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Oasis issue urgent warning after scalpers list tickets for $42,000

<p>Oasis have been forced to issue a warning to music fans who are searching for tickets to their highly-anticipated reunion tour, after resale tickets have been listed for thousands of dollars. </p> <p>Tickets to the UK and Irelands reunion show went on sale on Saturday, with tickets to the 17 shows selling out in a matter of hours. </p> <p>Tickets were originally posted on Ticketmaster with prices ranging from $190 AUD to $500 AUD, before prices were bumped up by the ticket merchant as being "in demand", with the cheapest tickets then priced at $475 AUD. </p> <p>Since all shows were officially sold out, some tickets have since been posted on resale sites such as StubHub and Viagogo, with prices ranging from $1,100 AUD to a whopping $42,000 AUD. </p> <p>After all the tickets were sold, ticket scalpers shared their tickets on the resale websites to turn a profit, with music fans sharing photos of the outrageous prices on social media. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The highest price I've seen so far is £22,045. It's ridiculous. I know no one is likely to pay that, but why are these companies allowing it? <a href="https://t.co/uMSt0TS6K9">pic.twitter.com/uMSt0TS6K9</a></p> <p>— Jordan (@grahamjordan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/grahamjordan_/status/1829647325901570230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>"And it’s begun," one fan wrote alongside a screenshot of the resale websites.</p> <p>"Viagogo and StubHub all trying to rip off Oasis fans, with the highest priced ticket being on StubHub for £6,347 ($12,323 AUD). Hang your heads in shame."</p> <p>The music fan then added another photo of the $42,000 AUD ticket for sale, writing, "The highest price I've seen so far is £22,045. It's ridiculous. I know no one is likely to pay that, but why are these companies allowing it?"</p> <p>Oasis themselves then stepped in to warn fans about paying the extortionate fees for tickets, saying according to the terms and conditions, tickets could only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets.</p> <p>"Tickets sold in breach of terms and conditions will be cancelled by the promoters," they wrote in a post to X.</p> <p>Oasis promoters had previously issued a similar warning, telling fans tickets sold through "unauthorised resale platforms" would be in breach of terms and conditions and "may be cancelled".</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram/Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Money & Banking

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So when should you book that flight? The truth on airline prices

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906"><em>Newcastle University</em></a></em></p> <p>How airlines price tickets is a source of many <a href="http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/a/mythticket.htm">myths</a> and urban legends. These include tips about the best day of the week to buy a ticket, last-minute discounts offered by the airlines, and the conspiracy theories suggesting that the carriers use cookies to increase prices for their passengers. None of these three statements is entirely true.</p> <p>Studies have suggested that prices can be higher or lower on a given day of the week – yet, there is no clear consensus on which day that is. Offered prices can in fact drop at any time before the flight, yet they are much more likely to increase than decrease over the last several weeks before the flight’s departure. Further, the airlines prefer to wait for the last-minute business traveler who’s likely to pay full fare rather than sell the seat prematurely to a price conscious traveler. And no, the airlines do not use cookies to manipulate fare quotes – adjusting their inventory for specific customers appears to be beyond their technical capabilities.</p> <p>What is true about pricing in the airline industry is that carriers use complex and sophisticated pricing systems. The airline’s per passenger cost is the lowest when the flight is full, so carriers have incentive to sell as many seats as possible. This is a race against time for an airline and, of course, no company wants to discount its product more than it has to. Hence, the airlines face two somewhat contradictory goals: to maximize revenue by flying full planes and to sell as many full-fare seats as possible. This a process known in the industry as yield or revenue management.</p> <h2>Airlines and their bucket lists</h2> <p>Here is how <a href="http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1522&amp;context=jaaer">yield management</a> works. For each flight or route (if we are talking about multi-segment itineraries), the airline has a set of available price levels – from the most expensive fully refundable fare to the cheapest deeply discounted non-refundable price. The industry jargon for these prices is “buckets.” Then, seats can be interpreted as balls that are allocated among these buckets.</p> <p>Initial allocation of seats between the price buckets is determined by historical data indicating how well a certain flight sells. For example, fewer deeply discounted seats will be offered on a flight on Thanksgiving week than on the same flight during the third week of February. As the seats on a flight sell, yield managers monitor and adjust the seat allocation. If, for instance, the sales are slower than expected, some of the seats might be moved to lower-priced buckets – this shows up as a price drop. As noted above, such price drops can occur at any time before the flight. However, the general trend of price quotes is upward starting from about two to three weeks before the flight departure date.</p> <p>Of course, an average traveler wants to know when he or she should buy the tickets for the next trip. Another important question is where to buy this ticket. Airlines distribute their inventory on their own websites and on several computer distribution systems, meaning that prices can sometimes differ depending on where one looks. We are not entirely sure what precipitates this phenomenon – likely explanations include differences in contracts between the airlines and the distribution systems/travel agents, implying that different travel agents may not have access to the airline’s entire inventory of available prices.</p> <h2>When to book</h2> <p>The airlines’ yield managers start looking at flight bookings about two months before the departure date. This implies that it generally does not pay to book more than two months in advance: studies show that initially the airlines leave the cheapest price buckets empty, and yield managers may move some seats into those buckets if a couple of months before the departure date the flight is emptier than expected. Between two months and about two to three weeks before the flight date, the fare quotes remain mostly flat, with a slight upward trend. However, and perhaps paradoxically, there is a good chance of a price drop during this period. We tend to monitor prices for several days – sometimes up to a week – hoping for a potentially lower quote. It does not always pay off, but sometimes we do manage to save a considerable amount of money.</p> <p>Two to three weeks before the flight date, the price quotes start increasing. This is the time when business travelers start booking. While price drops are still possible, a chance of a price increase is much higher if you wait to book within this time period. This is also the time when one can find significant differences between price quotes, depending on where one looks and what contract they have with the airlines.</p> <p>Thus, if we book a trip earlier than three weeks before the flight date, we tend not to delay the purchase. At the same time, we check quotes from multiple travel agents, or go directly to a site that allows for a quick comparison of prices (such as <a href="https://www.kayak.com">kayak.com</a> or <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net">skyscanner.net</a>). Or check the airline itself.</p> <p>As for answering the original question we posed, here are some simple tips. First, if you have to travel during a peak period, such as Thanksgiving week, it is generally best not to delay buying that ticket. Otherwise, it might pay to monitor the offered prices for some time before committing. The best strategy for booking within the last couple of weeks before the flight, however, is not to delay the purchase, but to try getting quotes from several agents, which is easy to do in the internet age.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34033/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556"><em>Yuriy Gorodnichenko</em></a><em>, Associate Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/so-when-should-you-book-that-flight-the-truth-on-airline-prices-34033">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Tips

