I think that it would be very useful if there was some warning that certain trips are likley not be available in future, although I realise this may be difficult.

My suggestion is that there could be an option on your website where people could register an interest in specific destinations. You could then warn them that there is a danger that a destination is likely to be dropped. Also if a certain date was short of one or two people to make the trip viable you could email the people who had expressed an interest and maybe offer a small discount.

If I thought that JY would offer discounts to certain people, then I would check the numbers already booked on a particular holiday before booking, and if appropriate would wait.

I don't think I would be alone in doing, this as many people with other holiday companies wait until the "last minute sale" before booking, especially if there are a number of destinations where they are happy to visit, and are flexible on dates.

Not sure that Page & Moy/JY would want to gain this type of reputation as a company.

RM

I think it would be a good idea to have a "last chance to buy" indication - maybe a page on the website showing tours that are likely to be dropped soon (I'm sure JY regularly monitor the takeup of all their offerings). Also if people are considering two or three different holidays, this would help them make up their minds if one is on an endangered list!

RM

I think this idea is really good Rosie! thank you

Cheers,

Bob

Having said that, after scouring the website, I think the brand new Florida tour looks wonderful and I think the changes to the National Parks/Little Big Horn and Uzbekistan are sensible and a big improvement. Best of all, I love the sound of the new Inspirational China tour as it incorporates pretty much everything I would like to do in China - extending it to include Shanghai and Chendu is a brilliant idea, as is still offering the Yangzte add-on. China was somewhere I was thinking of doing some time much further along the road, but now it has moved up my list and I hope to do it in 2014 (holiday destinations already decided for next year!). So JY please don't drop or change this tour before 2014!! I'm fairly confident you won't, as I know China is one of JY's most popular destinations and I'm sure the new tour will get great feedback next year.

All the best,

Bob

PS JY Will said JY are already working on destinations for 2014, so here are my suggestions: Borneo and Orangutans, Ethiopia or Namibia, bring back Costa Rica (and include Nicaragua as an add-on!) and extend the Russia tour with a Baltic states add-on. How about it?

Regards

Jaya

When I got my first JY brochure I thought, wow there are so many places in the world I could visit. I had wanted to go to Peru for as long as I could remember but knowing nothing about JY and what a holiday with them was like I didn't have the confidence to book long haul so I played safe and booked Tuscany figuring if I didn't like the holiday I could try and get an early flight home, however I had a great time and that wasn't necessary.

When I got back I sat down with the brochure and made a list of all the places I would like to go, enough for 3 or 4 years hols and everything went well until, without any warning that I was aware of, Borneo got dropped and I had to revise my list. Then came a brochure with a new holiday to China, I am almost sure JY gave it the title of Shangri La because it was to an area of outstanding beauty going towards the Tibetan border, unfortunately I had already booked my holiday so I put it to the top of my list for the following year, but after just one year in the JY brochure it too was dropped. I then got back on track until more recently Kerala came into the brochure and once again I had already made my holiday plans so Kerala went to the top of the list for the following year and, yes, it was dropped.

It was by sheer luck I happened to log onto the community website a few months back just as the subject of Costa Rica being dropped was mentioned and I was lucky enough to stretch my budget to book it before it goes, but what if I hadn't logged onto the forum when I did, I wouldn't have known until the brochure came out in September and then it would have been too late to make arrangements to go in October or November. Why couldn't this have been flagged up in the 2nd or 3rd edition April brochure as being a "last chance to go" holiday along with any others that were going the same way?

The thing is that while the Product team are planning holidays for the future people are also sitting at home with the current brochure in front of them making plans for next year and probably into 2014/15 but, unlike the Product team, we don't have the advantage of knowing what holidays will be featured and what will be dropped until the brochures come out in mid September because everything is kept under wraps until then, who knows how many people miss out on a holiday they are planning for the future.

It would be great if people could be warned in advance if a holiday was going to be dropped, like that it would give people a chance to juggle things around a bit, but it would need to be done in a way that ALL those who holiday with JY were warned, not just those who use the website, after all we are ALL paying customers. Some people don't use the website, some use it now and again like me and some don't even have a computer (shock horror!).

