Giants, Bills, Panthers, Jets alter ticket plans

The New York Giants and Jets, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills made changes to their season-ticket plans this year to account for the lockout, with the Giants taking the biggest step by not requiring renewals until the labor stoppage ends.

According to a survey of all 32 teams by The Associated Press, 17 teams are not changing ticket prices, nine are raising them, four are decreasing them _ and two are both raising and decreasing, depending on seat location.

May 1 normally is the due date for full payment by Giants season ticket-holders. Not this year, barring a settlement beforehand of the dispute between owners and players.

“We felt comfortable with it, and we shouldn’t be singled out,” co-owner John Mara said. “Each team has its own cash situation and relationship with their ticket holders.

“I have not heard anything (from other teams). Each team has its own individual circumstances. We’ve asked an awful lot out of our fans in the last few years over the stadium.”

The Giants and Jets shared the $1.6 billion cost for the New Meadowlands Stadium that opened last season. They also required personal seat license fees for most fans.

For 2011, the Giants are not raising ticket prices, while the Jets are having a 2.3 percent average increase. The Jets added a payment alternative that defers 50 percent of the total amount due until a training camp date is announced.

The Panthers added a fourth payment option for fans: 10 percent of the renewal price due up front and 90 percent due upon the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Buffalo extended its series of payments by one pay period and adjusted payment terms so that 50 percent of the account balance is not due until the league announces games will be played. Fans then have a two-month period to make the remaining payments.

Jacksonville is offering more flexibility in its payments, but a team spokesman said it had nothing to do with the lockout.

The four clubs reducing the cost of tickets are San Diego, Cleveland, Arizona and Tampa Bay. San Francisco and Kansas City are dropping some prices, raising others.

In Candlestick Park, more than 40,000 seats for Niners games will decrease or remain unchanged in price, but the average season-ticket price will be approximately $83, up about $6 from last season. At Arrowhead Stadium, two-thirds of the seats will have reduced or flat prices, and some sidelines seats will increase.

“My tickets in the nosebleed section did not go up this year,” Chiefs season ticket-holder Karen Hamlet said, “but my parking did, from $275 for the season to $320. I’ve heard it will go up at the gate as well (for non-season ticket-holders).”

The Chargers lowered the cost of approximately 6,500 seats and held the line on all others for the fourth straight year. Arizona dropped the price on about 3,700 seats. Tampa Bay has reductions of up to 20 percent for some seats and a 10 percent discount on stadium food, beverage and merchandise purchases for season ticket holders.

Denver, New England and Baltimore are among teams keeping prices constant for at least the third consecutive year.

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