September 2019 Waitlists

dneesz, the only answer you might get here is other peoples' experiences which won't predict what will happen for your situation. I'd suggest that you call (not email) and talk to someone at the tour office who might be able to give you a clue as to what they see, and, most importantly, how many people are ahead of you in the queue for each of the tours for which you are waitlisted.

I did notice there are openings in some of the September Rome tours

I have the numbers for the tours we are interested in taking. It is just a matter of waiting and seeing what opens up.

At this point, no new 2019 departure dates will be added, so the only changes to availability will be from other travelers cancelling their plans. It happens but is unpredictable.

At least on the traditional airlines, I believe tickets are more expensive within 21 days of departure. Others like Norwegian, etc., might not operate that way. "Last-minute" deals are probably pretty random.

A better question -- what is your position on the wait list? We were wait listed last year. I thought we were two or three deep -- near cleared. I would not expect many cancellations.

I'd also be concerned about how deep you are on the wait list. I'm also not sure I'd expect many cancellations at this point since you are less than 60 days out so final payments have been made. I would have expected cancellations to have come before the final money is paid.

This is pure conjecture on my part but it's been on my mind for tours next year. I'm not going to be able to plan much ahead for next year so I've been considering what I'll do.

Are the tours you are interested in convenient for one particular departure or arrival airport? Can you put together a cancellable self directed itinerary so you can go ahead and book flights, then be able to flex if you do get a slot?

Here is a radical idea. Look at the list of tours on sale on this site. Pick from one of these. Not only will you get a great price, but all anxiety about getting a tour will be gone. You can have a great vacation this year and plan ahead to tour one of your first choices next year.

Carol, what an excellent recommendation! I never look at that page and see some great bargains. UP to $700 on some of the Best of Italy dates. Wow, that is almost a single supplement for me.

That is a great idea, Carol.

I did get called up for a wait list. It was my 1st RS tour and first time to Europe and they called my two weeks before it started. I had to scurry to find money to pay for the tour, plane tickets and spending money but it was the best decision I have made, though I would probably be a lot richer if I hadn't fallen in love with European travel.

Hope you get to go.

I would probably be a lot richer if I hadn't fallen in love with European travel

Richer in $$$ but clearly poorer in your experiences!!!

Leslie, that's true for a lot of us. We have a deal; we never ever say out loud what a trip is costing us. Ever.

My family likes me a lot better when I have a trip planned. Oh, and they never ask the cost.

Leslie, my coworkers are significantly less annoying when I have a trip planned

Amen to I would be a lot richer if I hadn’t fallen in love with Europe! I’m waiting for news about work before I book my 2020 tour, usually I’m signed up by now.

I was waitlisted for the Berlin Prague Vienna tour and was called 3 weeks before the start date. We jumped on it and made our flight arrangements, etc. It was my 2nd RS tour and a wonderful time!

Dneesz; if you are set on do it this way, then I would go with the suggestion of calling the office and checking on your waitlist status. Also, I would start checking on flight scenarios so you can "push the button" on a flight if you clear a waitlist. As for the cost of the flights, you are already in the price escalation window, you just got to go with the flow and do the best you can.

Thanks for all of the input and ideas. We are interested in flying from Seattle to Heathrow or Munich. Delta has a sale which includes travel in the fall, so we will just wait and see. We may do the Munich-Salzburg and Vienna trip on our own. That trip is doable with the experience we have taking trains, etc. in Europe.

I am also on a wait list for Sep 2019. But... when it comes to wait lists, here's what the tour dept said in an email : "If anything opens up, we contact everyone on the waitlist, and it is first come, first served. So you don’t have to worry about how many people are ahead of you on the list." Hope this helps :)