I complained to Cineworld about the changes on their new app and this was their response

Cineworld Unlimited is a monthly or annual subscription service that lets you watch as many 2D standard films as you want at Cineworld cinemas and on the previous version of the app, Unlimited members were able to book for their friends and family who were also members in one booking.

But following the upgrade the company’s app and website on September 17, members of a family who all have Unlimited cards and are seeing the same film at the same time will have to book for the showing individually.

People have taken to social media to vent their frustration at this change. Andy Vaughan (@andysvaughan) posted on X: “Can you clarify that this means I won't be able to book 3 seats together so myself and 2 other unlimited members can sit next to each other? I've been an Unlimited holder for ages and routinely go with my friends/family but I'll probably cancel if this is the case.”

Donna Waddington also posted X: “@cineworld the new App is dreadful and whoever decided to remove Unlimited members booking privileges is seriously short sighted. Is Cineworld intentionally making going to the cinema more hassle than it’s worth?

I myself am an Unlimited member and I regularly book for my family to see a film. I understand this is a very first world problem, but to co-ordinate us booking a film at the same time will not be an easy task.

One of the joys we have as a family is going to see a film together at the cinema and sometimes I even book a showing without them knowing. I can’t do that any more with these new changes.

I wrote to Cineworld as an Unlimited member and this was the response I received in full.

"While we understand that some members preferred the previous process, especially regarding booking for friends and family, this feature will not be an available initially with the launch of the new Cineworld website and app, but we are working on an improved solution to assist Unlimited members to book for friends and family in future.

"Our new website and app will provide an improved overall booking experience, including faster load time, seat-first booking for a simpler checkout, an optimised app journey, and the ability to change seats up until the film starts. This means that you can move next to any other customer, subject to availability. There are more new benefits and features soon to be announced.

“These changes are part of the launch of our new website and mobile app, which are designed to make booking easier and more reliable. While some processes will work differently going forward, these updates will enable us to deliver improvements that support the long-term development of our digital platforms and help create a smoother and more enhanced experience for customers overall.

“Comments such as yours are important in helping us understand the impact of changes on our Unlimited community, and we will ensure your feedback is shared with the relevant teams for consideration.

“We remain committed to improving the Unlimited experience and appreciate your patience as we introduce the new website and app.

“Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.”

There seems to be a lot of improvements with the new app and that’s great, but why take away the one element that was the best bit about the previous app?

Hopefully common sense will prevail and I will be able to book for the family myself in the new app soon.