Proms planner problem

[Dave2002]

We want to amend the concerts in our Proms planner due to changed circumstances. The system does not seem to be allowing this right now. I don't really want to have to input all the things again under another user name. This is hardly convenient.

Is this likely to be a temporary glitch, or is it a feature?

[Dave2002]

Now it looks like a temporary glitch problem. What we don't know is what happens next.

I think it's necessary to log back in to activate this tomorrow morning. Will that be easy, or is that also likely to be subject to the vagaries of computer technology?

After that is everything automatic, or is there an opportunity to turn down allocated seats? I heard of one friend of a friend who over booked using the Proms planner last year, thinking that he'd not get a full allocation, and then he got all his allocation, so ended up selling the spares to friends and colleagues. I think before that he'd only ever got about half what he asked for.

[Norrette]

I'm fairly sure you change as I recall wondering last year what was the point of the proms planner as you had to confirm each item separately. Let's just hope the morning doesn't bring us the mayhem of last year.

[Petrushka]

I'm getting the same problem. According to the website you can amend your Proms Planner until midnight tonight. We haven't got the Dr Who brigade booking masses of tickets this time so hopefully it won't take as long as last year.

[Dave2002]

Sorry - this whole business is more than a bit ... blah!

Before 9am, Saturday 17 May?

The BBC Proms are not on sale yet and the Royal Albert Hall website is closed.

Please return to the website at or after 9am. This page will not refresh automatically.
After 9am, Saturday 17 May?

The BBC Proms are on sale, but we are experiencing a very high demand for ticket purchases.

Thank you for your patience at this busy time. We recommend you visit us again in a short while.

We do have an online queuing system in place, so that as many users as possible may buy tickets fairly in order of queuing, but even this is currently full.

Can sites such as these not employ IT people with brains so that this sort of thing doesn't happen. What is the point of doing all the selection work in advance using the Proms planner if everyone still has to log in at the same time as everyone else. Surely all that was required was for one or more check boxes on the Prom planner site so that those who'd filled them in would get their selections automatically submitted at 9am.

Notionally this is done in the interests of fairness, but it's useless, and what is fair about this? Additionally, those with better technology may have a better chance of success.

[Nick Armstrong]

Can sites such as these not employ IT people with brains so that this sort of thing doesn't happen. What is the point of doing all the selection work in advance using the Proms planner if everyone still has to log in at the same time as everyone else. Surely all that was required was for one or more check boxes on the Prom planner site so that those who'd filled them in would get their selections automatically submitted at 9am.

Notionally this is done in the interests of fairness, but it's useless, and what is fair about this? Additionally, those with better technology may have a better chance of success.

I've never touched this "proms planner" / first day booking thing with a barge-pole. It's always seemed utterly ridiculous to me.

[Dave2002]

I've never touched this "proms planner" / first day booking thing with a barge-pole. It's always seemed utterly ridiculous to me.

The idea itself is not ridiculous, but the implementation is.

Now - after 35+ minutes:

Waiting Room

Thank you for visiting the Royal Albert Hall's website. You are currently in a queue as we are experiencing a high demand for BBC Proms ticket purchases.

You are currently number 5914 in the queue.

This page will refresh periodically. To keep your place in the queue please remain on this page until redirected to the Royal Albert Hall website.

Please do not refresh this page or try to open the site in a new browser window as you may lose your connection to the site.

This waiting room requires a continuous connection between your computer and our website to maintain your place in the queue. We would suggest that you use a computer rather than a mobile device or tablet to queue in the waiting room.
Do you have a Proms Plan?

You'll be able to retrieve it as soon as you are redirected on the site

Do you have a Proms Plan?

You'll be able to retrieve it as soon as you are redirected on the site

As I wrote earlier - Blah!

[Ferretfancy]

I've never touched this "proms planner" / first day booking thing with a barge-pole. It's always seemed utterly ridiculous to me.

Remember when we were all assured that computers were going to be so useful that paper would become obsolete?

[Nick Armstrong]

Remember when we were all assured that computers were going to be so useful that paper would become obsolete?

I love the ability to book specific seats at just about any other venue, from the comfort of the sofa. I'm certainly not knocking computers! And I'm only too happy to do without paper!

[Dave2002]

I love the ability to book specific seats at just about any other venue, from the comfort of the sofa. I'm certainly not knocking computers! And I'm only too happy to do without paper!

Maybe, but I can vaguely remember ordering tickets for the RFH and the Proms by filling in forms. It wasn't such a big deal, and certainly not so frustrating as this on-line nonsense. Why can't a system be made which works in a similar way - the major differences are: 1. submission of requests - save having to fill in a form and post, and 2. order fulfilment - payment for tickets allocated.

