Preferred seats in the RAH

[Simon B]

So all things considered, what's the best thing to do, to avoid the said crock. Online or phone?

I think the online system is the still best of the available options. To avoid my fate, I suspect that the trick is to ruminate over whatever randomly selected options the Proms planner has tossed at you for, ooh, 5 seconds at least, and then hand over your readies as fast as humanly possible. Any procrastination (even well within the parameters laid out by the RAH/system) renders you unworthy and you're cast aside.

Buy buy buy. If you're going to be sat 3 inches from the stage with a tuba bell in one ear and a view of the parapet thing, nevertheless buy buy buy. Make no attempt to think. Just buy.

Now down to just 1931 in the queue for my second attempt. Whoopee doo...

[Flay]

Well I would love to but now I'm back up to 4959 in the queue

[Petrushka]

It was a doddle this year, best yet. After a few attempts I was in the waiting room at 9.06 at number 1864. Queue went down very nicely at the rate of about 1 a second and had paid up and got all the seats I wanted in the area requested (incl BPO & VPO) by 9.55. Well pleased!

Simon B: I heartily sympathise with your problems but feel that you must be doing something wrong somewhere down the line. If my ancient and totally crap laptop (honestly, I kid you not) can sail through this so easily then there just has to be an issue with what you are doing. I make absolutely sure that I am in no other programme whatever, sit with it patiently watching the countdown and do not ever press refresh. I am sceptical about the allowance of 30 minutes to amend your details and I merely did a quick scroll down before clicking on 'complete purchase' reasoning that I could get rid of the odd wrong one and try later.

If you try again in mid June you might get lucky as unwanted debenture holder seats become available. That's how I got a very good seat for the 'sold out' Dudamel/Mahler 2 last year (and iirc you pointed me in that direction).

Just spent £384 and get clobbered with a £17.68 'booking fee'. B****y rip off merchants!

[Suffolkcoastal]

A very similar story for me. Given the huge number of concerts and the greater number of tickets available, I think the RAH website copes remarkably better than the ROH one (though it'll be interesting to see how their new booking website copes when the next booking period commences). The main source of irritation with Proms booking is that you cannot select your own seat. Fair enough, given the demand, but at least split Side Stalls into Side Stalls Left and Side Stalls Right!

Not being able to see your seats is the main drawback of the site for me. I've got the seats in the price bracket I requested, but no idea exactly where they are at this stage.

[Petrushka]

Well I would love to but now I'm back up to 4959 in the queue

I'd say much the same to Flay as to Simon B. The fact that you are clearly on this forum at the same time as the RAH website is not what I would be doing. Stay on the website, never move from it, be patient and concentrate on what you are doing. It has worked for me on this awful laptop for three seasons now so must be doing it right!

[Simon B]

Simon B: I heartily sympathise with your problems but feel that you must be doing something wrong somewhere down the line.

Hi Petrushka, and thanks. In general I agree with your points and advice - which is the same as I'd give to anyone experiencing problems.

I won't bore you with the full details, but my tech setup is, er, techy. As insurance, I use two separate computers, each running different browsers under different operating systems, connected to the internet via two completely different links. One is using domestic ADSL, the other a corporate fibre optic link. I'm doing network monitoring on both, watching what's happening with the link, the flow of data between my machine and the royalalberthall servers etc zzz zzz ZZZ. For my sins I know far too much about this stuff...

There's no problem with the link, or the browsers etc. My conclusion is that the booking system the RAH uses includes a crude mechanism that decides that if once you've got past the queue, logged in, run the planner etc you then don't do anything for as little as a few minutes it's ok to boot you out on the assumption that something has gone wrong. This is evidently less than the amount of time it takes to scrutinise the randomly allocated seats for 14 concerts and decide whether they're worth your hard earned ££. 30 minutes does not mean 30 minutes - and it damn well should.

On returns - yes, there are usually some even for the biggest crowd pullers. Don't tell everyone though, or they'll all want one . Though, saying that, it was indeed me that alerted you to the appearance of some returns for the Dudamel Mahler 2 last year! As it turns out, I'm not sure you'd have missed much if there hadn't been any, but that's another story...

[Resurrection Man]

My sympathies to SimonB as I know just how frustrating that can be.

Relatively painless at this end...started trying to access just before 9am..and it wasn't until about 9.04 that I think their system 'started up' and got into the waiting room at 1324 in the queue...at 9.11 was 1168 and well before 10.00 had booked and got the tickets..not exactly too hard to get as one was a weekend arena pass for the choral-fest and the other ticket was for the VPO and the Alpine ..woo hoo.. Would love to have gone to more but I have to factor in £75 diesel per round trip.

