This is going to be pretty cool…

So now that (some) people have tickets, the excitement is bound to start building to what will certainly be the most interesting race on the F1 circuit this year… New location, street racing, and of course, the first time ever at night. And if you want to get a first impression of what a night race might feel like, take a look at this…

 

Credit where it’s due to F1Singapore.

I’ve Got Tickets!

Praise be to the gods of Formula 1. I’ve got tickets. I finally worked out that the cryptic error messages that I was receiving were suggesting that the group of tickets I’d requested were not available in my preferred area. Of course the ticketing web site, still one of worst I have used for many years, did not suggest a smaller number of tickets, nor suggest a different area, it just “crapped out” on me. Nice job, Omniticket.

So I then decided to try to buy just the one ticket, and boom, I had one. And then another, and another, and another, none of which were together but at least in the same general area. And another tip if you’re still trying to use the web site… after each purchase or attempted purchase of tickets, you need to completely close down your web browser and start the browser afresh before you try again. Did they design the site to wind people up on purpose?

Having got four individual tickets, I upped the ante and tried to buy four together in a more expensive stand and, lo and behold, I got them, so at least I can sit with some friends, which is nice.

So, Takashimaya Post Office will be seeing me on the 26th September, followed by the “Esplanade Waterfront Grandstand”. Wooohooo!

From Bad to Worse

So if you log on to the official Singapore F1 web site today, you’ll see a pop-up message apologizing for the mess that was yesterday, stating that capacity has been increased and that “the online ticketing system is currently performing better”. So enthusiastically I logged on and found that the web site was indeed performing better, at least until you need to do anything useful with it, like buy tickets.

At least today I got to select my preferred tickets a couple of times, it’s just that I got an error message when I told the system how many I would like. And although the different stages of the ticket buying process are clickable (i.e. in theory you can go back and change your options), when you do that it just tells you that you have to give up the tickets that are being held for you (???) after which it does nothing. Fantastic! No way to change options and try again, and certainly no chance of seeing what tickets are actually available.

I have to say that even aside from the capacity issues, the creators of this ticketing system should be ashamed. Yes, Omniticket, we’re talking to you! The design of it looks like something my son could have knocked up after kindergarten, whilst the functionality, well, let’s just say using it seems like some kind of web history lesson… Amazon.com it ain’t.

But wait, there’s a hotline set up to help those that can’t get any joy with the web site. Excitedly I decide to stop wasting my time and just call… Permanently engaged! Not even an “All our agents are currently busy” message! Am I stuck in some kind of customer service time warp?

So the web site is still unusable, and I can’t even get through on the phone. Perhaps I won’t be at the Singapore GP after all.

 

Singapore F1 Tickets on sale, website overwhelmed

At 3.30 am Singapore time this morning I received an email from the official Singapore F1 website informing me that as an ‘Engage’ subscriber, I was receiving “an exclusive sneak peek” at the ticket prices for the big event. It also announced that the tickets would go on sale at 9.00 am today, giving me 5.5 hours of exclusivity, less of course the four hours that I was actually asleep during that period. I now see that the press seemed to have even more of a ‘sneak peek’ than I did and in fact I was the last person to know that tickets would be available today. Oh well.

Regardless, I tried to log on to the ticketing website at 9.00 am, and, surprise, surprise, no response. Multiple tries and a few hours later I finally managed to get into the ticket buying process, until I received the half expected error message when I was actually getting close to the payment stage. It’s now nearly 5 pm, and the website is still unusable.

As you might guess, I’m not feeling very ‘exclusive’, in fact I’m feeling more than a touch annoyed, as clearly the only time the website will start performing is when the tickets have sold out.

‘Singapore Flyer’ open for business

For those looking for the ultimate grand prix and ferris wheel experience (?), Singapore is clearly where it’s at.

The new ‘Singapore Flyer’, an enlarged version of the London Eye, has opened, for romance and corporate business at least. Lovers will be able to ride the wheel today in a Valentines Day special event for a cool S$399 per couple for a 30 minute spin, whilst companies are currently booking the 26 guest capsules for S$8,888 for two rotations, which reach 30 meters higher than its lookalike over the River Thames in London.

The attraction will open fully to the public on 1^st March, at prices of S$29.50 for adults, S$20.65 for children, and S$23.60 for senior citizens.

“Don’t call it a ferris wheel,” the builders Great World Corporation have asked. Oops, sorry.

Singapore to qualify in the dark

Looks like at least some of the Singapore Grand Prix’s practice sessions are going to be held at night, according to the latest race timetables published by the FIA. Obviously it makes sense to allow the drivers to get used to the effects of the lighting and adjust to the unique conditions of a night race, but God help anyone trying to get an early night in the area!

Practice sessions 1 and 2 will take place from 4pm to 5.30pm and 8pm to 9.30pm respectively on Friday 26th. Session 3 will be at 5pm on Saturday 27th, with qualifying following at 8pm.

The race, of course, is on Sunday 28th at 8pm.

I guess this bad news for Singapore’s bars and restaurants, but practice and qualifying will, like the race, be that bit more interesting than your regular Grand Prix.