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"Pretty brutal": Peter Garrett slams Taylor Swift for price gouging tickets

<p>Peter Garrett has taken aim at Taylor Swift, calling out her extrationate ticket prices for a place at the Eras Tour. </p> <p>The Midnight Oil frontman  joined <em>107.1 SAFM’s Bec & Soda</em> radio show on Friday when he was informed that he was co-host Mark “Soda” Soderstrom’s favourite artist, or in other words, “his Taylor Swift.”</p> <p>Garrett didn't take too kindly to the comparison, and launched into a rant about the price of Swift's concert tickets. </p> <p>“I’m not price gouging like Taylor, to be blunt,” he began.</p> <p>The radio hosts reminisced about attending a Midnight Oil concert in 1985 when tickets were just $15.90, compared to Swifts forking out hundreds of dollars for the highly anticipated Eras Tour. </p> <p>Tickets for Swift’s Australian tour ranged from $79.90 for G-reserve tickets to $379.90 for A-reserve ticket, while also offering fans multiple VIP packages, reaching an eye-watering $1249.90 for a single ticket. </p> <p>Some diehard fans were quick to complain about the lack of added value in the packages, which included premium seats with add-ons such as a tote bags, collectable pins, stickers and postcards.</p> <p>Garrett continued, “I wouldn’t begrudge anyone’s success, that’s the first thing to say."</p> <p>"She’s obviously touching a chord with masses of people, particularly people of a certain age group who have experienced growing up at a certain time, and what she’s singing and talking about is really ringing true with them.” </p> <p>However, he also said that “the dollar end of it having looked at it from a distance, having been in this business forever, is pretty brutal.”</p> <p>Garrett continued to share his disapproval of Swift's Australian domination, complaining about how five of her albums dominated the ARIA charts, booting Aussie artists off the ladder. </p> <p>“She is so pervasive, she has become such a phenomenon, that she is displacing artists left right and centre. In our ARIA top 100 chart – that’s the Australian record industry chart – I think at one point in the last week or two, we only had three Australian artists in that top 100,” Garrett said. </p> <p>“Not good enough! And that’s not me crying about it, I’ve had an incredible run. But I think about the younger artists coming through and it’s extremely hard for them now.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Money & Banking

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Spin cycle disaster: man puts winning Lotto ticket through the wash

<p>In a harrowing tale that's sure to wring out a chuckle or two, a man in his late 20s from <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Belmont, Western Australia, </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">narrowly escaped laundering his way out of a $2.8 million windfall – after nearly sacrificing his winning lottery ticket to the treacherous depths of his washing machine.</span></p> <p>It all started innocently enough at the Here's Luck Lottery Centre in Belmont Forum, where our hero – who very sensibly prefers to remain incognito – purchased what would turn out to be a life-changing ticket for the Saturday Lotto. Little did he know, his unassuming trousers would soon become the epicentre of a near-catastrophe.</p> <p>In a classic case of absentmindedness, our hero forgot to take his ticket out of his pants pocket before succumbing to the siren song of laundry day.</p> <p>"I forgot to take the ticket out of my trousers and put it in the washing machine," confessed the forgetful winner. "After five minutes I realised and stopped the washing machine to grab the ticket, fortunately, it was safe."</p> <p>Indeed, it was a race against the spin cycle as the man scrambled to rescue his potential fortune from a soapy demise. "I couldn’t think, I couldn’t sleep, I am still processing the win," he admitted with palpable relief.</p> <p>But our protagonist emerged victorious from this sudsy saga, managing to salvage his ticket just in the nick of time. With a sigh of relief, he made his way to Lotterywest HQ to claim his well-deserved prize.</p> <p>Lotterywest spokesman James Mooney chimed in, highlighting the importance of registering tickets to avoid potential mishaps of this magnitude. "For this player, it all came out of the wash okay, but it’s a reminder for players to register their ticket to prevent what could be a multimillion-dollar mistake," he wisely advised.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Free tickets up for grabs to Barry Humphries' state memorial

<p>Australians will have the chance to pay their respects to the late Barry Humphries, with limited free tickets to his state memorial available to the public. </p> <p>Humphries died on April 22nd this year at the age of 89, and will be remembered for his legendary comedic characters such as Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.</p> <p>His state memorial will be held at the Sydney Opera House at 11am on Friday December 15th, for those who wish to pay their respects to the entertainment giant. </p> <p>"The State Memorial will bring together dignitaries, family, friends and fans of Mr Humphries from across Australia and around the world to celebrate his extraordinary career and achievements," the NSW government said online.</p> <div> <p>Limited free tickets have also been made available to the public through the <a title="Sydney Opera House website" href="https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/state-memorial-barry-humphries-ac-cbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sydney Opera House website,</a> with fans able to snag a ticket from 2pm AEDT on Friday November 17th.</p> <p>Each person hoping to get a ticket will be allowed two tickets per customer to give everyone a chance to farewell one of Australia's best-loved entertainers. </p> <p>For those who miss out on a ticket, the memorial will be streamed online and broadcast on ABC, providing an opportunity for audiences everywhere to share in the celebration of Mr Humphries' life.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Caring

