2014 season plans announced

[Teddy-Roosevelt]

So, does anyone with any type of season ticket plan get guaranteed opportunity to purchase playoff tickets (if we get so lucky)?  Can someone explain to me how that works?  Thanks!

No guarantee of how it will work in the future, but here's how it worked last year: In additional to getting rights to buy yours seats for all playoff games, holders of ALL season ticket plans (even if you just have a $220 10-game partial plan for 1 seat in the upper deck) received a code that allowed you to buy up to 4 additional playoff tickets anywhere in the park before they went on sale to the general public. Note that this benefit was also extended to non-season ticket holders who signed up for season tickets for the following season as late as September.

[Coladar]

So I'm late as always, but went to sell my ticket tonight... Got the renewal popup. Every year ever since Nat's park opened, it held firm at about (I think) $4600. Now $5700. Uhh... Holy price increase, Batman.

When I didn't go with the 'lock in for so many years' last season, I was figuring at most a $500 increase season to season. While I forget if it was always $4600 and change or $4800 and change, it was always the same every year and always below $4900. So that's a huge leap in one season. Really huge.

[OldChelsea]

$1804 plus handling ($22/fixture, up from $20) to renew TBSITH for next season...which I did, yesterday...my first price increase ever (RFK or Nats Park) so I really can't complain.

EDIT at about 10.30 Monday 2nd: ...and already starting to regret it a bit...nervously monitoring the media re rumours that Cal Ripken Jr might be the Nats' next manager...please let it not be so....

[PowerBoater69]

So I'm late as always, but went to sell my ticket tonight... Got the renewal popup. Every year ever since Nat's park opened, it held firm at about (I think) $4600. Now $5700. Uhh... Holy price increase, Batman.

When I didn't go with the 'lock in for so many years' last season, I was figuring at most a $500 increase season to season. While I forget if it was always $4600 and change or $4800 and change, it was always the same every year and always below $4900. So that's a huge leap in one season. Really huge.

Do you go to games alone? I'll be sitting down near your area for a couple games during the last home stand if you want to say hello.

[Baseball is Life]

So I'm late as always, but went to sell my ticket tonight... Got the renewal popup. Every year ever since Nat's park opened, it held firm at about (I think) $4600. Now $5700. Uhh... Holy price increase, Batman.

When I didn't go with the 'lock in for so many years' last season, I was figuring at most a $500 increase season to season. While I forget if it was always $4600 and change or $4800 and change, it was always the same every year and always below $4900. So that's a huge leap in one season. Really huge.

What section and how much did your individual ticket go up? Less math for the rest of us.

[Coladar]

What section and how much did your individual ticket go up? Less math for the rest of us.

Sorry, 129, one ticket. Figured given I didn't mention numbers of tickets the assumption would be for one, my bad.  Edited to add: I haven't looked into the particulars yet, since they don't matter - the price they quoted me is what my ticket costs, period. But I can't believe they did such a large increase for the entire area of the Dugout Box seats. My guess, since my seat is so especially good, 129 second row actual, they've created a separate, more expensive tier for the better seats of what used to be entirely Dugout Home Box.

I'm thinking it was always $4625, but it might have been $4825 in the past - I'll have to dig up my paperwork to find out. But it was whatever one 81 game seat in the Home Dugout Box tier used to cost each year, which in 2014 for me, is now $5700.

PB - yep, just me. Haven't made it to many unfortunately this year, but when I'm there I'm directly behind Hugh the Rubber Chicken man.

[PowerBoater69]

PB - yep, just me. Haven't made it to many unfortunately this year, but when I'm there I'm directly behind Hugh the Rubber Chicken man.

Let me know if your going on Monday or Friday the 16th or 20th, I'll be a little ways behind you.

[CALSGR8]

Let's see.   16th(117), 18th(infield gallery), 21st(infield gallery)  and 22nd (infield gallery)!

[Coladar]

Okily dokily - did the fast, pocket calculator math after looking up their 2014 STH plans just now to see what's what. $70 per seat for the home dugout box tier in 2014 per the Nat's site, which nets my $5670 price tag from earlier. In years past, this season included, $60 per ticket would yield $4860, which is exactly what I remember paying now. (The 86 of 4860 resulting in my uncertainty between 4600 and 4800.)

So no new, more expensive tiers or anything of the sort apparently. It's just they went from charging full 81-game STHers in my area $60 per game to $70, in one year. While slightly less than the $1k I was touting earlier, it is still an $810 price hike per seat from one season to the next. Like I said, absolutely more than I was anticipating - a 16⅔% increase year-to-year.

