Presumably for the movie theatre. It encourages people to be early – that’s certainly why the cheapo airlines do it.
My favourite theatre has assigned seating, double-seat sofas at the back for couples and a bar at the back with waiter service throughout the movie!
It’s not standard, but these days I’m seeing more and more theaters doing it. Around my area, theaters are charging a slight premium (usually $1-$2) for choosing your seats, so I imagine it’s a nice revenue driver, assuming you have the infrastructure in place to do it.
Hey, it’s been 40 years. I’m talked out!
Some of the IMAX theatres do it. The NYC Lincoln Square IMAX had assigned seating for “The Hobbit”, which was awesome as it meant I did not have to arrive hours in advance for the midnight screening on opening night.
Alamo Drafthouse here in Texas has assigned seating now. They just started it about a year ago though.
It happened to me. A couple sat directly in front of me in an empty theater. I said, “You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me” loud enough for them to hear, but with no real venom in it. He made her move. It’s usually the guy that’s oblivious.
In the Magnited States?
We have two dine in theaters near here. The food is pretty good for what it is. Very comfy seats. And the seats are assigned so I buy them online and know what I am going to get. If I go there I just leave a little wiggle room for traffic and to find parking. Non-assigned seating I try to get there 30 minutes early in case of lines for tickets, lines for snacks, bathroom breaks and getting a good seat.
This is a point of contention for my (adult) son and me. I can’t remember the last time a theater around here was even close to full, so my preference is to arrive right at the posted starting time, buy tickets, stand in line, buy popcorn and drinks, go into the appropriate theater, and only be subjected to five minutes or so of previews before the movie starts 15-20 minutes late.
My son, on the other hand, wants to get there 15-25 minutes early so he can sit exactly in the center of the fourth row and see every single preview.
lolz… don’t forget to take no sass if people give you a hard time.
This kind of happened to me. Except a couple sat directly behind me and the dude put his feet up against my seat and kept it there, rockn’ and rolln’. I looked back and gave him you have to be kidding me look. I got up and moved.
Update! We got to the theater about 20 minutes early and got great seats in the back middle. But the theater ended up not being crowded at all – which makes sense, in hindsight, 'cause the movie wasn’t all that much fun. 
I’ve been to assigned-seats theater, but all the ones around here charge quite a bit more per ticket. I’ll do it for special movies (like going to see Magic Mike with a group of 15 coworkers!) but I’m glad I didn’t waste the money on this film.
My mother always used to make us go half an hour early to movies – minimum. That drove me crazy as a kid (in the days before smartphones, iPads, etc.)!
Now I’m the one trying to get my wife to go to the theatre early and I’m driving her crazy…
It’s coming. The Cinema Grill chain of theaters here in Atlanta went to all-assigned seating if I’m not mistaken.
Which makes me think I’m much more willing to pay extra for a reserved seat than for a 3D movie! If I can help it, I’ll never go to a 3D movie again.
I’d love to go to the Alamo Draft House just because of this:
Any place that’s willing to kick a user out of the theater for using their phone is OK by me.
ETA… I see drastic_quench already beat me to the punch.