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Driver's shock after copping $2.2 million speeding ticket

<p>In a shocking turn of events, a man in the US state of Georgia has found himself facing a $2.2 million ($US1.4m) traffic ticket after getting caught speeding on a freeway.</p> <p>Yes, you read that right - $2.2 million! It sounds like a punchline from a comedy show, but it happened in real life.</p> <p>Connor Cato was cruising through the city of Savannah on September 2, probably enjoying the wind in his hair, when the Georgia State Patrol nabbed him going a zippy 145km/h (90miles/h) in an 88km/h (55mile/h) zone. Now, we've all been there, right? In a rush, late for a meeting, or maybe just trying to win a real-life game of Mario Kart. But poor Mr Cato got WAY more than he bargained for.</p> <p>When the officer handed him a ticket, he must have been bracing himself for a hefty fine. But what he got was more jaw-dropping than a surprise birthday party from a circus troupe. The ticket had a price tag of $2.2 million! </p> <p>In disbelief, Cato decided to call the court, assuming it was a typo. But, to his amazement, the court clerk insisted that the amount was correct. She even had the audacity to tell him, "You either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on December 21 at 1:30pm."</p> <p>Thankfully, Cato's dire financial situation turned out to be a mere illusion. The $2.2 million was just what's known as a "placeholder" generated by e-citation software used in Savannah. This software, used by the local Recorder's Court, goes all <em>Mission Impossible</em> on super speeders – those who exceed the speed limit by more than 56km/h (35miles/h). It seems that the software programmers have a taste for drama, as they used the largest number possible to create this fine that sounds more like a ransom demand from a Bond villain.</p> <p>In reality, a judge will set the real fine, which cannot exceed $2,000 ($US1,000), plus state-mandated costs, at Cato's mandatory court appearance. So, our dear speed demon can breathe a sigh of relief; he won't be selling his house, car, and perhaps an organ or two to pay off that outrageous ticket.</p> <p>The city of Savannah has been using this placeholder system since 2017 and has promised to work on adjusting the language to avoid any further confusion. In the end, this story is a reminder that sometimes technology can have a wicked sense of humour. </p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock / WSAV TV</em></p>

Legal

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"She's my heartbeat": Man's touching move after mum buys him $730k winning lottery ticket

<p>A man from South Australia has vowed to shower his mother in gifts after she bought him a winning lottery ticket for his birthday. </p> <p>The man held one of the seven winning division one tickets, seeing him rake in a hefty prize of $738,668.19. </p> <p>The winning ticket was purchased by the man's mother, at the George Avenue Deli in Whyalla Norrie, north of Adelaide, with the family in disbelief at the extraordinary win. </p> <p>"My mum bought me this ticket for my birthday last week,” the man said.</p> <p>“I rang her yesterday after calling The Lott and she didn’t believe me at all.”</p> <p>The man said that while he is thrilled with the win, it still doesn't seem real. </p> <p>“Honestly, I’ve been holding off getting excited until the money is in my account,” he said. </p> <p>The grateful winner has promised to repay his mother for all she’s done for him by spoiling her “rotten” with his winnings. </p> <p>“She’s my heartbeat, she’s everything to me,” he said.</p> <p>“I wouldn’t have had a great birthday if it wasn’t for her, so I look forward to giving back to her.”</p> <p>The owner of George Avenue Deli, Lorna-Jane Anderson, said learning of the winning entry had been “wonderful news”.</p> <p>“There’s no doubt the local community will be happy to hear another Whyalla Norrie customer has won big with a ticket purchased at our outlet,” she said.</p> <p>“We’ve sold many major lottery prizes in the past two years and in fact, almost a year ago we sold a top prize-winning Instant Scratch-Its ticket worth $100,000."</p> <p>“We’re glad to hear the mystery winner has come forward to claim their prize and we wish him all the best with the win.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: The Lott</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Ignore it": The one parking ticket Aussies can chuck in the bin

