Cathay Cineplexes’ website, e-services resume more than 3 weeks after server outage
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Moviegoers who visited Cathay Cineplexes' AMK Hub outlet on April 30 were given handwritten tickets.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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SINGAPORE – Cathay Cineplexes’ ticket booking website, app and electronic self-service kiosks are back up and running, more than three weeks after the cinema chain was hit by a server outage.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, a Cathay Cineplexes spokeswoman said on May 20 that its website is back online.
“We’re pleased to confirm that we’re back online and fully operational, with our usual services and showtimes available to our valued customers,” she added.
Its app and self-service kiosks have also been fully working since May 20.
The spokeswoman did not respond to queries about how the chain resolved the issue.
ST first reported about the cinema operator’s outage on April 30 after moviegoers who visited its AMK Hub’s outlet that day were given handwritten tickets with their names
The measure was taken after a server outage prevented customers from booking tickets online or buying them at self-service kiosks at the cinemas. Credit card transactions were also disrupted.
Cathay Cineplexes had first announced on its Facebook page on April 25 at around 10am that its “website and mobile app are experiencing some downtime”.
A day later, it said services such as advance movie ticket purchase, voucher redemption and promotional ticket redemption were also unavailable, and that only Nets and cash payments were accepted at its cinemas.
On April 30, the cinema chain posted on its social media platforms that it was accepting only cash payments.
Retiree Petrus Tan, who uses its app frequently to check movie releases and timings but would buy senior concession tickets in person at the box office, said he was frustrated that he could not plan ahead which movies to watch.
The 63-year-old, who goes to the cinema at least once a week, added that he does not carry cash and hence could not pay for tickets at Cathay Cineplexes since its cashless payment services were not working.
“I went to Golden Village and Shaw Theatres to watch movies for the last three weeks since Cathay’s website was down,” he said, adding that he is relieved that Cathay Cineplexes’ services are finally back up, giving him another cinema option.
Cathay Cineplexes has outlets in Ang Mo Kio, Causeway Point (Woodlands), Downtown East (Pasir Ris), West Mall (Bukit Batok), Jem (Jurong East) and Century Square (Tampines).
