World News - Thousands retry for 2012 tickets

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • xman
    Admin
    • Sep 2006
    • 24007

    World News - Thousands retry for 2012 tickets

    24 June 2011 Last updated at 05:38 ET Thousands of people who missed out in the first round application for London 2012 Olympic tickets have reapplied after more went on sale earlier.

    Organisers say the website is working, despite problems due to high demand.

    Some 2.3 million tickets will be on sale for 10 days on a first-come-first-served basis on London 2012's website.

    Tickets are available for 310 sessions, 44 of which are medal events including archery, basketball, fencing, judo, synchronised swimming and table tennis.

    Some visitors attempting to buy tickets on the website have received a message during their transaction which states: "We are experiencing high demand.

    "You will be automatically directed to the page requested as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience."

    A London 2012 spokeswoman said: "The system is working, it has not crashed. Due to high demand some people are being held outside the system.

    "For those in the system it is working and transactions are going through, but we are having to hold some people back from going through the site due to high demand."

    The system started to slow down just 10 minutes after tickets went on sale.

    The BBC's James Pearce, writing on microblogging website Twitter, said organisers had likened the situation to "a tube station" experiencing so much traffic that "some trains are being held back before the station".

    Jacqueline Burke, who is hoping to buy tickets for her family, is among those who experienced frustration with the website.

    Ticket frustration

    She told BBC One's Breakfast programme: "We thought were were doing really well at six o'clock because we were able to pick the three events we wanted. But unfortunately, having pressed 'submit to pay', it's come back as 'Sorry, we are unable to process your application'."

    But Ms Burke's application was later reported to have been submitted successfully.

    Sally Stephens, of Plymouth, Devon, attempted to buy tickets as soon as they went on sale, but experienced problems accessing the site.

    "I finally managed to get it through at about half past six but I don't think my chances now of getting a ticket are very high," she said.

    "It's been very frustrating. It seems like the tickets that have been sold so far have not been distributed widely enough."

    But others have had positive experiences using the website.

    Michelle, from London, told the BBC she had "a great experience buying tickets" and another user, called Tracey, said she "got through after much patience".

    Some half a million tickets are priced at ?20 or less.

    Large demand A further one million tickets are priced between ?20 and ?50.

    Applicants will find out whether they have been successful within 24 to 48 hours of applying. Payment will be taken once the sale closes at 1800 BST on 3 July.

    Tickets were available in 20 sports - about 1.7 million for football and 600,000 for other sports, including archery and hockey.

    The events which still have availability can be seen on the website.

    Athletics, beach volleyball, hockey, handball and basketball are among the sports which are already listed as being unavailable.

    Volleyball, weightlifting and football are among the sports where tickets are listed as available.

    People will be able to apply for up to three sessions, and six tickets per session, for most sports.

    Less than half of those who applied got tickets in the first round as demand outstripped supply in many events - massively in some cases such as the men's 100m athletics final where more than one million tickets were requested.

    BBC sports correspondent Gordon Farquhar says Games' organisers recognise many people were bitterly disappointed to miss out.

    They have pledged to try to get tickets into the hands of two-thirds of those who originally applied.

    Those who were successful in the first ballot, held from May to June, will get their own second chance to buy from 0600 BST on 8 July to 1800 BST on 17 July.

    Those tickets will be ones left over after the second round of sales.

    The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) has also said its predictions indicate more than one million tickets will become available between December 2011 and the start of the games.

    Paralympics opening ceremony

    These will come through returns, and as the final seating plans for the venues are finalised.

    Organisers expect the 2.3 million tickets going on sale in the second round will put them on track to reach ?400m of the ?500m target of revenue from ticket sales.

    Twenty-one events sold out in the first round of sales, with the opening and closing ceremonies, diving, swimming and tennis being popular.

    London 2012 sponsor Thomas Cook, which is offering UK short breaks and trips to the Games, said it still has availability for athletics and swimming finals, plus the opening and closing ceremonies.

    And, in a separate development, it emerged that the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Paralympics will be created by artistic directors Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings.

    London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said the pair were "the perfect team" for the job.

    Are you planning on applying for Olympic tickets in the second round of sales? Send us your comments using the form below:






    Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials
Working...
X