<p>Western Australian driver, <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Connor Wright,</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> has gone viral after sharing his advice on how to handle penalty notices issued by private parking companies.</span></p> <p>The TikTok, which now has over 1.5 million views, started off with Wright recalling the moment he walked back to his car to find a ticket issued by Parking Enforcement Services (PES), a division of Wilson Parking. </p> <p>Wright then proceeds to rip up the ticket and told others to "make sure to read the fine print on these bad boys".</p> <p>"If you read at the back, it says important information: 'This is not a parking fine'," he said. </p> <p>"Useless, throw it in the bin, don't pay that sh*t."</p> <p>Many have commented how they "wish they knew this earlier". </p> <p>The ticket itself is a 'breach notice' which starts at a $65 penalty from Wilson and is only issued when a person drives into private car park, for example in a shopping centre, and break the terms and conditions issued by the private entity. </p> <p>"What they try and do is recover the debt for the loss incurred, effectively like a breach of contract, but they're not fines — only a statutory body has the power to issue a fine." Sydney Criminal Lawyers James Clements told <em>Yahoo News Australia</em>. </p> <p>Clements also called the penalty a "bullying tactic" to "effectively try scaring people into paying them," but it is difficult to enforce it due to government "crackdowns." </p> <p>However parking fines from bodies like councils, some universities and hospitals should be paid.</p> <p>Clements advises that when you receive the breach notice you should "ignore it" or "write back and say, 'I dispute this and do not intend to pay'."</p> <p>"What you don't want to do is write to them and say that you disclose you were the driver."</p> <p>Drivers are also encouraged to read signs and the terms and conditions when entering a private car park. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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Beyond Barbie and Oppenheimer, how do cinemas make money? And do we pay too much for movie tickets?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a></em></p> <p>I’ve got two questions about blockbuster movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer.</p> <ol> <li> <p>Why aren’t the cinemas charging more for them, given they’re so popular?</p> </li> <li> <p>Why are they the same price, given Oppenheimer is an hour longer?</p> </li> </ol> <p>The opening weekend <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/how-australian-cinemas-and-audiences-handled-the-barbenheimer-juggernaut-20230724-p5dqso.html">for both films</a> saw an avalanche of Australians returning to the cinema. Extra staff had to be put on (although probably not enough) to manage queues, turn away pink-clad fans who couldn’t get in, and clean up mountains of popcorn trampled underfoot.</p> <p>An obvious solution to such a rush of demand is to push up prices. Airlines do it when they are getting low on seats. When more people want to get a ride share, Uber makes them pay with “<a href="https://www.uber.com/au/en/drive/driver-app/how-surge-works/">surge pricing</a>”.</p> <p>Even books are sold at different prices, depending on the demand, their length, their quality and how long they’ve been on the shelves.</p> <p>But not movie tickets, which are nearly always the same price, no matter the movie. Why? And how much has the cost of a trip to the movies risen over the past 20 years?</p> <h2>Why not charge more for blockbusters?</h2> <p>In suburban Melbourne, Hoyts is charging $24.50 for the two-hour Barbie – the same as it is charging for the three-hour Oppenheimer, even though it could fit in far fewer showings of Oppenheimer in a day. It’s also the same price as it is charging for much less popular movies, such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.</p> <p>It’s also how things are in the United States, where James Surowiecki, author of <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/175380/the-wisdom-of-crowds-by-james-surowiecki/">The Wisdom of Crowds</a> blames convention and says "it costs you as much to see a total dog that’s limping its way through its last week of release as it does to see a hugely popular film on opening night."</p> <p>Australian economists Nicolas de Roos of The University of Sydney and Jordi McKenzie of Macquarie University quote Surowiecki in their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">2014 study</a> of whether cinema operators could make more by cutting the price of older and less popular films and raising the price of blockbusters.</p> <p>By examining what happened to demand on <a href="https://www.eventcinemas.com.au/Promotions/HalfPriceTuesdays#cinemas=59">cheap Tuesdays</a>, and developing a model taking into account advertising, reviews and the weather, they discovered Australian cinemas could make a lot more by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">varying their prices</a> by the movie shown. We turn out to be highly price sensitive. So why don’t cinemas do that?</p> <h2>‘There’s a queue, it must be good’</h2> <p>It’s the sort of thing that puzzled <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1992/becker/biographical/">Gary Becker</a>, an economic detective of sorts who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in the early 1990s. A few years earlier, he turned his attention to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2937660">restaurants</a> and why one particular seafood restaurant in Palo Alto, California, had long queues every night but didn’t raise its prices.</p> <p>Across the road was a restaurant that charged slightly more, sold food that was about as good, and was mostly empty.</p> <p>His conclusion, which he used a lot of maths to illustrate, was there are some goods for which a consumer’s demand depends on the demand of other consumers.</p> <p>Queues for restaurants (or in 2023, long queues and sold out sessions, as crowds were turned away from Barbie) are all signals other consumers want to get in.</p> <p>This would make queues especially valuable to the providers of such goods, even if the queues meant they didn’t get as much as they could from the customers who got in. The “buzz” such queues create produces a supply of future customers persuaded that what was on offer must be worth trying.</p> <p>Importantly, Becker’s maths showed that getting things right was fragile. It was much easier for a restaurant to go from being “in” to “out” than the other way around. Once a queue had created a buzz, it was wise not to mess with it.</p> <h2>Cashing in from the snack bar</h2> <p>There are other reasons for cinemas to charge a standard ticket price, rather than vary it movie by movie.</p> <p>One is that it is hard to tell ahead of time which movies are going to soar and which are going to bomb, even if you spend a fortune on advertising as the <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/barbie-marketing-campaign-explained-warner-bros-1235677922/">makers of Barbie did</a>. In the words of an insider, “<a href="https://variety.com/2018/film/opinion/william-goldman-dies-appreciation-1203030781/">nobody knows anything</a>.”</p> <p>Another is the way cinemas make their money. They have to pay the distributor a share of what they get from ticket sales (typically <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">35-40%</a>). But they don’t have to pay a share of what they make from high-margin snacks.</p> <p>This means it can make sense for some cinemas to charge less than what the market will bear – because they’ll sell more snacks – even if it means less money for the distributor.</p> <h2>Rising prices, despite some falling costs</h2> <p>But cinemas still charge a lot. From 2002 to 2022, Australian cinemas jacked up their average (not their highest) prices <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/box-office/ticket-prices">from $9.13 to $16.26</a> – an increase of 78%.</p> <p>In the same 20 year period, overall prices in Australia, as measured by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-the-cpi-and-what-does-it-actually-measure-165162">consumer price index</a>, climbed 65% – less than the rise in movie ticket prices.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="E2kxi" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/E2kxi/5/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>A 2015 study found Australian cinemas charge more <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306227560_Counting_the_cost_the_impact_of_cinema_ticket_prices_in_Australia">than cinemas in the US</a>.</p> <p>Yet some of the cinemas’ costs have gone down. They used to have to employ projectionists to lace up and change reels of film. Digital delivery means much less handling.</p> <p>A now-dated <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/developments-in-the-cinema-distribution-exhibition-industry">1990s report</a> to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found the two majors, Hoyts and Greater Union/Village, charged near identical prices except where they were faced with competition from a nearby independent, in which case they discounted.</p> <p>Whether “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/The%20Cinema%20Industry.pdf">by design or circumstance</a>”, the two cinema chains rarely competed with each other, clustering their multiplexes in different geographical locations.</p> <h2>Longer films no longer displace shorter films</h2> <p>I think it might be the multiplex that answers my second question: why cinemas don’t charge more for movies that are longer (and movies are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/bigger-than-ben-hur-why-movies-are-getting-longer-and-longer-20220322-p5a6ty.html">getting longer</a>).</p> <p>In the days of single screens, a cinema that showed a long movie might only fit in (say) four showings a day instead of six. So it would lose out unless it charged more.</p> <p>But these days, multiplexes show many, many films on many screens, some of them simultaneously, meaning long films needn’t displace short films.</p> <p>Although we have <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">fewer cinema seats</a> than we had a decade ago (and at least until the advent of Barbie, we’ve been <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">going less often</a>) we now have <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">far more screens</a>.</p> <p>Long movies no longer stop the multiplexes from playing standard ones. And because cinemas like to keep things simple, you pay the same price, no matter which movie you chose. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211121/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-barbie-and-oppenheimer-how-do-cinemas-make-money-and-do-we-pay-too-much-for-movie-tickets-211121">original article</a>.</em></p>

