This week, Beijing Olympic Committee launched the online ticket website for the 2008 Olympics and I impulsively signed up for tickets. It’s interesting.
http://www.tickets.beijing2008.cn
You don’t actually buy the tickets when you check-out of the store. You are creating a list of desired events. The purchase date occurs in June. Based on demand for various events, you are either issued the tickets outright or put into a lottery if the event has a greater demand than supply.
Pricing and ability to reserve more than one ticket is based on the perceived demand. The following is a list of prices for the Opening Ceremony:
¥5000.00 - A
¥3000.00 - B
¥1500.00 - C
¥800.00 - D
¥200.00 - E
The ‘A’ level tickets cost about $650 USD. and they only allow one reservation. If I don’t get the ‘A’, then I’m in the drawing for the ‘B’ etc. I’m actually hoping that I don’t have to pay for ‘A’…it’s a bit steep. The other scary prospect is that this is just one ticket..what about the rest of the family?
I have to go through and do the same for them as well and cross my fingers that they get tickets too. I imagine that there will be a lot of creative trading happening in July.
Along with the opening ceremonies, I reserved tickets to the mens and women’s mountain bike events and the mens track & field final events. If I get all my 1st choices, I’ll be looking at almost $900 USD.
Your identity is verified with your passport. I can envision ticket brokers using their friends and family’s passports overwhelming the system. They do say that 70% have been reserved for China residents. Apparently we’re in that pool…yea.
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