Team announces policies for ticket refunds
The Atlanta Braves announced new policies for ticket refunds.
With the beginning of the 2020 season still in question because of the coronavirus pandemic, Major League Baseball announced it was allowing the 30 clubs to begin giving refunds for games that have been postponed.
The Braves updated their website late Wednesday with the following statement.
“We received clearance from Major League Baseball to determine and share our specific ticketing policies with you due to the delayed start of the regular season,” the statement said. “As a result of this authorization, you will find below an important update regarding tickets for Braves home games originally scheduled to be played in April and May. A-list Members and group ticket buyers have the option to receive a credit plus a 10% bonus to be used for any 2021 or 2022 regular season Braves home game(s) (conditions apply) or a refund for their tickets to Braves games at Truist Park originally scheduled to be played in April and May 2020. Single game ticket buyers for April and May 2020 games have the option to hold onto their tickets for a potential rescheduled date or obtain a full refund. Given the fluidity of the situation, we will make ticketing decisions regarding future home games on a monthly basis. We will share updates as soon as we have more information.”
With the announcement, the Braves are potentially refunding ticket owners for the first 26 scheduled games at Truist Park. That includes two three-game series against the Miami Marlins and New York Mets, but it also includes series against the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.
The team began sending emails to season-ticket holders with the new policies Wednesday. The Braves were one of the first clubs to announce their plans.
The Minnesota Twins will credit season ticket holders for missed games, while giving an additional 15% credit of that amount to be used for 2020 or 2021 purchases. The Cleveland Indians said fans who had tickets for home games this March and April could receive a 10% bonus credit for a game later in 2020 or 2021, while the Red Sox extended a similar bonus credit to season ticket holders.
The Philadelphia Phillies were the only other National League East team to post its policy as of Thursday morning. They are offering a simple policy for the April and May games — a credit to the ticket holder’s account for missed games that could be used for future games in 2020 or 2021, or the ticket holder’s money back.
For now, fans who hold tickets for games from June through the end of the regular season will have to wait. Teams will be taking a month-by-month approach.
A revised schedule has not yet been announced, but Major League Baseball is looking at different ways to play a truncated season provided it is safe according to health care experts.
Some of the formats being considered include teams being placed into three radically different divisions for this season to limit travel. It would have teams restricted to playing within their geographic region.
The league has also looked into having the teams playing the season at their spring training facilities, or a option of starting in spring training sites, along with stadiums in Texas, and then moving to actual home parks with limited fans later if the health conditions improve.