Buying Tickets to the Olympics Will Get Easier, Cheaper

A DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE, political unrest in Tibet, $140-a-barrel oil: Sobering headlines like these are enough to make anyone think twice about attending Beijing's Summer Olympics in August. But the very same factors working against the games could actually work in favor of those longing to sit in the stadium as their hometown hero goes for the gold.

While the games are wildly popular within China — excited Chinese citizens crashed the Olympic ticketing web site within minutes of it going online last October — they've gained little traction among foreigners. Just weeks before the opening ceremonies in early August, vacancies remain at nearby hotels, ticket sellers have tickets to spare and tour operators are slashing prices on all-inclusive Olympic packages hoping to get rid of unsold inventory.

"It's a perfect storm of high gas prices and recent news," says David Lytle, editorial director of the travel web site Frommers.com. Add to that the hassle of navigating Beijing during one of the world's largest sporting events, and many Americans are coming to the conclusion that it's just not worth it, Lytle says.

Those who still think the XXIX Olympiad is worth traveling thousands of miles for are in luck. A slew of last-minute deals on tickets to the games are just starting to hit the market. Intrepid sports fans can craft their own trip, by buying tickets online through the so-called secondary market, where tickets are resold by brokers as well as individual holders. Or, for travelers who prefer to let someone else do the legwork, there are plenty of discounted Olympic packages that include airfare, hotels and tickets.

Here's how to get tickets to Beijing's Olympic games well before the opening ceremonies begin:

The good news: These sky-high prices won't hold up for long, says Don Vaccaro, chief executive officer of TicketNetwork. Wait until mid-July, he says, and you could have a wider selection at a much lower price. That's because only a fraction of the available tickets have reached the secondary market so far.

Currently, the listings on TicketNetwork and StubHub are tickets held by brokers, who received them through arrangements with Olympic corporate sponsors and national Olympic committees. But come July 15, CoSport, the only authorized primary market ticket seller in the U.S., will send out tickets to the individuals who ordered them through its site.