By Spectrum News Staff  |  January 2, 2018 @6:46 AM

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Dreaming off a warm getaway in these frigid temps? The first Bills playoff game in nearly two decades is as good of a reason as any to head south.

Buffalo will face off against the Jaguars in Jacksonville where it’s about 45 degrees — not exactly scorching heat, but compared to Western New York recently, definitely warm.

VIP Tix President Nick Giammuso says there are about 1,500 tickets available, but the demand is far exceeding that. Giammuso says Jacksonville fans are wanting the tickets just as bad, as the the Jaguars haven’t had a home playoff game since 1999.

He says upper level tickets started at about $285, but now they’re more than $400. A ticket for a 50-yard line seat started at $750, and now they’re $900 or more. Between Monday morning and Monday evening prices went up across the board about $80.

“Whether they will continue to go up or not, we watch the supply side a little bit and right now the supply is still there,” Giammuso said. “So we may see prices level off by Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday or Friday, prices may go down a little.”

Emphasis on the word may.

As of Tuesday morning, there are still a lot of tickets available online, with some fetching prices as high as $2,100.

As for flights, round trip from Buffalo to Jacksonville leaving Saturday morning and returning Monday range from about $670 to $1,000.

Some would say it’s a steep price, while others might argue that it’s a priceless situation.

By Chris Horvatits, News 4 Reporter
Published: January 1, 2018, 7:07 pm  

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — Tickets for Sunday’s Bills Wild Card game in Jacksonville are going fast. While the game is sold out, some tickets are available on the secondary market.

It’s going to be an expensive trip. As just about everybody in Western New York knows, it will be the first Bills playoff game since the 1999 season. It will also be the Jaguars first home playoff game since that same year. That means ticket demand is high, and supply is low.

Sunday’s drama has also been good for merchandise sales at Laux in the Boulevard Mall.

“It’s been actually good,” said manager Joe Eckl. “A lot of happy people are in today, which is what we like to see.”

That mirrors the scene at 716 Sunday night, after a Bills win and a Baltimore Ravens loss clinched a Buffalo Wild Card berth against Jacksonville Sunday at 1pm. The game will air on CBS and News 4.

“My cell phone blew up yesterday with text messages,” said Nick Giammusso, president of VIP Tix.

In most of those messages, people were asking Giammusso how to score tickets for Sunday’s game. He says the cheapest ticket you’ll find as of Monday afternoon is $285.

“Bills fans just aren’t used to the demand,” Giammusso said. “Let’s face is, the team has not been very good. A couple weeks ago the story was there were $3 buffalo bills tickets. Fast forward two weeks, and the Bills are in the playoffs.”

Staff members for the Jaguars say all tickets for the game are being delivered to mobile devices. So if someone tries selling a paper ticket, it is likely fake.

Of course, Western New Yorkers with tickets will also have to get to Jacksonville.

“Maybe if you drive, maybe it would be a little bit more economical for you,” explained Angela Wawrzynek, travel sales and operations manager for AAA. “As far as if you wanted to fly, you’re looking at probably about $3,000 for two people to go for the weekend.”

That price includes travel, hotel, and game ticket costs. If you’re thinking about going, Wawrzynek suggest you make the decision soon.

“You’ll probably be getting in your car and hopefully the weather will work out for you, and you’re going to drive down to Jacksonville,” she said. “But the immediacy on this, because it is next weekend, is you really have to make your decision (Monday, Tuesday at the very latest).”