Best wishes

Hello Ben/Will

When I got my first JY brochure I thought, wow there are so many places in the world I could visit. I had wanted to go to Peru for as long as I could remember but knowing nothing about JY and what a holiday with them was like I didn't have the confidence to book long haul so I played safe and booked Tuscany figuring if I didn't like the holiday I could try and get an early flight home, however I had a great time and that wasn't necessary.

When I got back I sat down with the brochure and made a list of all the places I would like to go, enough for 3 or 4 years hols and everything went well until, without any warning that I was aware of, Borneo got dropped and I had to revise my list. Then came a brochure with a new holiday to China, I am almost sure JY gave it the title of Shangri La because it was to an area of outstanding beauty going towards the Tibetan border, unfortunately I had already booked my holiday so I put it to the top of my list for the following year, but after just one year in the JY brochure it too was dropped. I then got back on track until more recently Kerala came into the brochure and once again I had already made my holiday plans so Kerala went to the top of the list for the following year and, yes, it was dropped.

It was by sheer luck I happened to log onto the community website a few months back just as the subject of Costa Rica being dropped was mentioned and I was lucky enough to stretch my budget to book it before it goes, but what if I hadn't logged onto the forum when I did, I wouldn't have known until the brochure came out in September and then it would have been too late to make arrangements to go in October or November. Why couldn't this have been flagged up in the 2nd or 3rd edition April brochure as being a "last chance to go" holiday along with any others that were going the same way?

The thing is that while the Product team are planning holidays for the future people are also sitting at home with the current brochure in front of them making plans for next year and probably into 2014/15 but, unlike the Product team, we don't have the advantage of knowing what holidays will be featured and what will be dropped until the brochures come out in mid September because everything is kept under wraps until then, who knows how many people miss out on a holiday they are planning for the future.

It would be great if people could be warned in advance if a holiday was going to be dropped, like that it would give people a chance to juggle things around a bit, but it would need to be done in a way that ALL those who holiday with JY were warned, not just those who use the website, after all we are ALL paying customers. Some people don't use the website, some use it now and again like me and some don't even have a computer (shock horror!).

Best wishes

Hi there, I quite agree with what you said. I decided to go to South Africa this year - wonderful trip! However, as a teacher I can only go for this length of holiday in August. Last year there were 2 summer holiday dates for SA and this year only one. So I got in quick for this year expecting there not to be a summer holiday date in 2013 and I was right! Thank goodness I went this year! Sadly, I doubt that I will be going with JY next year as there are very few options at that time of year and getting fewer and fewer as the years go on.I don't want to drop JY altogether. I know this issue comes up time and again but other companies manage to organise trips at this time of year for singles so why not JY ? It seems many people are upset that the holidays they wanted to go on have now disappeared. I was hoping to do the Turkey one that still features in the Travelsphere brochure, but it's gone from JY and been replaced by one that is not as good. Sadly, I don't wish to travel with couples so I will have to let that go. Great idea about the 'last chance' holiday by the way!

Penny

Any feedback from the powers that be on this issue? Also any comment regarding my thread "A new suggestion" concerning the details given on optional excursions? I'd also just like to add that as far as I know JY are the ONLY company who have a good selection of holidays for single travellers. Have you looked at the Solo's website recently? They only have about 12 tours on offer for next year, very poor selection. Most of theirs are sun or activity holidays which definitely don't appeal to me. As I've said before, it's disappointing JY have dropped some destinations and I agree a "last chance to book" would be helpful, but I live in hope that more destinations will be added over the next few years. Also a word to those who regularly look at this forum but haven't booked a holiday - what are you waiting for? You are missing out by not booking (and you are limiting our holiday destinations by causing some hols to be dropped due to lack of bookings, so do us all a favour and get booking!!!) You won't regret it!

All the best,

Bob

Hi Ben/Will and co,

Any feedback from the powers that be on this issue? Also any comment regarding my thread "A new suggestion" concerning the details given on optional excursions? I'd also just like to add that as far as I know JY are the ONLY company who have a good selection of holidays for single travellers. Have you looked at the Solo's website recently? They only have about 12 tours on offer for next year, very poor selection. Most of theirs are sun or activity holidays which definitely don't appeal to me. As I've said before, it's disappointing JY have dropped some destinations and I agree a "last chance to book" would be helpful, but I live in hope that more destinations will be added over the next few years. Also a word to those who regularly look at this forum but haven't booked a holiday - what are you waiting for? You are missing out by not booking (and you are limiting our holiday destinations by causing some hols to be dropped due to lack of bookings, so do us all a favour and get booking!!!) You won't regret it!

