Archive for the 'Tickets' Category

Visa, a FIFA World Cup(TM) Worldwide Partner, is offering Abbey International clients the chance to win tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa.

The lucky winner will receive two tickets to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) final, pre-match hospitality and three nights’ accommodation in a double occupancy 4 star hotel room from the 9 to 12 July 2010.

Abbey International will also contribute GBP1,500 towards return flights to the event.

To enter the competition, you will need to apply or request an upgrade to a Visa Platinum or Visa Infinite deferred-debit card, available with the Abbey International Gold account. Minimum deposits and terms apply. The competition is open from 16 February until 30 April 2010.

Head of Client Experience at Abbey International Jane Matthews comments, “Abbey International has always prided itself on giving its clients the best possible service and our Visa deferred-debit cards evidence this, bringing together a range of exceptional business and personal account services and lifestyle opportunities.”

For competition information, please visit http://www.abbeyinternational.com/competition

The fourth ticket sales phase will kick off on Tuesday, 9 February 2010 at 12.00 (Central European Time).

This phase, one of the last chances for fans to make sure that they do not miss out on attending the first FIFA World Cup™ on African soil, will run for 58 days until 7 April 2010. Tickets will be allocated on a “first come, first served, subject to availability” basis. Applications can be made via http://www.fifa.com/2010 or (for South African residents only) at FNB branches.

The third ticketing sales phase for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ was finally concluded today. The 2010 FIFA World Cup Ticketing Centre has ensured that the maximum number of available tickets have been included in the random selection draw for the general public. Extensive validation of the results of the random selection draw process has been conducted in order to ensure the FIFA Sales Regulations have been adhered to.

A total of 1,206,865 tickets have been requested from 192 countries by the general public (excluding those tickets that have been sold through the participating teams to their fans). Of this total, 585,175 tickets were drawn successfully, and 413,072 (70.6 per cent) of those were allocated to South African residents.

Outside the host country, the United States received the highest number of tickets drawn (35,262), followed by the United Kingdom (21,614), Mexico (11,893), Australia (11,804), Germany (9,692), Brazil (5,891), Canada (4,642), France (4,268) and Israel (3,677). In Africa, Botswana remains the leading country behind the hosts, with a total of 1,587 tickets drawn, followed by Mozambique (1,142). Kenya completes the top three African countries with 785 tickets.

With regard to individual match tickets, category 4 was the most popular and the final received the highest number of applications. All applicants will be informed via e-mail or SMS whether they were completely or partially successful by Monday.

Additional information regarding the fourth sales phase: tickets are available at this stage for 53 of the 64 matches. Matches 5, 11, 37, 45, 54, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62 and 64 are not available in this phase. In addition, team-specific ticket series (TST) for England and Brazil are not available.

In recognition of Visa’s valued sponsorship, FIFA prefers Visa for ticket sales.

On 20 November2009, the second phase of ticket sales for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will come to an end.

This means that football fans around the world only have a limited time to secure a seat for the FIFA World Cup™ in 2010 in South Africa before the third and main ticketing sales phase starts on 5 December – the day after the Final Draw. A total of 668,525 tickets have been sold to date, 356,285 of those in the host country. This total accounts for 82.5% of the inventory available in this sales phase. Tickets can still be purchased online via FIFA.com and also at FNB branches across South Africa. The US (84,034) leads the way in terms of tickets sold in other countries, followed by the UK (48,274) and Germany (25,024).

At this stage, individual match tickets are mainly available for matches at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium (including a small amount for the opening match) and at Durban Stadium. With the exception of Brazil and England, Team-Specific Tickets (TSTs) are still available for all of the other qualified nations.

Depending on which of the three different TST series fans apply for, their TST may include between three and seven matches, including the final. These tickets are allocated to the team’s venues automatically, meaning fans can buy a ticket to follow their team throughout the tournament without having to wait to see where it will play. In the current phase, no more category four tickets, which are exclusively reserved for South African residents, are available.

“This phase is a great opportunity for fans who are captivated by the prospect of experiencing the unique atmosphere of the World Cup first-hand to purchase their tickets, particularly TSTs, before the customary scramble after the Final Draw,” advises Horst R. Schmidt, chairman of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee.

“The next phase of ticket sales will see an increase in interest across the globe once fans know not only that their national team has qualified but also where their team will play as a result of the Final Draw, which will take place in Cape Town on 4 December,” emphasises 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan.

The third sales phase, which will last for 49 days, will start on 5 December and end on 22 January 2010, during which time tickets will be available for all categories and all matches.

Fans can also purchase authorised travel packages through participating tour operators appointed by FIFA through MATCH. These tour operators offer flight-inclusive ticket and accommodation packages. The list of all tour operators can be found on FIFA.com.

In recognition of Visa’s valued sponsorship, www.FIFA.com prefers Visa for all transactions online.

Africa Adventure Consultants Launches New World Cup Africa Travel Programs

World Cup 2010 soccer news is heating up. With England, Spain and Paraguay all recently qualifying for the games this coming May, the thousands of North American soccer fans with tickets in hand are starting to get serious about travel planning to South Africa. Africa Adventure Consultants today announced two new World Cup Africa travel packages to South Africa, developed especially for the World Cup 2010.

