clopes

Thanks!  Well it does allow you to search (to some extent) without putting in your code.  You can even change the min/max price and it will filter the results.  It just doesn't show you the prices even though it is filtering based on those prices.

Also the ticketmaster site behaves very strangely.  So I found that if I navigate to a show from the links provided on http://www.u2.com/presale, I get the same looking page that I originally posted above.  But if I navigate to a show from the ticketmaster search page, I get what I think is an older looking page that does actually allow for more filters and includes the words "Best Available" as you said.  I tested this at the very same time so it wasn't a timing thing.  However, after some time has elapsed (such that the sale didn't begin recently), both links (see below) will navigate to the simplified interface (posted earlier)

The URLs on TM's search results look like: http://www.ticketmaster.com/u2-the-joshua-tree-tour-2017-minneapolis-minnesota-09-08-2017/event/060052C58E8C1B0D?artistid=736365&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

While the URLs on the U2 presale page look like: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/060052C58E8C1B0D?ac_link=ontour_U2C_FCGRID_2017_minneapolis

I think you're probably right about how the "choose your site on the map" doesn't work during times when a sale has just started or perhaps when TM expects high traffic.

There is also mysterious behavior when you enter the unlock code.  It seems that if you enter it before your presale group is available, it may allow you to purchase tickets for VIP and other high-end packages, and gives a confirmation like this:

But of course that leaves confusion as to what happens in a few minutes when the presale activates.  Do you need to re-enter your code at that time?  Or can you just re-search and see regular presale results without re-entering the code?  Who knows.

Howdy,

I am looking for tips on how to use Ticketmaster's interface at the moment the presale begins to try to maximize chances of getting tickets for a specific desired section.  See the attached numbered screenshot (numbers in green) for the elements of their site that I am referring to.

Here are questions:

• First, what's the best way to actually isolate the section (or section and row) that I want?  Sometimes when I bring up the event listing, I see a modern seat map (#6) that is all blue and allows a specific section to be clicked to narrow choices to only that section.  But other times (like in this screenshot), the seat map is just a picture and is not clickable in order to filter by section.  There is no mechanism to input a section number without looking through the ridiculously long list of seats on the right.  So how do people do it?  Do you have to know the price range of your section in advance (which is fairly impractical since TM/U2 doesn't publish granular prices in advance)?
• Regarding the previous question, I find the "Best Seats" list (#4) to be the most silly thing ever created, since it uses ticketmaster's own ranking of best-ness, not mine.
• And also regarding the above points:  When is the right time to find my desired section's seat listing?  Is it before the presale begins (e.g. 9:55am)?  After it begins?  Before I've entered my code? After I've entered my code?
• And specifically regarding entering my presale code, I see that it can be entered either at spot #2 on the top or spots like #5 on the side list.  Is there any difference between the two?  The way the side list is laid out, it makes it seem like if one clicks the "UNLOCK" link next to a specific section/row, then perhaps one would be brought directly to a page to find available tickets for only that section/row after entering their code, but I believe from past experience this does not happen.  In other words, I think there is no difference between entering the code at spot #2 vs spot #5.  
• After you enter your unlock code, do all of your selections (ticket count, price range, section, seat type) remain in place, or do they get reset such that you have to enter them again?  What about the position you've scrolled to in the list on the right?
• Is the mobile app actually a better way to do this?  I see that it actually allows you to pick a defined price level (e.g. $35, $70, $100, etc) and/or a section group (e.g. GA, Level 100, Level 200, Level 300, etc).  Both of these types of filters used to be available on the desktop site, but they seem to be entirely gone now, which is totally dumb!  Desktop site only allows a free-form price range and (when the map allows it) a specific section to be chosen, but not a whole group of similar sections (which are usually at the same height above the ground or the same proximity the stage)
• Note: I am not asking about how to use the site to find the tickets I want.  I am asking about the sequence in which to use the filters that they provide so that my seat search happens as quickly as possible.

Answers to any of the above are welcome, but please be very specific and answer based on your actual experience.

Thanks