Movies

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Free tickets to The Miracle Club for Over60 readers!

<p>Join us for a special advance preview of <em>The Miracle Club</em>!</p> <p>Starring Academy Award winners Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates, Academy Award nominee Laura Linney, and rising talent Agnes O'Casey, <em>The Miracle Club </em>is a heartwarming, hilarious film that celebrates the power of friendship, love and laughter.</p> <p>"The stories of these women reminds us that we are only as strong as the friends and family who stand by us,” says Jarod Neece, Senior Programmer at the Tribeca Film Festival.</p> <p> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gp3ZFdklPCk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The film is set in Ballyfermot, Ireland, 1960. A hard-knocks community in outer Dublin that marches to its own beat, rooted in traditions of loyalty, faith and togetherness.</p> <p>There's just one tantalising dream for the women of Ballyfermot to taste freedom and escape the gauntlet of domestic life: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes.</p> <p>And with a little benevolent interference from their cheeky and rebellious priest, close friends Lily, Eileen, Dolly and Sheila are the 'lucky' few to win this ticket of a lifetime at their riotous local raffle night.</p> <p>As a special offer to Over60 Readers, <a href="https://www.weticketit.com/showfilmfirstau/booking/Event/detail/JRD10963" target="_blank" rel="noopener">simply click the link to RSVP</a> and download your free double pass to the film. But hurry – seats are limited, so it really is first in, best dressed. <em>Enjoy!</em></p> <p><a href="https://www.weticketit.com/showfilmfirstau/booking/Event/detail/JRD10963" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/06/MiracleClub_HERO.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></em></a></p> <p> </p>

Movies

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Parents leave baby at airport counter after refusing to buy extra ticket

<p>A couple were checking in for a flight from Ben Gurion International Airport to Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday when they made the decision to leave their baby behind. </p> <p>Upon their arrival at the airport check-in desk in Tel Aviv, Israel, it was revealed that the baby did not have a ticket. Rather than address the situation and ensure their child’s safe travel, the pair opted to proceed to security without their stroller and its young occupant. </p> <p>The airline they were flying with, Ryanair, state on their website that "infants can be included in a flight reservation during the online booking process." </p> <p>Following their process for booking with an infant, a message will pop-up to let travellers know there is a €25 charge (approximately $39) for each one-way flight the baby participates in from an adult’s lap. If the adults want the baby to travel in a seat of its own with the proper equipment, a seat must be paid for. </p> <p>The parents, apparently, had not made such arrangements for their baby. The matter was referred to officials, as confirmed by a Ryanair spokeswoman.</p> <p>"These passengers travelling from Tel Aviv to Brussels presented at check-in without a booking for their infant,” she told <em>CNN</em>, “they then proceeded to security leaving the infant behind at check-in.</p> <p>"The check-in agent at Ben Gurion Airport contacted Airport Security, who retrieved these passengers, and this is now a matter for local police."</p> <p>Reports of the situation were confirmed by the Israeli Airport Authority, who provided a statement to <em>CNN </em>and offered some more information into what went on. </p> <p>"A couple and an infant with Belgian passports arrived for a flight at Terminal 1 without a ticket for the baby,” it read. </p> <p>“The couple also arrived late for the flight, once the check-in for the flight was closed. The couple left the infant seat with the baby and ran toward the security checks at Terminal 1 in an attempt to reach the boarding gate for the flight."</p> <p>A video allegedly from the airport at the time, staff can be heard expressing their sadness for the child. Another woman exclaims, “she left him there, I swear!”</p> <p>Ryanair staff also voiced their shock over the incident, telling <em>N12</em>, “we’re never seen anything like it.” </p> <p>Despite reports that the parents were detained, an Israel Police spokesman told <em>CNN </em>that the matter appeared to have been resolved by the time law enforcement arrived on the scene, stating that "the baby was with the parents and there's no further investigation."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Puzzle-cracking Matthew McConaughey fans could win tickets to meet him

