Hospitality
What is it and is it Worth it?
For US fans traveling to see high-demand clubs like Liverpool or Arsenal, Hospitality is going to be your most likely option. Since Hospitality tickets don’t require a membership, they are a great way for a traveling fan to lock in a seat to the game directly from the team.
The major downside with Hospitality tickets are their cost, which can often be 10 times what a ticket at the membership price is. Clubs are allowed to overcharge for these tickets by offering additional items like free food, drinks, programs, tours, and other items. These add-ons will not equal the high cost, and the food options at Liverpool were sub-par, but since general sale and membership aren’t always options for a tourist, Hospitality is definitely a viable option.
We purchased Hospitality for both of our games to see Liverpool, as well as Manchester City's Champions League game against Real Madrid. In both cases, hoping for a ticket to reach general sale or even low seniority membership sale was impossible, so buying Hospitality was our only legit option. I talk a bit about scalping or touting tickets in my "Getting Creative" article, but since it's expressly illegal and in a worst case scenario, you could be barred from entering the game, we didn't want to risk it.
Third-Party Hospitality
If you’re dying to see a game but even the hospitality packages from the team are sold out, you might find a life-line with Third-Party Hospitality companies. These companies are officially licensed by the team to sell tickets to non-UK residents, so you can feel confident in your purchase, but it’s going to be really, really expensive. In my experience, these companies will generally charge double for their Hospitality packages versus what you could get directly from the club.
Some might also be able to package hotel or travel arrangements to provide some value, but as far as the ticket itself goes, this option will set you back. One plug for a Third-Party seller is Groundshopper, as their website has an incredible Google Map with the location of every team in the top 5 or 6 tiers of English Football. It was super useful!