When I turned down the 'lock your plan for five year' offer last year, I figured it would be closer to something like $65 per game, up from $60, meaning from $4860 to $5265 per seat per 81-game season. When you figure most folks have two seats, unlike my 'single loner special', and that's $1620 more for 2014 than they paid for 2013. That's rather painful, although as I had already mentioned, the pricing has remained consistent since 2008…

I guess this is the toll for six seasons without an increase in price, and factoring that into the equation makes the $810 a bit more bearable... I guess...?

[CALSGR8]

Now here's a question I have to ask my Rep.

If I signed up last year to for 2012 prices for 2013,2014,&2015; then in 2015 can I extend those prices another 3 years!  Or just like Tv services Ill have to pay the 2015 prices for the next 3 years?

[wpa2629]

Now here's a question I have to ask my Rep.

If I signed up last year to for 2012 prices for 2013,2014,&2015; then in 2015 can I extend those prices another 3 years!  Or just like Tv services Ill have to pay the 2015 prices for the next 3 years?

Probably the latter

[CALSGR8]

Probably the latter

 

That's what I figure.  Imagine THAT amt of increase!  Kinda puts things in perspective.

[Displaced Bucco]

 

That's what I figure.  Imagine THAT amt of increase!  Kinda puts things in perspective.

Think of it like arbitration and free agency...you could be the Werth or Pujols of season ticker holders

[CALSGR8]

Think of it like arbitration and free agency...you could be the Werth or Pujols of season ticker holders

You think I'll pick another team that's cheaper?   You think the Learners will negotiate with each ticket holder?   No,  I want the Boras Harper deal.   12 years guaranteed to avoid free agency and arbitration!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm going to need to talk to my rep.  I'd really like to possibly go from 41 to 81 for my club seats at some point, so I have not been locking in.  I would hope they would let you upgrade your package.

[CALSGR8]

I'm going to need to talk to my rep.  I'd really like to possibly go from 41 to 81 for my club seats at some point, so I have not been locking in.  I would hope they would let you upgrade your package.

Upgrade?   I'm sure they would have no problem with taking more money!

[Baseball is Life]

I'm going to need to talk to my rep.  I'd really like to possibly go from 41 to 81 for my club seats at some point, so I have not been locking in.  I would hope they would let you upgrade your package.

Of course, they will let you upgrade, though you might not be able to keep the same seats if someone has them for the other 41 games or so.

I was not aware they were offering 41 game plans for Stars and Stripes seats any more. You might be grandfathered. When I got my full plan there last year they told me partial plans were not available.

[Baseball is Life]

Okily dokily - did the fast, pocket calculator math after looking up their 2014 STH plans just now to see what's what. $70 per seat for the home dugout box tier in 2014 per the Nat's site, which nets my $5670 price tag from earlier. In years past, this season included, $60 per ticket would yield $4860, which is exactly what I remember paying now. (The 86 of 4860 resulting in my uncertainty between 4600 and 4800.)

So no new, more expensive tiers or anything of the sort apparently. It's just they went from charging full 81-game STHers in my area $60 per game to $70, in one year. While slightly less than the $1k I was touting earlier, it is still an $810 price hike per seat from one season to the next. Like I said, absolutely more than I was anticipating - a 16⅔% increase year-to-year.

When I turned down the 'lock your plan for five year' offer last year, I figured it would be closer to something like $65 per game, up from $60, meaning from $4860 to $5265 per seat per 81-game season. When you figure most folks have two seats, unlike my 'single loner special', and that's $1620 more for 2014 than they paid for 2013. That's rather painful, although as I had already mentioned, the pricing has remained consistent since 2008…

I guess this is the toll for six seasons without an increase in price, and factoring that into the equation makes the $810 a bit more bearable... I guess...?

So your seat went from $60 to $70 in Dugout Box Sect. 129. One sentence max.

Seriously though, you are assuming people go to all the games. I for one split one group among 10 people and and another group among 8 people.

[CALSGR8]

Of course check with your rep.   They may see how many full season plans they can sell before offering partial.

[Displaced Bucco]

I got a half season plan in the 3rd base club last year by getting a "non-traditional" combo of the George and Abe partial plans at my reps's suggestion.  The "traditional" is a combo of the Tom and Teddy plans and was already sold out. 

The only real downsides are that I don't have any Sat games, which means I don't get many of the good give-a-ways or concerts (I don't care), and I keep having to fight the Nats computer to get it to recognize me as a half season plan holder vice a partial plan.  My rep has straightened things out whenever it's caused any issue (opening day tickets and renewal prices).

They must have some sort of limit on the number of partial plans tho', I've never had an issue getting seats in the 1st/3rd base club for exchanges and other games outside of my plan...those sections aren't "sold out."

[Baseball is Life]

I got a half season plan in the 3rd base club last year by getting a "non-traditional" combo of the George and Abe partial plans at my reps's suggestion.  The "traditional" is a combo of the Tom and Teddy plans and was already sold out. 