<p dir="ltr">If you consider yourself a sleuth or a puzzlemaster you could have a chance to meet Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey when he touches down in Australia for an “off-grid” concert.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans hoping to see the <em>Dallas Buyers Club</em> actor at next month’s concert will need to identify the exclusive, secret location from a series of cryptic poems that will be shared on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">Attendees of the concert, which will be headlined by Boy &amp; Bear, will be selected by the Aussie rock band.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-840c7e80-7fff-0519-3a62-0f7ca669d2c1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">McConaughey shared the news with fans in a statement, encouraging hopefuls to trust their instincts.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkJqaBSh4-6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkJqaBSh4-6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Wild Turkey Australia (@wildturkeyau)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Trusting yourself, your instincts and spirit are the key to discovery and will always lead you down the right path in life, or a road up north,” the 52-year-old said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For this reason, Wild Turkey and Boy &amp; Bear are challenging Aussies to let go of the monotony of the last few years and let yourselves discover again.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Discovery Series Acoustic Session fuels this spirit. However, it's more than discovery; it's for the love of the wilderness, and the enjoyment of bourbon and, most of all, music.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So, sit back, check into the words and Trust Your Spirit – I'll be waiting patiently to congratulate those who take on the journey.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In a clip shared on social media, McConaughey described the event as a “very special evening out in nature”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Each of the clues will be posted on Wild Turkey’s official Instagram page.</p> <p dir="ltr">McConaughey has been involved with the bourbon brand since 2016, when he came on as its Creative Director and became the “chief storyteller”, according to the Wild Turkey website.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wild Turkey has the history and qualities of a brand that depicts the dedication of someone to do something their own way – even if that way isn’t always the most popular,” McConaughey says on the site.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to help share their unique story.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-624508ed-7fff-371f-a062-e0a09cca888f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @officialmcconaughey (Instagram)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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British couple sell raffle tickets to offload home

<p dir="ltr">A family forced to sell their home have had to get creative to do it after they were knocked back for a loan for a new house - and it could see a new owner claim the property for a £3 raffle ticket.</p> <p dir="ltr">Declan Garrett and wife Leoni Webb have been forced to sell their property in Weston-super-Mare, a town in North Somerset, due to the soaring cost of their mortgage.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, they can’t get a loan for a new home as banks knocked them back due to the size of their blended family, with a total of seven kids.</p> <p dir="ltr">With pressure coming from inflation and a rising cost of living, the couple turned to raffle tickets to raise the money they need for a new home that is big enough for their soon-to-be teenage kids.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d6a1a0b4-7fff-e20c-f274-7fbc6355c960"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">All interested buyers need to do is grab a raffle ticket and they could be in the running to win the keys to the coastal home, with the winner to be drawn on October 26.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeyIP3klfj4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeyIP3klfj4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Weston-super-Mare House Raffle (@wsmhouseraffle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">But, there are some caveats.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple launched the raffle through an online platform in June, telling <em>The Sun</em> that they need to sell about 100,000 tickets to raise the £300,000 they need.</p> <p dir="ltr">If they don’t reach their target, the main prize will instead become 75 percent of the amount raised through raffle ticket sales.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an emotional clip shared to an Instagram page dedicated to the house and raffle, Ms Webb explained that she and her husband would sell their home the usual way if they would.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e5f4934-7fff-035c-39a1-f6e268360a40"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Why on earth would we choose to open ourselves up to the criticism and absolute tolling that we have?” she said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgAIYuNIPfL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgAIYuNIPfL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Weston-super-Mare House Raffle (@wsmhouseraffle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The cost of living is absolutely ridiculous right now – we understand more than most. We have seven children who need feeding and clothing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My husband is a school teacher and I worked in behavioural education, so I also work within schools. Ordinarily we wouldn’t be able to afford a house. We were very, very lucky to buy a house when we did.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As we are looking to move…so we decided to raffle off our house to give somebody the gift of owning a house.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I really hope we can pull this off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The sale of raffle tickets for four-bedroom home closes on October 21 local time, with tickets available to be purchased <a href="https://raffique.co.uk/product/win-a-house-in-weston-super-mare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f02766e3-7fff-1d67-b62f-66b6e0a78285"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @wsmhouseraffle (Instagram)</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Howzat! Tickets now up for grabs for Warnie's state funeral

