Cathay up ticket prices

[Toyo]

INGAPORE : Expect to pay up to S$10.50 on a weekend to watch blockbusters such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince or The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

 

Prices for tickets at all Cathay cineplexes will go up on Thursday, adding to the rash of recent price increases including taxi fares, electronic road pricing and cooking gas.

 

At a media conference on Tuesday, the cinema operator and film distributor said it was raising ticket prices for films by 50 cents or about 6 per cent due to "escalating prices in goods, services, labour, film rentals and the Goods and Services Tax".

 

What's more, an additional 50 cents will be tagged on for blockbusters such as Harry Potter and Iron Man.

 

"The rising costs we have seen over the recent years is something we cannot ignore," said Mr Suhaimi Rafdi, the chief executive of Cathay Organisation Holdings, which has four cineplexes here.

 

The company had been "struggling to make ends meet" and had to jack up prices to "remain profitable".

 

Without disclosing details, Mr Rafdi said that the company had made a loss in 2006 and was expecting a "small profit" for last year.

 

Mr Rafdi said that Cathay would categorise a movie as a blockbuster only if it has an "A-list cast and/or director, a big production budget of more than US$100 million (S$142 million), is a part of a successful franchise (like Spider-Man, Batman and Shrek)" and open on the same day in Singapore as in the United States.

 

Only around 20 out of the hundreds of films released here would qualify as a blockbuster this year, he said.

 

So, with Cathay raising its ticket prices, will other cinemas follow suit?

 

"It's yet to be seen. They would probably want to see if there are any repercussions because this is a bold move on our part," said Mr Rafdi.

 

When contacted by TODAY, Shaw Organisation, which operates seven cineplexes here, said it would not be following Cathay's lead. "There has been some increase in our cinema operation costs. However, Shaw has no plan to raise its movie ticket prices at this point," Shaw's executive vice-president Mark Shaw told TODAY.

 

The other major operator, Golden Village, did not respond to TODAY's queries by press time. Moviegoers TODAY spoke to were mixed on the ticket price hike.

 

"It wouldn't affect the number of movies I watch. Fifty cents is not that much to me," said editor Audrey Wong, 32, who goes to the cinema at least four times a month. "It's still relatively cheaper than going to cinema in Europe or the US."

 

Marketing manager Irwin Tham, 28, said the hike would not deter him from watching new releases. "watching a movie at the cinema is different from watching it on DVD."

 

But film student Annette Heitmann, 21, said current ticket prices were already expensive and student movie rates did not soften the blow.

 

"It's useless because the rates apply during the day, when students have classes.

 

The price hike will affect students' decisions to visit the cinema as we have other alternatives", such as watching the latest movies on the Internet. - TODAY/il

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../325778/1/.html

[Tarzan666]

They can increase all they want, dun really care..

 

Cant remember the last movie i watched in the cinema..isit gladiator or something..

[Toyo]

my last movie was national treasure last mth. i shld cut down on movie

i guess pple just have to get used to the price increase

[Cheerios]

phuck lah.. then i just go to city square's cathay cineplexes...

 

RM$20 for 2 tickets.. big couple seats somemore

[Boyboy]

cathay has been providing the best theatres for a reasonable price (lower than gv which sucks but is everywhere, unfortunately)

 

not surprised they raised the price.

 

i'd rather go to jusco TGV cinema. RM1 more ex than malaysia cathay but quite a bit better.

 

city square cathay is good enuff for me tho, at current prices. i go there when i don;t feel like travelling all the way to jusco

[Shull]

time to depend on our jaybee brothers liao..

 

and i am thinking of buying a projector for my home theater system to plug into..

[Chocobelle]

mine's spiderman 1 in 2002

 

damn pathetic siah

[Speed_ong]

Lets just boycott Cathay Cinemas. Stop going for 2 weeks. Go GV or Eng Wah. Once they see less ppl coming, they will go back to the old price. Like petrol companies. If no one follow and they increase price alone. After awhile, they will drop price.

[Adwin]

Lets just boycott Cathay Cinemas. Stop going for 2 weeks. Go GV or Eng Wah. Once they see less ppl coming, they will go back to the old price. Like petrol companies. If no one follow and they increase price alone. After awhile, they will drop price.

 

I don't foresee this method will be any effective as the movie scene is very much like the petrol cartels. When one company raise prices, the others will follow suit.

 

Furthermore, movie watching is one of the favourite pastime of singaporeans on weekends and weekdays alike. You really think that people would boycott one movie company or watch less movies?

[Cheerios]

I GO JAYBEE

[Yaloryalor]

Everything increased so they also increase the ticket price to "transfer" the load to public.

 

Can we tell our boss everything increase so to have two pay increments per year? We can "transfer" this price increasing phenomenon to who?

 

Hopefully other cinemas will not follow suit, let Cathy feel the "impact" of being the hero to increase price!

[Yaloryalor]

Yes, dun go Cathy for time being then. Petrol is diff, one compnay increase then all will increase!

[Speed_ong]

one increase and the others never increase, after a few days. The one will go back to its old price. No support. Actually, dont like Cathay to increase ticket price so much. Really hope everyone will watch less of Cathay and go other cinemas. Make them understand that other chains can remain the same price, why can't u do that.

[Typhoonz]

I've "abstained" myself from cinemas due to their ridiculous weekend prices... Now I'll just avoid the cinemas totally...

[Wanderer]

Either wait for the online version to be released.... or I think they have a blockbuster package of 11 tix at $80.... which is quite cheap if u watched movies during the weekends when the prices are slightly higher. Somemore valid for 1 year...

[Bladerunner]

I think I'll just go to Shaw or GV, will give Cathay a miss. Find their pricing not just. Even more additional charges for "A" list movies... ridiculous!

Edited January 30, 2008 by Bladerunner

[Toyo]

i usually go GV. with SAFRA card can purchase weekend tix at $8 instead of the usual $9.50

[Toyo]

I've "abstained" myself from cinemas due to their ridiculous weekend prices... Now I'll just avoid the cinemas totally...

 

 

even more expensive when u bring a family of 4-5

easily $70-80 with snacks and drinks