Cineworld Unlimited members can no longer book tickets on behalf of other members. This has not gone down very well.
Subscribers to the Cineworld Unlimited scheme received an unwelcome email this week, and it’s not one that’s exactly gone down a storm.
The firm has introduced pretty much immediately a new change, that changes the way tickets can be booked using the service. Previously, it was possible to book seats on behalf of friends and family members who also hold an Unlimited membership. Now, that option has been taken away.
Thus, assume a family of three where each person has a Cineworld Unlimited membership. Previously, one person could book seats for everyone. Now, all three members of that family need to individually book seats for a showing.
This means that said family wouldn’t be able to book seats together in the manner they’ve been able to previously. Instead, Cineworld is advising them to go via its new website and app after a booking has been made, to change where people are sat. Given the booking system tends to object if a single seat is left between one person and another too, that’s an added complication.
It all sounds like a whole load of unnecessary faff for a start, and also, it’ll be interesting to see how feasible the seat-shifting after booking is for hugely in-demand screenings.
There’s been a swift backlash to this, and it’ll be interesting to see if Cineworld decides to hold its line here. Furthermore, I’m genuinely curious why it’s done it. Is there some loophole or something that’s being plugged here, and Cineworld needed to act?
Who knows, but it’s not gone down well. It follows Odeon adding fresh limits to its myLIMITLESS membership scheme, as we looked at here.
Fun times, then, but for the moment, Cineworld’s new policy is in effect straight away. More as we hear it…
