Giants seasonticket holders can make April plans

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Giants’ plans to bring fans back to Oracle Park are nearly complete, and Monday, the team will send a letter to seasonticket holders detailing how they can purchase seats for games in April.

Using staggered purchase times, the Giants will allow seasonticket holders to choose between fourgame packages or singlegame tickets, and if they choose a package, they may select one out of three options. There will be just over 8,000 seats available with limited capacity.

“Because everyone will be socially distanced, in order to give everybody a fair shot at games in April, this was the most fair way to roll it out,” Giants executive vice president of communications Staci Slaughter said.

Packages will be given priority and singlegame seats will be dispersed only once those who’ve selected packages have had their seats assigned. The need for socially distanced seating will make it difficult for most seasonticket holders to sit in their usual spots, but ticketpack

age purchase opportunities will be staggered by location to place fans as close to their regular seats as possible.

“Some people have been in their seats in Oracle for 20 years — the longtime seasonticket holders, they want to get back to their seats,” said Russ Stanley, the Giants senior vice president of ticket sales. “We did some surveys of seasonticket holders and they were less concerned about going to every game than they were about being close to their normal location. We’re losing 80% of the seats — I think people understand we’re not going to be able to put you in the same seat for every game.”

With San Francisco County in the red tier, state guidelines allow up to 20% capacity at Oracle Park, with ticket sales restricted to California residents.

Ticket limits will be determined by seasonticket plans; those with one or two seats may purchase a twoseat pod for each game in the package, those with three or four seats may purchase a fourseat pod and those with five or six may obtain one fourseat pod and one twoseat pod.

Once ticket packages have been dispersed, the team will allow seasonticket holders to purchase singlegame tickets while supplies last. Fans who wish to attend specific games, especially the April 9 home opener against Colorado, will have better luck obtaining seats — especially seats in their desired location — if they purchase a package.

The resale market will have an interesting twist: StubHub remains the authorized secondary market partner, but fans may only resell seats in pods; they cannot split up tickets. “Pod integrity” is the term the team is using, and it will be strictly regulated. The window for purchasing tickets runs through March 28, and after that the Giants will allow all fans the opportunity to buy any remaining tickets for April games.

Seasonticket holders who do not wish to attend games in April may opt out via a survey link that will be provided in Monday’s letter; any credit remaining at the end of the season may be applied to 2022 season tickets, earning a 5% bonus. “We have heard from a few people who’ve said, ‘I’m going to take April off and see how it goes,’ ” Stanley said.

More than 70% of the seasonticket base rolled over their plans from last year, when fans were not allowed in the ballpark, to this season, and those using credit from last year’s seasonticket plans will be able to apply that to April ticket packages and future months.

The Giants are working with state and local officials to gain approval for April games, spending the past week filing all necessary paperwork detailing their plans. Face coverings will be required and the club will be rigorous about enforcing all safety protocols.

Concessions are likely to be ordered via app with inseat delivery available as well as window pickup.

“It will probably be a streamlined menu but we certainly want to feature ballpark favorites like garlic fries,” Slaughter said.

The club has not yet determined plans for a possible healthscreening app, such as the one they have used throughout spring training at Scottsdale Stadium.