All the best,

Bob

Hi Bob,

in terms of "last chance to book" I think that it's a good idea - there are a few little issues which we would have to consider such as if we put that message on a tour, then later reverse our decision to drop it and then upset someone who feels misled... just need to consider all possible scenarios.

In terms of your "new suggestion thread" - again it makes perfect sense - although we already do try and make sure that everything that we know will be in the tour is on the page for you to see. Reasons why we wouldn't have it on could be if certain excursions don't run on every date, if we aren't 100% sure it can run for some reason for example.

We are having a big look at lots and lots of elements of Just You over the coming months and so I'll make sure that anything I see on this forum gets mentioned there as well.

Thanks for your continued enthusiasm Bob!

Will

I feel that when you take ALL the suggestions to that meeting, you had better take lunch and tea with you..I feel it could be a long meeting!!!

Good Luck with pushing at least some of the suggestions through.. at least it makes us feel someone is listening, and that perhaps things might change..and that can only be GOOD for us the travellers.

Cindy

Will

I feel that when you take ALL the suggestions to that meeting, you had better take lunch and tea with you..I feel it could be a long meeting!!!

Good Luck with pushing at least some of the suggestions through.. at least it makes us feel someone is listening, and that perhaps things might change..and that can only be GOOD for us the travellers.

Cindy

it's going to be over many days I think Cindy! but that's good!

you know that we listen, where we can do something that's been suggested we will always try to!

Cheers,

Bob

My biggest complaint is the shortness of some of the holidays, especially long haul destinations. For example, one holiday I fancy is the America's national parks & canyons. However it is only 10 days, two of which are spent travelling. Add in jet lag and the actual enjoyable part of the holiday is too short to consider booking. Discover magazine shows a JY holiday to India of just 13 days whereas Travelsphere is 18 days.

Hi David, to be honest I think most of the holidays are around the right length for the itinerary concerned - for example, I did the India tour this year and it was full on for the 13 days and I was exhausted by the end and ready to go home! Considering JY have to pay for single occupancy of a double room and strike a deal with all the hotels used, if the hols were longer/less hectic itinerary then the price would shoot up - and the prices have already gone up a huge amount over the last couple of years to the long haul destinations due to the skyrocketing increase in fuel prices. If you'd like to do the parks and canyons why don't you do what I'm doing and book the far superior parks/mount rushmore/little big horn tour which is a mammoth journey over 17 days!

All the best,

Bob

I agree with you if I am honest the tours at times can be very full on, but I do not go on these tours to laze around, and if there were more days at the pace they go I would be flagging fast.. like you I come back exhausted and need a couple days to get back to full strength.

The longest tour I have been on was the HKG and NZ one in January thought there was much to see I spent quite a bit of time nodding of on the coach like we all did and missing the sights, it's a vast country.

Cindy

Can I ask that you consider a couple of topic please :

1. Going back to offering "land only" prices

2. The viability of JY running short European city breaks.

Thanks.

Stuart

Will

Can I ask that you consider a couple of topic please :

1. Going back to offering "land only" prices

2. The viability of JY running short European city breaks.

Thanks.

Stuart

Hi Stuart.

I will certainly make sure we discuss the land only option.

we have tried short European breaks over the past few years but none have been very popular in general. That's not to say we won't retry them at any point though

Thanks

Will

Thanks for the rapid reply.

Looking at short European breaks if you've tried it, and there has been little customer take up, that's fine, and all we can reasonably ask. I guess that there are a lot of companies offering short breaks, plus it's pretty easy to sort this out independently.

We discussed "land only" prices in a previous thread, and you made the point that JY naturally wanted everyone to be completely satisfied with all aspects of their holiday, and that there had been a problem with people on "land only" trips not turning up, or having transportation issues from the airport to the first night destination hotel.

I don't want to go over old ground, but JY are more than willing to move flights around for customers, providing that the flights remain with you, and I have to say that I don't see why people are any more likely to encounter problems if they travel independently on a flight organised by JY than if they travel independently on a flight they organise themselves !!

Anyway, if you can raise the issue when you discuss the future shape of your tours that would be great.

Thanks.

Stuart