through an extra step of choosing seats. We have to digress, though, since it’s already hard enough that the person in front of you takes too long to decide what movie they should see and at what time.

Market Expansion

AMC Theatres, which implemented the reserved seat model, plans to expand the system in more locations in other urban areas such as Los Angeles and across the U.S. The entertainment company currently uses reserved seating at 125 locations all over the country.

Some people still prefer the old way of choosing seats like Mia Katherine, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Katherine said she may be discouraged to watch a movie when all of the best seats have been taken ahead of her ticket purchase.

Still, there are others who believe that it’s time that the movie industry emulates what airlines do when travelers book their flights.

Curtain Call

Despite the perceived effect of reserved seating, proponents of the model argue that it will particularly benefit Manhattan moviegoers, due to the rapid pace of living in the city and the horrendous traffic.

In general, a reserved seat can assure you that there is an available chair even after the opening credits have lapsed when you arrive at the cinema. How many times have we gone to the movies only to find out we’re sitting in the topmost left corner anyway?