What are the minuses and pluses of buying discount tickets to a Broadway show through Web sites like travelzoo vs. standing in line the day of the show to get them? Are prices better "in" line or online?

I don't know anything about travelzoo. I usually get discount codes from websites like playbill.com, broadwaybox, or theatremania. With those codes you then call the ONLY authorized ticket seller for the show -- either Ticketmaster or Telecharge depending on the theatre.

The advantage of buying with discounts ahead? You usually will get better seats, since the closer to the performance, the less selection of seats you'll have. You can decide if you want those tickets or not or choose between several days according to which one has the best availability.

The advantage of buying in line at TKTS? Usually the tickets will be a little cheaper than using the codes in advance. Often they will be half price instead of 30% or 40% off -- although I have gotten as much as 55 or even 60% off using a code in advance (that is rare). And the service charges are minimal compared to the Ticketmaster or Telecharge charges in advance.

The best way? If you are in NYC, going to the actual theatre box office and buying them with discount codes in advance. No extra fees, and full choice of what seats are available.

Travelzoo's deals are generally on par with Broadwaybox, Playbill, and TheatERmania. "Season of Savings" has similar discounts for now until November.
As NeoPatrick suggested, the best case is presenting the discount(s) at the box office in NY. I usually bring several offers; a ticket clerk once said they sometimes allot different seats or numbers of seats for each offer, so he suggested trying several ones.Not all offers are good on all performances or for the same categories of seats

One odd side note: We in NY actually say "standing ON line" for what the rest of the country refers to as "standing IN line" , but I knew what you meant

nyer, that's funny. I used to always say standing on line even though I'm not from NY, but I was "corrected" about that last time in New York, when I was told since the advent of online referring to internet, that even New Yorkers now say "standing in line". NO?

It's certainly true that if today you say to someone "what time should I get inline for tickets?" it will have a different meaning from "what time should I get on line for tickets?" In fact it was at the Box Office for Jersey Boys when I asked what time I should get on line for returns, they told me that I couldn't do that on line, I'd have to come there and stand in line. It took me a minute to figure out we were talking about the same thing.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by presenting the discount codes at the ticket window....Do you get the code from the Web sites but just wait to purchase in person?

Actually those sites mentioned for the discount codes are NOT booking sites. You use the codes then book through Ticketmaster or Telecharge or by going to the box office at the theatre. And yes, all those codes will work at either source.

And if you go to one of those "code" sites and there is a place to click for Buy Tickets, all that does is link you directly to Telecharge or Ticketmaster -- it isn't booking the tickets for you.

Yes.

I learned about broadwaybox.com at this forum, and it is through them I purchase theater tickets. That way I know the location of my seats before I leave for NYC.

Sorry -

In NYC "online" means both using the internet and physically standing on line.

(I know the rest of the world stands IN line - but we do more of it - so I figure we're right.)

nytraveler, maybe the guy who "corrected" me at the box office for Jersey Boys had just moved from the Midwest?

bobbye7:

Have used all the discount venues including travelzoo. Much prefer to be able to get show tickets before coming to NYC because our visits are short, never more than a week.

If you want to print the tickets out before you leave home allow 3 days. Didn't have time to do this on our last visit (poor planning by me) and we picked them up at the theater. We decided to walk over to the box office early in the day and glad we did because it was a mob scene with people waiting to get into the theater and people wanting to pick up tickets 45 minutes ahead of time.

Tickets purchased this way are non-refundable.

Sandy

As I said, I wasn't familiar with travelzoo, so checked it out. It is like broadwaybox and the others. When you click "buy tickets" it takes you to the Telecharge or Ticketmaster site direct for using the codes. (The telecharge site may say "Broadway Offers" when you access via travelzoo or another site, but it is the direct line to the official box office service for each show, so you are buying from whatever the best available seats are.

Yes, "on line" vs "in line" is still a true test of native (or very long time) New Yorkers.
There's a subtle, almost imperceptible pronunciation distinction between "online" and "on line" (and you "go online" vs "wait on line")...

Biggest difference is you don't pay transaction fees if you get them in person (whether at TKTS or with a printed discount at the theater box office) but you also may have fewer options. If there's a particular show you want to see and it's available with a discount, buy that in advance. Phoning vs. just buying online sometimes gets you better seat choices. Print out a good seating chart of the theater(s) in question before phoning.

If there are a number of shows you'd be happy to see (and they're on the list on broadwaybox or were recently listed as available on tdf.org/tkts) then wait and buy when you're here. There are some shows that are NEVER discounted any place.