Lastly, the system today informed us that we failed in two of our requests. However, having another go a while later managed to get one of them satisfied.
The only one left unfulfilled is the Beethoven 9 concert in September. It took over 4 hours between 2 of us, and we got more than a little frazzled by the process.

[Petrushka]

Maybe, but I can vaguely remember ordering tickets for the RFH and the Proms by filling in forms. It wasn't such a big deal, and certainly not so frustrating as this on-line nonsense. Why can't a system be made which works in a similar way - the major differences are: 1. submission of requests - save having to fill in a form and post, and 2. order fulfilment - payment for tickets allocated.

Lastly, the system today informed us that we failed in two of our requests. However, having another go a while later managed to get one of them satisfied.
The only one left unfulfilled is the Beethoven 9 concert in September. It took over 4 hours between 2 of us, and we got more than a little frazzled by the process.

Dave2002, as I said on the other Proms related thread, you must be one of the technical experts on the Forum, while I must rate as a complete technical numbskull, so I can't for the life of me see why you find the Proms Planner such a problem every year! Nor can I see why it should take 4 hours.

The major problem with Proms booking is that there are over 75 different concerts concentrated into a 7 week period with thousands of people all logging on at the same time with tens of thousands of different permutations of ticket orders. I can't off-hand think of anything comparable anywhere in the world and, frankly, it's a technological miracle and I had mine done in 90 minutes dead.

In the good old bad old days we all used to fill in our forms and RAH box office staff dealt with the deluge of paper and you found out around a month later whether or not you'd got the tickets you wanted. The same issues of fairness and order fulfilment apply now as then and there will always be winners and losers.

The most stress-inducing part about the on-line booking is the waiting room countdown and hoping your computer connection holds up. I've been lucky in all the times I've booked on-line and have mostly got the tickets I wanted. Yes, I'm sure improvements could be made (it shouldn't have to be necessary to keep on getting the 'busy' screen before getting into the waiting room, for instance) but taking all things into account, I'm reasonably satisfied with the system.

[Rolmill]

In the good old bad old days we all used to fill in our forms and RAH box office staff dealt with the deluge of paper and you found out around a month later whether or not you'd got the tickets you wanted. The same issues of fairness and order fulfilment apply now as then and there will always be winners and losers.

The most stress-inducing part about the on-line booking is the waiting room countdown and hoping your computer connection holds up. I've been lucky in all the times I've booked on-line and have mostly got the tickets I wanted.

Hmmm, I don't think it is true to say that the fairness issues are the same. As you suggest yourself, computer connection problems are an additional hazard now (and these can strike pretty much randomly). I have certainly experienced (with the ROH booking system a few years ago) the tooth-grinding exasperation of reaching the payment section only to be booted out to the back of the queue and missing out as a result.

Also, at least with the old system you were free to complete the forms whenever you liked before the submission deadline - now, you have to be seated at your computer at 9am on one particular Saturday morning. I am never free at that time on Saturday mornings during term-time, so am not now (and won't for the foreseeable future be) able to complete my submission myself - I have to rely on others, who, however willing to help, are unlikely to want to sit there for 90+ minutes.

Finally, the old system no doubt had its unfairnesses (strongly suspect that isn't a word, but you know what I mean!), but at least they were hidden from view and so less harmful to my blood pressure - and over many years of postal submissions, I don't recall ever failing to get suitable tickets for all the concerts I wanted.

[Petrushka]

Hmmm, I don't think it is true to say that the fairness issues are the same. As you suggest yourself, computer connection problems are an additional hazard now (and these can strike pretty much randomly). I have certainly experienced (with the ROH booking system a few years ago) the tooth-grinding exasperation of reaching the payment section only to be booted out to the back of the queue and missing out as a result.

Also, at least with the old system you were free to complete the forms whenever you liked before the submission deadline - now, you have to be seated at your computer at 9am on one particular Saturday morning. I am never free at that time on Saturday mornings during term-time, so am not now (and won't for the foreseeable future be) able to complete my submission myself - I have to rely on others, who, however willing to help, are unlikely to want to sit there for 90+ minutes.

Finally, the old system no doubt had its unfairnesses (strongly suspect that isn't a word, but you know what I mean!), but at least they were hidden from view and so less harmful to my blood pressure - and over many years of postal submissions, I don't recall ever failing to get suitable tickets for all the concerts I wanted.

Good points all, Rolmill and I sympathise. I believe that we can still submit postal applications but have never tried it since the on-line system started. Can anyone comment on the success or otherwise of this method?

I asked last year about the feasibility of turning up in person at the RAH but never had an answer. Has anyone done this on the day booking opens? If so, I'd like to know how successful it is and how early you need to queue.