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Prague symphony and opera tickets going to waste

I have purchased tickets for my wife and myself for the National Symphony (Dvorak) and the Opera (Don Giovanni) performances in Prague in late September (2016). Unfortunately, we have had to cancel our trip to Europe. I believe both the Symphony and Opera organizations offer tickets with a "no refund-no exchange" policy. I contacted the Symphony ticket office and was simply told the policy. It seems absurd not to have a means for ticket holders who cannot attend to at least be able to offer their seats to a local charity or school. Does the potential for fraud make this impossible? Does anyone know of a legitimate means for us to give away our seats?

Posted by
470 posts

Why don't you contact the RS office? They may have a tour group in town for those dates, and I am sure that someone on that tour would be thrilled to have the tickets.

Posted by
543 posts

Sorry to hear you had to cancel the trip. I know I wouldn't be happy about that. Hopefully you will do the trip you had planned another time.

On the Czech Republic page look for postings by "Unlegus" (a frequent traveller to Prague) or "Marcus Bradshaw" (who is based in Prague operating a tour guide business) and send them a pm about your tickets to see if they could use them

If you purchased them with a credit card having trip insurance, perhaps there is a way to recover some or all of your cost of the tickets.

Posted by
2681 posts

I can't use them though I will be in Prague a couple of weeks later. Marcus lives in the city and may be able to pass them on.I do think that contacting RS tours and see if anyone can use them is a good idea or try the Ex-pat forum
http://www.expats.cz/prague/chat/?Nav

Posted by
33 posts

Thank you for your responses. The problem regarding transferability is that I believe the credit card used to purchase the tickets in advance must be presented in order to pick up the tickets. That is why I was focusing on the ticketing agency giving them to a charity or educational organization. However, I will recheck that requirement. I will also check to see if reimbursement through use of the card might be possible. Thanks for that suggestion.

Posted by
33 posts

On closer reading of the ticket print-out, both the symphony and opera tickets appear to be transferable to anyone. The RS staff and groups cannot use them because of timing. I have contacted Marcus to pass along the tickets, but have not received a response. Anyone else interested?

Posted by
356 posts

That's really weird. My replies to your Private Messages don't seem to have sent. Maybe it is a quirk of the website. I followed up with an email this morning.

Posted by
33 posts

I received your email, Marcus, and forwarded the tickets to you. I hope the concert and opera are memorable! I will look into your historical tours when I plan our "make-up" visit to Prague.

Posted by
10621 posts

And the curtain falls to wild applause on a resolved situation. Take a bow, Marcus. Symphony and opera reviews would be appreciated by the lurking members of the audience.

Posted by
356 posts

The Philharmonic were great on Friday night, and the Rudolfinum concert hall is fantastic; it somehow manages to accommodate a large crowd and yet be intimate.

I passed the Don Giovanni tickets on to a young couple from Arizona who came on tour with me yesterday morning. It will be their first opera (and his first time in Europe) so they are absolutely thrilled with their good fortune.

Posted by
2681 posts

was Don Giovanni at the Estates?I went to see this opera there during the great flood of 2002 a truly wonderful experience.

Posted by
543 posts

A Canadian guy and a UK guy suggested to a guy from Colorado that a guy in Prague might use the tickets, who used one himself and gave the others to a couple from Arizona. EXCELLENT.

Posted by
2681 posts

amazing what can be done these days and I am sure a great deal of karma is going around.I have always been a believer in passing things on up.do something nice without thought of reward and good things will come to you, thanks dcainco for doing this and to Marcus for giving a couple visiting Prague a re nice surprise.