<p dir="ltr">Over 50,000 people will be able to join Shane Warne’s family in farewelling the iconic cricketer at his state funeral - but those who miss out on the coveted tickets can still pay their respects.</p> <p dir="ltr">Victorian Premier Dan Andrews revealed that tickets for the service - due to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 30 - will be free, with <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/state-memorial-service-shane-warne" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online booking</a> starting at 3pm on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Premier took to Twitter to share new details about the service on Tuesday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve got some details locked in for Warnie’s memorial at the MCG,” Mr Andrews wrote.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-522f2a83-7fff-f767-0752-7da412dfb5f3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“And don’t worry - if you can’t make it, the memorial will be livestreamed.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We've got some details locked in for Warnie's memorial at the MCG. </p> <p>The service will begin at 7pm, 30 March. </p> <p>Free tickets will be available for booking from today at 3pm, at <a href="https://t.co/qXOL7WTyrk">https://t.co/qXOL7WTyrk</a></p> <p>And don't worry - if you can't make it, the memorial will be livestreamed.</p> <p>— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1505998214381850625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">It is expected that at least 50,000 fans will be joining Warne’s family and friends, as well as dignitaries and invited guests at the MCG.</p> <p dir="ltr">These guests will include former and current cricketers, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed he will be attending.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and UK pop star Ed Sheeran have also expressed their interest in being involved in the event, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-10637171/Shane-Warne-memorial-services-tickets-available-TODAY.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></em>, while Warne’s ex-fiancee Elizabeth Hurley is understood to be trying to make the service.</p> <p dir="ltr">Most of the tickets will be available for the Great Southern Stand, which will be renamed the Shane Warne Stand in tribute.</p> <p dir="ltr">The service is due to commence from 7pm, with attendees - who must be fully vaccinated - required to be seated by 6.45pm.</p> <p dir="ltr">Depending on demand, more tickets may become available.</p> <p dir="ltr">Members of the public can submit online tributes to the cricket icon until April 10, and the family has requested that donations be made to the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in lieu of flowers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cricket grounds across Australia are also understood to be live streaming events paying tribute to Warne following his death on March 4.</p> <p dir="ltr">NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the final details for the event at the Sydney Cricket Ground are still being finalised, but that it would be run alongside the Melbourne event and would be unticketed with free entry.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are working through that at the moment with (Venues NSW chairman) Tony Shepherd and the team at Cricket Australia,” Mr Perrottet said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We want to run those events alongside each other. Obviously, we will live stream the memorial service in the MCG - that’s incredibly important.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it’s important that we provide the opportunity for people to come to the cricket ground and pay their respects to Shane and to his family and friends.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The SCG service will include live tributes to Warne - who holds the record for the most test wickets at the grounds - and footage of his achievements.</p> <p dir="ltr">Venue NSW chairman Tony Shepherd said Mr Perrottet, Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, and former Prime Minister John Howard were also invited to the SCG memorial.</p> <p dir="ltr">A spokesperson from Cricket Australia told the <em><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/shane-warne-memorial-service-to-be-held-at-sydney-cricket-ground/news-story/5f3bc78ad88382c7ce3e0644b7ca1d4b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Telegraph</a></em> other cricket grounds were considering hosting services, including Adelaide Oval.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The SCG has expressed its intention to live stream Shane Warne’s memorial service and is of course welcome to do so,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Other grounds around Australia including Adelaide Oval are understood to be considering doing the same thing.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-143fa847-7fff-15e3-e397-b2438ff11eb5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images </em></p>

Caring

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Lottery winner drowns with winning ticket still in his wallet

<p>A 57-year-old man has drowned in a lake with a winning lottery ticket in his wallet. </p> <p>Michigan-local Gregory Jarvis was found washed up on a beach in the state's east, almost 10 days after scooping the impressive jackpot. </p> <p>Gregory had been at a local inn on September 13 when he won $45,000 in a Club Keno game. </p> <p>He was unable to cash out his winnings straight away, as he didn't have his social security card with him at the time. </p> <p>According to the state of Michigan and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc12.com/2021/09/28/caseville-drowning-victim-had-winning-lottery-ticket-his-wallet/" target="_blank">ABC12 news</a>, social security cards must be presented in order to cash lottery jackpot winnings over $600.</p> <p>Gregory had applied for a new card and was planning to visit his family with the winnings once he could cash them in, according to the Blue Water Inn owner Dawn Talaski. </p> <p>Gregory returned to the inn's bar on September 19 to celebrate his win as he bought a round of drinks.</p> <p>However, when he didn't show up as usual the following day, inn owner Dawn became concerned. </p> <p><span>"He wasn’t here all week and we thought, something is wrong," she said.</span></p> <p><span>Gregory's boss even went to the bar on September 22 to search for him when he hadn't shown up for work. </span></p> <p><span>Two days later, a local resident called the police when they witnesses a body had washed ashore on their private beach in Huron County. </span></p> <p><span>The body was found near a boat, and police confirmed the boat belonged to Gregory Jarvis.</span></p> <p><span>An autopsy revealed that Gregory had hit his head before he drowned.</span></p> <p><span>Local police found the winning lottery ticket in Gregory's wallet, which prompted an investigation to rule out foul play. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>Their investigation showed no such motives or evidence, as Caseville Police Chief Kyle Romzek said, "We are thinking that he was tying up his boat, slipped and fell, hit his head and that’s where he ended up in the water."</span></p> <p><span>The winning lottery ticket has now been handed over to Gregory's relatives. </span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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How to spot concert ticket scams

<p>Music fans in Singapore are in for a treat with top acts like Maroon 5, Jason Mraz and Mariah Carey coming through in the next few months.</p> <p>However, with high tickets prices and sellout concerts, it’s getting harder than ever to catch a live show without contemplating selling an internal organ.</p> <p>The bargain hunters among us will turn to the next best place for tickets: online marketplaces like Carousell, Craigslist or Gumtree.</p> <p>But as anyone who has ever spent time on these sites will know, you need to exercise a great deal of caution or you could end up poorer with nothing to show for it.</p> <p>Heed these 4 warning signs that you could be dealing with a scammer, and save yourself some disappointment and some money!</p> <p><strong>The tickets are cheaper than retail</strong></p> <p>While there may be genuine cases where a legitimate seller will need to offload his tickets (for example, a work emergency that prevents him from going to the concert), it’s not realistic to expect him to incur a significant loss, especially if the tickets are for sold out concerts.</p> <p>If someone is offering deeply discounted tickets, keep scrolling!</p> <p>You are dealing with a scammer.</p> <p><strong>The seller doesn't want to meet</strong></p> <p>Alarm bells should ring if the seller doesn’t want to have a face-to-face meeting and wants to get the deal done quickly through an online funds transfer, promising to mail the tickets after you’ve paid.</p> <p>We’re willing to bet that you will never receive your tickets or hear from him or her ever again after you’ve transferred the money.</p> <p>If you’re one of the lucky few who has found a genuine seller, always insist on a face-to-face meeting in public to complete the transaction.</p> <p>However, there is still a possibility that the tickets are fake or duplicates so buyer beware.</p> <p><strong>Opt for physical tickets</strong></p> <p>If you’re buying tickets from a seller on an online marketplace, make sure you receive printed physical tickets and not PDF copies or e-tickets.</p> <p>The scammer may have sold the same e-ticket to several buyers, which means you won’t be able to use them.</p> <p><strong>Read the reviews</strong></p> <p>Does the seller have any reviews or is he a new member?</p> <p>Does he have other listings?</p> <p>Sellers who are new and don’t have anything else up for sale may be scammers looking to make a quick buck off the naïve and vulnerable.</p> <p>Stay vigilant!</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/how-spot-concert-ticket-scams" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Music

