Jets season-ticket holders will receive a notice from the team in the next few days outlining some ticket price increases and some other shifting in policies in the event of the possible lockout that’s looming.
The Jets are raising ticket prices for the 2011 season an average of 2.3 percent, Jets executive VP of business operations Matt Higgins said Tuesday.
Personal seat license tickets are being raised $5 across the board and there are increases for the luxury suite seats. The only seats not affected by an increase are those in the upper bowl of New Meadowlands Stadium.
With the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and players union due to expire March 4, and with no new agreement yet in place, the Jets also will implement a contingency plan to account for the possibility of a lockout.
Instead of fans being required to pay for their season tickets in full by April 1, which is the normal policy, fans can pay 50 percent by April 1. They would not be responsible for the rest until a new CBA is reached and the league announces when training camp will begin. If any games are canceled as a result of a lockout, season ticket prices would be prorated accordingly and fans will get refunds for the football they miss.
“We have every reason to believe the season will go forward as planned, but we have modified our policies to reflect the uncertainty,” Higgins said yesterday.
He said the prices in the upper bowl will remain the same as 2010 as a result of fan feedback during the season on improvements that can be made.
Higgins said the Jets and Giants, based on the surveys they conducted during the 2010 season, have agreed to build more shelter in the concession areas that serve the upper bowl. He, too, said there would be an expansion in the men’s rooms based on complaints that the lines were too long.
Those improvements will be made during the offseason.
“Our overall goal is, no matter where you sit in the stadium, that you have a great experience,” Higgins said.
Aside from seating, the Jets, too, will offer better parking to the non-PSL seat owners from the upper bowl.
The price of parking in the outer orange lots will be reduced from $25 to $15 for existing season-ticket holders and fans with seats in the upper bowl also will have the option, on a first-come, first-served basis, to upgrade to vacant spots in the closer yellow lots, costing $25.
Higgins said a full pricing map reflecting the price changes in seating and the new parking will be posted on the Jets website.