Fantrotter: Ticketing and Travel Search Limited By Reliance On Secondary Ticketing Sites
Fantrotter, billing itself as a "travel website for fans," allows you to identify an event, from music to sports, and then do an automated search for tickets, travel and lodging. They've also released a Facebook app called Fantrotter For Performance that brings the site's functionality to the schedule of individual acts. It's a great idea combining aggregated travel search with ticketing sales. But the problem with its current incarnation is the reliance on secondary ticketing sites making it a useful tool only when shows are sold out.
Fantrotter: Ticketing and Travel Search
Fantrotter offers a pleasant interface and the option to search for particular performers or teams. It returns options organized by upcoming event for tickets, hotel, flight and auto.
The initial experience does give one the sense that figuring out all these details could be a lot easier than searching for tickets and then pinning down the travel details.
But Fantrotter uses SeatGeek which relies on secondary ticketing sites, resellers and eBay to source tickets. I found when checking on a Big Boi show tonight at the Orange Peel in Asheville, tickets were still available for $30, no additional fees, through their ticketing provider eTix.
Fantrotter isn't currently working with folks like eTix and they had no tickets available for tonight's show though initial price estimates suggested tickets would cost $60 via secondary sources.
While Seatgeek, which provides the ticket search, links to the Official Box Office, if secondary tickets are available that link does not appear, at least on the searches I conducted. So there is the possiblity, hard to say how big, of people seeking out tickets and buying more expensive secondary tickets when direct ticket sales are still available.
Fantrotter For Performers: Facebook App
Fantrotter's newest effort is a Facebook app for performers which displays Fantrotter's results for upcoming shows. So if you're up for including a resource that will direct your fans to secondary ticketing sites, this is the app for you.
If you and your shows aren't listed in SeatGeek then you won't show up in Fantrotter. You can use SeatGeek's Limelight site to list your band and upcoming shows.
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
I just wanted to mention that we are working on integrating more direct box office links into our ticket offering, and that our services will continue to improve over time. We are committed to providing the best travel experience for fans, helping them find the lowest prices on all available tickets, flights, hotels and car rentals for their journey, and in turn helping bands to fill more seats.
Thanks,
Mike Coletta
Founder/CEO, Fantrotter
Hi Clyde – Good find! I never heard of Fantrotter before, they seem to be tackling the automated online travel tour agency.
The one thing that I found somewhat disappointing was that you they really just linked to other aggregating sites, so you would need to go through 3 different sites to complete your itinerary.
I thought it would have been much more impressive if the process was streamlined through one portal, but since I am in the business, I can understand how difficult that would be and recognize this is a good start.
No need to spam here in the comments (I hate that) but I do want to mention that I am one of the founders of TickPick, a ticket marketplace that has no fees and saves users 10% on average compared to the sites that Seatgeek links through to, such as Stubhub.
Nonetheless, I wish Fantrotter much success.
Hey Brett, thanks for your comment. I’m happy to hear that you recognize this as a good start. I absolutely understand the issues you mention. I would prefer not to send visitors through 3 aggregators either, but as you point out, streamlining through one portal is quite difficult. Rest assured it is something we are actively working on addressing.
I also wanted to update folks that we are already able to override ticket links to whatever sources a band prefers, and will be adding lots of box office inventory by default very soon.
Thanks,
Mike Coletta
Founder/CEO, Fantrotter