The only real downsides are that I don't have any Sat games, which means I don't get many of the good give-a-ways or concerts (I don't care), and I keep having to fight the Nats computer to get it to recognize me as a half season plan holder vice a partial plan.  My rep has straightened things out whenever it's caused any issue (opening day tickets and renewal prices).

They must have some sort of limit on the number of partial plans tho', I've never had an issue getting seats in the 1st/3rd base club for exchanges and other games outside of my plan...those sections aren't "sold out."

Yes, that's it. The partial plans were for those sections were sold out. And, for sure, it's a limit on those plans.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Of course, they will let you upgrade, though you might not be able to keep the same seats if someone has them for the other 41 games or so.

I was not aware they were offering 41 game plans for Stars and Stripes seats any more. You might be grandfathered. When I got my full plan there last year they told me partial plans were not available.

Grandfather?  you are mistaking me for my brother . . .  We had 81 for 2005 - 2009, and 41 since.  I also have 20 on the friday heavy plan (abe?) in 113. 

BTW - it looks like there is a bit more of a price difference this year from the Club and 113 back area.  Was $47.50 & $44 last year, next year it is it is almost $60 and $51.

[Coladar]

So your seat went from $60 to $70 in Dugout Box Sect. 129. One sentence max.

Seriously though, you are assuming people go to all the games. I for one split one group among 10 people and and another group among 8 people.

Methinks I need to forego the 2014 ST and hire somebody like you to be my frontman/editor/poster in all things Interwebz.

So yeah, all my posts boil down to basically going from $60 to $70 each game in 129.

And it's like I said, the pricing remained stable for six seasons - a shocker in and of itself. Combine that with the three year lock-in offered last season, and the only person to blame for the hike is oneself.

Still, especially when the disappointment & letdown that is/was 2013 is taken into account, it's a pretty damn big leap from one year to the next. Almost 20% increase, 16.667% exactly, from season to season is significant. Almost $1k for what was a $5k seat, all the moreso. I've gotta admit, where once I was 99.99% certain on renewing, I ain't anymore. I'm sure I'll end up doing so, it's too damn amazing a seat to ever let go, but I'm going to have to give it some thought now/evaluate the finances of things in the next couple months where I wasn't before.

And that's exactly why I didn't lock in the pricing last year - for a twentysomething, committing to almost $15k in the next three years on a luxury item when considering the economy as it is, it wasn't a no-brainer. I dunno what they would've done if you say "lock me in, Scotty!" then end up unemployed and homeless the final year without a dime to your name to squeeze you out of, but it was the reason I didn't automatically hit "Hell yeah, keep me paying the same price!"

[Baseball is Life]

Methinks I need to forego the 2014 ST and hire somebody like you to be my frontman/editor/poster in all things Interwebz.

So yeah, all my posts boil down to basically going from $60 to $70 each game in 129.

And it's like I said, the pricing remained stable for six seasons - a shocker in and of itself. Combine that with the three year lock-in offered last season, and the only person to blame for the hike is oneself.

Still, especially when the disappointment & letdown that is/was 2013 is taken into account, it's a pretty damn big leap from one year to the next. Almost 20% increase, 16.667% exactly, from season to season is significant. Almost $1k for what was a $5k seat, all the moreso. I've gotta admit, where once I was 99.99% certain on renewing, I ain't anymore. I'm sure I'll end up doing so, it's too damn amazing a seat to ever let go, but I'm going to have to give it some thought now/evaluate the finances of things in the next couple months where I wasn't before.

And that's exactly why I didn't lock in the pricing last year - for a twentysomething, committing to almost $15k in the next three years on a luxury item when considering the economy as it is, it wasn't a no-brainer. I dunno what they would've done if you say "lock me in, Scotty!" then end up unemployed and homeless the final year without a dime to your name to squeeze you out of, but it was the reason I didn't automatically hit "Hell yeah, keep me paying the same price!"

Re renewing for multiple years, you are not alone. it's hard for me to think many people take advantage of that. People in partnerships like mine would be crazy to do it. For example, my one group for 4 tix in 113 is on the hook for $16k per year. It's my name on the account and you can be sure people would have no problems changing their mind and leaving me holding the bag.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Looking at the 2013 (http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ticketing/2013season.jsp) and 2014 (http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/was/ticketing/season_plans.jsp) prices online, it looks like there's no increase taking place.  The big increase came last offseason, but I'm sure most people who had seats for 2012 renewed early so they could get playoff ticket priority and locked in the 2012 pricing for 2013 in the process, so those are the ones facing the increase right now.  Myself, I locked in for two years, so it will hit me next offseason to the tune of a 40% increase (or more, if they increase prices after next season).