Want a good seat? Prepare to pay for it

Getting a concert ticket close to the stage will cost more than general admission or a seat further away from the stage. In fact, the further from the stage, the cheaper the ticket.

We’re used to paying more for better seating at a concert, but who is willing to pay more for a “better” seat at a movie theater? AMC Theaters is going to find out.

The nation’s largest movie theater chain, on Monday, unveiled a new pricing scheme in which seat location determines how much a movie ticket will cost, according to a news report.

Seats in the middle of the theater will cost a dollar or two more and seats in the front will be a bit cheaper.

“Sightline,” as the pricing plan is being called, has already been rolled out in some locations and, by the end of the year, will be in place at all domestic AMC theaters during showings after 4 p.m., the report said.

Those seats classified as “standard sightline” will be regular price, but if you are looking for a bargain and want to pay less for the “value sightline” seats, you must be a member of the chain’s subscription service, AMC Stubs.

Movie theaters are still trying to recover from the pandemic, the report said. As a result, exhibitors have looked at more variable pricing methods, including charging more for sought-after movies in their first week of release.

But with the rising cost of movie tickets, especially when factoring in large-format screens and 3D showings, it seems that $16.50 for a movie ticket might just be too much for some.

The $16.50 price tag was the average cost for a 3D premium format ticket for “Avatar: The Way of Water.” In fact, any 3D movie is going to cost more.

The price for a ticket to the local Cinemark 22 in Lancaster, to see a 3D movie, is $15.25 while a non-matinee, non-3D ticket will run $12.25.

Factor in the price of popcorn and a beverage or two and a night out to see a movie for a couple could be a bit under $50 — or more, depending on how much is spent at the concession stand.

Just like other goods and services in our lives, movie ticket prices are on the rise.

It seems ridiculous to pay extra for a “better” seat, but it seems that’s the way things are these days; if you want something “better,” it will come at a cost.

Fortunately for the Antelope Valley, the theaters here are owned by Cinemark, not AMC, but those who wish to catch a movie outside of the AV might want to keep this new pricing structure in mind.