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Unclaimed riches: FIVE lottery winners in the past five weeks yet to come forward

<p>Sydney residents are being urged to check any unclaimed lotto tickets as an $11million winning ticket remains at large. </p> <p>One lucky Aussie purchased the ticket for Tuesday's Oz Lotto draw at a a Newsagency in the south Sydney suburb of Rosebery, and have yet to claim their winnings.</p> <p>The ticket holder managed to nab the <span>only division one winning entry in draw 1435, securing themselves the entire jackpot prize of $11,002,697.57.</span></p> <p><span>However, the ticket purchase wasn't registered to a player card, so lottery officials have no way of contacting them. </span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">Rosebery North Newsagency manager Min Chai said the win was “so exciting for us and our community”.</p> <p><span>“It’s incredible to see one of our customers walk away with such a massive prize,” he added.</span></p> <p><span>Lauren Cooney, a spokesperson for Lotto Australia, has urged all customers who bought a ticket from the store to check their tickets as soon as possible. </span></p> <p><span>She also </span>said, <span>“We’re certainly hoping to hear from Sydney’s latest multi-millionaire very soon.”</span></p> <p><span>The draw’s winning numbers were 35, 15, 44, 5, 18, 32 and 38, while the supplementary numbers were 42 and 16.</span></p> <p><span>This large unclaimed prize is the fifth winning ticket that remains at large this week. </span></p> <p><span>Other prizes still to be claimed range between $700,000 and $2million, as Sydney-siders are urged to check any tickets that are not registered to player cards. </span></p> <p><span>The suburbs the tickets were purchased in are West Ryde, Mount Hutton, Randwick, Werrington and the $11million ticket from Rosebery.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Ticket to recovery": How to grab your half-priced flights

<p>The Australian Federal Government is trying to encourage Aussies to holiday domestically in tourist spots that are struggling without international visitors.</p> <p>This means hundreds of thousands of heavily discounted airfares will be available due to the $1.2 billion tourism package announced on Wednesday night.</p> <p>“We need to get Australians back in planes, we need to get those planes back in the air, because planes in the air means jobs on the ground,” Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack told the ABC.</p> <p>“This $1.2 billion package is going to support so many businesses and so many, so many workers.”</p> <p>There are expected to be around 46,000 half-price tickets available per week up to a total of 800,000 cheap airfares.</p> <p>Buying a discounted flight is easy, as all you have to do is visit your chosen airline's website from April 1st to take advantage.</p> <p>Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar are rumoured to be the main airlines operating the routes, but smaller carriers are urged to get involved as well.</p> <p>Here's a list of all the potential routes:</p> <p><strong>Kangaroo Island (South Australia)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Adelaide – Kingscote</li> </ul> <p><strong>Avalon (Victoria)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Gold Coast – Avalon</li> <li>Sydney – Avalon</li> </ul> <p><strong>Merimbula (New South Wales)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Melbourne – Merimbula</li> </ul> <p><strong>Broome (Western Australia)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Darwin – Broome</li> <li>Sydney – Broome</li> <li>Melbourne – Broome</li> </ul> <p><strong>Lasseter and Alice Springs (Northern Territory)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Adelaide – Alice Springs</li> <li>Sydney – Uluru</li> <li>Brisbane – Alice Springs</li> <li>Melbourne – Alice Springs</li> <li>Perth – Alice Springs</li> <li>Sydney – Alice Springs</li> <li>Brisbane – Uluru</li> <li>Melbourne – Uluru</li> </ul> <p><strong>Launceston, Devonport and Burnie (Tasmania)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Melbourne – Launceston</li> <li>Sydney – Launceston</li> <li>Brisbane – Launceston</li> <li>Melbourne – Devonport</li> <li>Melbourne – Burnie</li> </ul> <p><strong>Gold Coast (Queensland)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Adelaide – Gold Coast</li> <li>Melbourne – Gold Coast</li> <li>Sydney – Gold Coast</li> <li>Canberra – Gold Coast</li> <li>Avalon – Gold Coast</li> </ul> <p><strong>Tropical North Queensland (Queensland)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Melbourne – Cairns</li> <li>Sydney – Cairns</li> <li>Darwin – Cairns</li> </ul> <p><strong>Whitsundays and Mackay region (Queensland)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Sydney – Proserpine</li> <li>Sydney – Hamilton Island</li> <li>Sunshine Coast (Queensland)</li> <li>Sydney – Maroochydore</li> <li>Melbourne – Maroochydore</li> <li>Adelaide – Maroochydore</li> </ul> <p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the package is the "ticket to recovery".</p> <p>"This is our ticket to recovery," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.</p> <p>"This package will take more tourists to our hotels and cafes, taking tours and exploring our backyard."</p> <p>However, Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said that the scheme doesn't do enough.</p> <p>It is a very small, very meagre package at best," he told Nine.</p> <p>"I don't think this is going to help at all, really. It is about the borders. Keeping the domestic borders open and getting the international borders open as soon as possible."</p>

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