Waitlist

[sjlsk8r]

We did the Peru trip last summer and I have been looking at the Ecuador/Galapagos trip in December 2011 and noticed today that it said they were now accepting a waitlist. I called ABD (and talked to the least helpful I have ever found there) to inquire about the waitlist. She said that all it meant was that I can't book the trip - it might be full or they may just be wanting to see if there is enough interest to run the trip. She couldn't tell me what the capacity was on the trip or if there was anyone else on the waitlist. Has anybody else had experience with being on a waitlist? I know that the trip is still a ways off, but that many people have rebooked after the Egypt cancellations. So. . . thoughts anyone?

 

[Bobo912]

We did the Peru trip last summer and I have been looking at the Ecuador/Galapagos trip in December 2011 and noticed today that it said they were now accepting a waitlist. I called ABD (and talked to the least helpful I have ever found there) to inquire about the waitlist. She said that all it meant was that I can't book the trip - it might be full or they may just be wanting to see if there is enough interest to run the trip. She couldn't tell me what the capacity was on the trip or if there was anyone else on the waitlist. Has anybody else had experience with being on a waitlist? I know that the trip is still a ways off, but that many people have rebooked after the Egypt cancellations. So. . . thoughts anyone?

I think you should call back until you get somebody who knows what they're talking about. They can tell you exactly how many people are already booked, so saying they don't know whether it's waitlisted while they weigh interest or because the trip is sold out, doesn't make any sense.

 

[sayhello]

Many of the times I've seen trips listed as waitlisted, I've known that they were actually reserved as an exclusive trip for a Travel Agent (Check out the dates for the April & July BSM Podcast trips. They're listed as "waitlisted". Same for the September K&L Podcast trip). If the Travel Agent doesn't get enough people by a particular deadline to keep it exclusive, then they open it up to the people on the waitlist. So they *don't* know, until the deadline for the Travel Agent to "fill" the trip has passed.

I really don't understand why they don't just say that.

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

The SWS trip that I've booked for this summer was waitlisted. I called ABD in Nov to ask about it and they told me that it was actually open for bookings. The next day the waitlist comment was removed from the Rates & Dates page. I figured that it was a group or travel agent who didn't have enough bookings to keep it exclusive and they had decided to open it up. But when I booked it in January there were only 7 people booked, so if that was the case they must have completely backed out. But I kind of got the impression from the CM that the waitlisting was just a mistake on the website. My date is on the Holiday Departures page and it still has the waitlisted comment there. sjlsk8r, do you remember if there ever a price listed for your Dec Galapagos date? There are a few SWS dates that are sold out and those dates previously had prices, but now that they have been changed to waitlist the price reads N/A. So if there was a price and it's has changed to N/A that could be an indication that it is sold out.

 

[sjlsk8r]

There was initially a price listed - at least until about two weeks ago. We were considering this as a summer trip when the dates first came out. However, my boyfriend now has an extended July business trip which conflicts with the dates for the summer, so we started looking at doing the December trip. I had been watching the trip on ABD's website to make sure that the price was not starting to go up. We were hoping to wait until April to book the trip to make sure a few other factors were going to work out properly - otherwise we would have taken advantage of the gift card promotion in January. So, I have been checking on the trip periodically. Yesterday was the first day I saw it tagged as waitlisted. I did go ahead and put our names on the waitlist since they didn't require a deposit. I was just surprised because I thought I would see the price increase as the trip filled and that would be an indication that I better make the reservation quickly. I will try and call ABD back today and see if I can get any more concrete information, but hopefully it will all work out!

 

[Bobo912]

There was initially a price listed - at least until about two weeks ago. We were considering this as a summer trip when the dates first came out. However, my boyfriend now has an extended July business trip which conflicts with the dates for the summer, so we started looking at doing the December trip. I had been watching the trip on ABD's website to make sure that the price was not starting to go up. We were hoping to wait until April to book the trip to make sure a few other factors were going to work out properly - otherwise we would have taken advantage of the gift card promotion in January. So, I have been checking on the trip periodically. Yesterday was the first day I saw it tagged as waitlisted. I did go ahead and put our names on the waitlist since they didn't require a deposit. I was just surprised because I thought I would see the price increase as the trip filled and that would be an indication that I better make the reservation quickly. I will try and call ABD back today and see if I can get any more concrete information, but hopefully it will all work out!

I would have expected to see the price go up too. That is what happened with the SWS trips. But maybe because of rescheduling Egypt travelers it filled up quickly and they didn't have an opportunity to raise the price. I hope it works out for you. I'll be in the Galapagos 3 weeks from tomorrow and I'm very excited. It's going to be an amazing trip.

 

[sjlsk8r]

Well, the waitlist turned out ok for us! we got a call Friday that there was a party of 10 that canceled and we were able to put down a deposit to hold our spot! It looks like Christmas in the Galapagos for us!!! I did also find out that the cancellations on Egypt has led to a jump in bookings for the Galapagos, China, and South Africa. Anyone considering those trips may want to make a move.

 

[sayhello]

Well, the waitlist turned out ok for us! we got a call Friday that there was a party of 10 that canceled and we were able to put down a deposit to hold our spot! It looks like Christmas in the Galapagos for us!!! I did also find out that the cancellations on Egypt has led to a jump in bookings for the Galapagos, China, and South Africa. Anyone considering those trips may want to make a move.

Congrats! I'm so glad to hear that.

Man, I hope that party of 10 had trip insurance! 10 deposits is not exactly cheap!

Sayhello