“We’re thrilled that the African continent will be hosting the World Cup in 2010,” says Kent Redding, the company’s president. “World Cup soccer travelers will be among the massive numbers of people who will be descending on South Africa’s cities for the games, so we’re really working hard with our partners on the ground in South Africa to get our clients the best experience for the best value in June and July 2010. Of course no trip to Africa is complete without a big game safari experience and we’re excited to launch these fantastic programs created especially for these soccer fans.”

On Africa Adventure Consultant’s World Cup Guided Safari, travelers visit a game reserve in Zululand plus two private reserves near Kruger National Park. Understanding that most North American travelers have limited vacation time, and to optimize time on the ground, travelers will have private road transfers and easy internal flights between camps. Priced at $5,499 for a 10-day safari, this World Cup Africa travel program provides an outstanding opportunity to experience both the wildlife and culture of South Africa, along with soccer of course. See the full itinerary here: http://www.adventuresinafrica.com/adventures.trips.aspx?trip_id=167

For more adventurous travelers, Africa Adventure Consultants has launched the World Cup Self Drive Safari. Priced at the great value of $2,999 per person, before or after World Cup matches travelers can enjoy three unique regions of Southern Africa including Zululand, Swaziland and the Manyaletti Game Reserve near Kruger. Designed for those interested in both wildlife and culture, this tour utilizes self-drive rental cars, plus guided safari experiences. See the full itinerary here: http://www.adventuresinafrica.com/adventures.trips.aspx?trip_id=166

In addition to World Cup Africa travel, Denver-based African safari expert Africa Adventure Consultants organizes safari adventures throughout East and Southern Africa, with destinations including Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Rwanda, Zambia, Victoria Falls and Ethiopia. The company sells destinations they know personally and offer guests assurance of strong on-the-ground partnerships with only the best local companies. Africa Adventure Consultants supports a variety of African conservation organizations, community-based tourism programs and humanitarian causes. And now, the company runs a completely carbon-neutral office in Denver and is further committed to carbon-neutral safaris by automatically offsetting 50% of each African trip they sell as well as offering clients the opportunity to offset the remaining 50%. With an eye on personal service, the principals create carbon-neutral safaris and customized trips for individuals and small groups. To learn more, please call 1.866.778.1089 or visit http://www.adventuresinafrica.com/index.aspx.

Source: Africa Adventure Consultants

Be quick and you have a chance! The second ticketing phase for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will start on Monday, 4 May 2009 at noon (CET, SAST). Approximately 100,000 tickets will be made available for this phase, excluding the two semi-finals and the final (matches 61, 62 and 64). From now on, the tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be made at First National Bank (FNB) branches or via the FIFA website (www.FIFA.com).

South African football fans who wish to apply at FNB branches will have to present a valid form of identification, while foreigners are required to show their passport. Those who wish to apply on behalf of friends or family will have to provide the details of these persons, including their identity numbers, names, dates of birth and nationality. Each applicant can apply for up to four tickets per match and up to seven matches in total. Ticket prices start at USD 20 (ZAR 140). You will be informed within ten working days whether or not your application has been successful (fully or partly). For further information, customers can send an e-mail to enquiries@2010FWCTC.com or fax +41 43222 6800.

Tickets will be ready for collection at the FIFA venue ticketing centres from April 2010 onwards.

FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 (14-28 June)
Some 320,000 tickets are still available. In order to boost ticket sales in South Africa, four ticketing centres have been set up. The main ticketing centre at Sandton Isle (situated at the corner of Rivonia Road and Linden Street, Sandown/Johannesburg) will be open from 1 May 2009, while the venue ticketing centres at Mangaung/Bloemfontein (Lochlogan Waterfront Mall, situated at the corner of Charles Street and 1st Avenue), Tshwane/Pretoria (Brooklyn Mall, situated at the corner of Middel and Fehrsen Street, New Muckleneuk) and Rustenburg (Waterfall Mall, 1 Augrabies Avenue) will be open from 4 May 2009. The ticket centres will be open from 9.00-6.00, seven days a week.

South African residents will be able to purchase FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 tickets by calling the FIFA ticketing call centre on 083 2010 010 when its lines open on 11 May 2009.

Moreover, as from 11 May, four ticket collection points (two each in Johannesburg and Tshwane/Pretoria) will be provided in the following FNB branches:

• Eastgate Shopping Centre, Gardenview 2047
• Maponya Mall, Old Potchedstroom Road, Klipspruit Kliptown
• Sunny Park, situated at the corner of Esselen and Trevenna Road, Sunnyside
• Hatfield, Hillcrest Blvd Shopping Centre, Lynwood Road

These collection points will be open during normal FNB trading hours.

At all locations the customers need to bring their:

• credit card (if they used the card to purchase their tickets via www.FIFA.com);
• ticket purchase card from their hard ticket application form (if they used the paper application form to purchase tickets);
• proof of identity to confirm they are the person who ordered the tickets.

In recognition of Visa’s valued sponsorship, FIFA prefers VISA-branded credit, debit and pre-paid cards for goods purchased at all official FIFA stores at the venues and online at FIFA.com. For inquiries related to Visa products and services, please contact the Visa International Service Centre.