Belated thanks to the United Center box office
Date: June 7, 2013 17:05
Actually, I already thanked the box office manager at the UC profusely but I'm still on a buzz from last Friday's show so thought I'd share my story...
When the Chicago tickets went on sale I was unaware the $85 tix required a separate link so I got shut out there. I tried, desperately, to get four $250 seats for my family and me because that's all I was willing to afford. After hammering the keys for over an hour I ended up with a single nosebleed way the hell in back. Nothing, but NOTHING, would come up for weeks thereafter in my price range.
Finally, about three weeks out, early one Monday morning, I found $250 tickets were available again. I procured three more seats in two different locations. About a week before the show I thought I'd try contacting the United Center staff to see if I could upgrade or consolidate my seats. I'd read people out West had done it so it couldn't hurt to ask. I wrote a polite letter explaining my situation and my desire, not necessarily for better seats but at least four together for me, my wife and sons.
I copied the letter to numerous UC staffers and crossed my fingers, hoping for the best. A couple of hours later the phone rang and it was the marketing lady from the UC. She said she was sorry but she was unaware of any upgrade program. I figured well, that's that.
About an hour later I checked my inbox and there was a letter from the box office honcho simply stating: "I've got four together in ROW A of Section 317 if you want them." When I checked the seating chart I about fainted. Although the seats were in the upper tier they were in the very first row at exactly center court! Much better than the four I already had spread out all over the rear uppers. Excitedly I wrote back reiterating that I wished to TRADE my current seats NOT buy new ones (I couldn't believe what I'd read).
The gentlemen wrote back and said, "Yes, the four together would be an exchange. He would cancel the four tickets I already had and leave me the four new ones at the box office." I replied with an emphatic "YES!" and that was that!
We ended up with closer seats than I'd had in Brooklyn for less (though still outrageous) money and comfortably bore witness to what was likely among the best shows of the tour! A week later I'm still on a roll.