[EdgeleyRob]

I was only interested in........ The RVW symphonies......and the Howells/Elgar prom as I adore Hymnus Paridisi.

I envy anyone who will get to attend those two concerts.
I've never been to the Proms , nor am I likely to in the near future ,but it's on my list of things to do when I retire. (or win the lottery).

[Petrushka]

Hi Petrushka, and thanks. In general I agree with your points and advice - which is the same as I'd give to anyone experiencing problems.

I won't bore you with the full details, but my tech setup is, er, techy. As insurance, I use two separate computers, each running different browsers under different operating systems, connected to the internet via two completely different links. One is using domestic ADSL, the other a corporate fibre optic link. I'm doing network monitoring on both, watching what's happening with the link, the flow of data between my machine and the royalalberthall servers etc zzz zzz ZZZ. For my sins I know far too much about this stuff...

There's no problem with the link, or the browsers etc. My conclusion is that the booking system the RAH uses includes a crude mechanism that decides that if once you've got past the queue, logged in, run the planner etc you then don't do anything for as little as a few minutes it's ok to boot you out on the assumption that something has gone wrong. This is evidently less than the amount of time it takes to scrutinise the randomly allocated seats for 14 concerts and decide whether they're worth your hard earned ££. 30 minutes does not mean 30 minutes - and it damn well should.

On returns - yes, there are usually some even for the biggest crowd pullers. Don't tell everyone though, or they'll all want one . Though, saying that, it was indeed me that alerted you to the appearance of some returns for the Dudamel Mahler 2 last year! As it turns out, I'm not sure you'd have missed much if there hadn't been any, but that's another story...

Interesting isn't it? That sounds like a serious bit of kit yet my 5 year old v-e-r-y slow, ready for the knackers yard laptop performed like a dream this morning.

Now all I have to do is get the hotels sorted out.

[teamsaint]

I envy anyone who will get to attend those two concerts.
I've never been to the Proms , nor am I likely to in the near future ,but it's on my list of things to do when I retire. (or win the lottery).

only been to one, ER, the Rach paganini/ Tchaikovsky Orchestral suite no 3 a couple of years back.

Having said that, only been listening to classical music in a serious way for 3 or 4 years really, so can't complain.
Certainly intend to get to one or two this year.
I found promming a good way to enjoy, though it's not for everyone...but a seasoned footy fan might be ok....at least it doesn't rain in the RAH, and you don't risk getting beaten up by, say, opera fans, or Jazz fiends !!
Luckily for me I can be at the RAH in a couple of hours at reasonable cost, and of course a promming ticket is a genuine bargain.

it certainly is a good and different experience. Certainly has that "event" feeling, plenty of chatty strangers etc.
All a bit different with a trip from Cheshire to factor in, but if you can, give it a go....

Phillip T's promming advice on another thread is excellent if there is any chance at all of getting there.

This will probably be seen as nonsense by most, but I have thought for a while that they might consider taking the odd prom "on the Road". Cardiff/Manchester/Glasgow/Newcastle/Brisol would surely sell out a decent programme.
ok, its a daft idea...........

(PS , what is this "retirement" you refer to ?!)

[Simon B]

Finally got into the system and getting somewhere... I wonder if Flay is having any luck in the Outer Hebrides? Or has just given up and gone mad - often a good choice... There are still reasonable seats left for the VPO Alpine but only in the front circle. No stalls...

[Lord Mersey]

teamsaint

It may not rain in the RAH but the roof has been known to leak in the past!

[teamsaint]

teamsaint

It may not rain in the RAH but the roof has been known to leak in the past!

brilliant !!And of course it can rain when queuing..............


a leaky roof and a highly strung singer or two might be fun though ....!!

[Petrushka]

teamsaint

It may not rain in the RAH but the roof has been known to leak in the past!

Indeed, yes! I was at a Turangalila Symphony Prom in 1996(?) under Mark Wigglesworth when a torrential thunderstorm caused a downpour to rain down on the
stalls scattering the unwary punters below.

[Beef Oven]

Indeed, yes! I was at a Turangalila Symphony Prom in 1996(?) under Mark Wigglesworth when a torrential thunderstorm caused a downpour to rain down on the
stalls scattering the unwary punters below.

Good job you were under Mark Wigglesworth, you might've got wet otherwise.