How to Survive a BTS Concert in PH – Tips on Ticket Selling Day

Few more days before the start of the official ticket selling day of BTS Wings Tour in Manila – and I tell you ticket selling day is as exciting as the concert day itself. It is something you have to prepare too.

So here are some tips and things to remember during the ticket selling day itself:

• KALMA. This is the first tip. Don’t panic and be positive.
• April 2, 2017, Sunday  is the start of the ticket selling for BTS Wings Tour in Manila. Mark your calendars. Set your alarms.
• Tickets will be available at all SM Ticket Outlets Nationwide. Please see list below:
• 

UPDATE: for the complete list of sm ticket outlets see link https://smtickets.com/outlets

TIP : Go to SM Tickets branches where you think there will be less people. Based on my experience, its better to go to SM tickets in the province. I bought my Epilogue ticket at SM Lipa (Batangas). I am not a PR holder but I got a pretty good queue number for VIP standing A last Epilogue (192) because we (my friends and I) were basically in 3rd in line during the ticket selling in SM Lipa. This mean I am 192nd person to enter the VIP standing area A. We manage to be atleast on the 3rd or 4th row from the main stage.

TIP: There are SM malls that has 2 or more SM Ticket counter. As early as now, know what counter to go. In SM Lipa, the counter across entrance of SM Department Store at 2nd floor sells the concert tickets (the one near the extension area).

Go to your chosen SM malls as early as possible (before opening if you can). Since there are lesser ARMYs in SM Lipa, I was still pretty early even if I arrived at SM Lipa 30 mins before the mall’s opening. During ticket selling at malls in Manila, I remember there were people who lined up hours before the mall’s opening.

SM tickets does not open until the actual mall hours. Depending on the crowd, there are malls where they ask ticket buyers to line up outside the mall (big crowd) while some simply just don’t allow the people to enter (smaller crowd) until the mall hours.

• List down at least 3 preferred seat/sections. This is in case your desired seat/section is no longer available when you buy your tickets. Having back up seat/sections prevent you from buying random seat out of panic. If you’re buying with friends, have it agreed among yourselves to prevent discussing it while on the counter. It saves time and respects other people who are still waiting for their turn. Remember, while you’re at the counter there are other people at a different branch buying their ticket too so the more you spend time at the counter the bigger chance of losing your desired seat.

TIP: If your schedule is flexible, consider asking if your desired seat is available on either Day 1 or Day 2. 

If you’re still unsure of what seat to take, you might want to consider my blog posts below.

http://wp.me/p7NXfi-r

http://wp.me/p7NXfi-3t

• Consider online ticketing. Ticket will also be available at smtickets.com. Though most really recommend to fall in line at your chosen SM Ticket outlets, you can also consider booking your tickets via online. Since its a two-day concert, I think smtickets.com can handle more online buyers. There are 2x more tickets available than last Epilogue so hopefully smtickets.com won’t breakdown just like what happened last year.

Though Exordium in Manila’s online ticketing was handled by ticketnet.com, I think its still very comparable on how smtickets.com works. During Exordium in Manila, I tried purchasing tickets via ticketnet.com and I had no problem. I’m not an IT expert but I think being a two-day concert lessen the traffic in the website. It didn’t crash at all. (To all the IT experts, please correct me if I am wrong. This is just my assumption based on my observation).

Sharing an input from a twitter friend (@triggeredsuho)

As much as we want to accurately predict if smtickets.com will crash or not there are really so many things to consider but for me, safest is to go to your nearest sm malls to buy your tickets.

TIP: Try purchasing tickets online while lining up. If your data can’t handle it while lining up, ask your trusted friends who have better connection at home to buy it online for you. Just make sure you have an open communication to avoid double buying.  

During Epilogue in Manila, we had a strategy. Me and my other friend went to SM Lipa to buy our ticket and one of our friend tried buying online. My friend had a hard time accessing the smtickets.com as soon as its hit 10 am (start of selling). We ended up buying it at SM ticket counter. Remember, teamwork makes dream work. Haha.

TIPS on buying ticket online:

1. As early as now create your smtickets.com account. (The account name should be the same with the name of the credit card you’ll use) Log-in minutes before the ticket selling starts. As soon as you log-in at your account, there will be 30 minute countdown. Your account will be auto logged out after 30 minutes. To avoid this, go to other pages of the website, it refreshes the countdown. Familiarize yourself on how to navigate the website. ‘Try’ purchasing something for you to know what to expect when its time to buy the Wings Tour ticket. 

2. You need a credit card and in purchasing you need this following information:

TIP: Type the credit card number on a note or word so that you’ll just copy paste it here. It saves time and prevents you from entering the wrong number out of panic. 

Make sure that your credit card or your parent’s card can be used online. I once tried purchasing a plane ticket online using my card but it always fail so I had to call the bank to confirm. They said its because of EPS. This is a added security to all credit cards nowadays and you have to ask your bank to somehow ‘activate’ your card to allow it to be used online. There is no harm asking your bank (or ask your parents to confirm) if your card can be used online especially if its your first time buying online.

Once you click proceed there will be page asking you to key in the security code sent in to the card holder’s phone number so you better have your phone or your parent’s phone with you. You can also choose to send it via email if you didn’t receive the text message. I always choose to send it via email (cardholder’s email). Its faster. (YES YOU CANNOT USE YOUR PARENTS CARD WITHOUT PERMISSION BECAUSE OF THIS. HAHA)

3. You will get a claim  ticket voucher just like this if your online purchase is successful. As written, this is not yet your ticket. You still have to claim your ticket at the nearest SM ticket outlets anytime before the concert. During Epilogue in Manila, I remember someone presenting her claim ticket voucher at the counter when were claiming for our queue number for VIP standing and they didn’t accept it. She lined up for hours for the queue number but she didn’t get so please claim your tickets before the concert.

In claiming your ticket please take note of the following:

Please check number 19 in the show FAQ if you used you parent’s credit card and they cannot claim your tickets at any SM store.

Check out Happee Sy’s official facebook account for the complete FAQs.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/happeehour/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1365520556826978

• Be calm but vigilant. Some would really take advantage having their parents with them but if ever you see something ‘not right’ please approach them with all respect. And if by any chance, you’re the one thinking about taking advantage just because you have your parents with you, just don’t. Parang awa. Respect and be fair.
• Take care of your belongings. 
• Don’t support scalpers. If it happens that you didn’t manage to get tickets, as much as possible, don’t support scalpers. There are instances that some ARMYs can’t attend for some reason and sell their ticket before the concert, check them out on twitter but please be careful. Do not give you money as soon as they ask for it. If you need some help to check their legitimacy, you can hit me @AldayRoxanne at twitter.
• At the counter be prepared for the following information/things:
  1. The day you want to be in. Day 1 May 6 or Day 2 May 7
  2. Seat you want. Be specific as much as possible. If your desired seat is not available anymore but you want to be in the same section, ask the sales lady at the counter to let you see the seat still available at the same section. Most ticket counters have screens facing the customers to let them see the details of the ticket they are buying. Wag mahihiyang magtanong. 🙂
  3. Your money – give exact amount as much as possible.
  4. Your credit card/parent’s credit card – if it’s yours, be prepared with your valid ID, if its your parent’s be sure your parent is with you. He or she needs to sign it.

Should you need clarification or tips, you can reach me at @RoxyUnnie at twitter. Will be happy to help. See you all.