Existing reservation - changing where points come from

[harv0033]

We have contracts at both AKL and BWV. Can I make a reservation at 11 months at BWV -- then at 7 months "cancel" it and re-book using AKL points?

Why? I'd rather use up my AKL points if possible , but want to book at 11 months to make sure I get in BWV.

 

[MrInfinity]

You cannot reallocate a res booked via home resort advantage to use 7 mo points unless the same res is available at 7 mo... But you can certainly cancel and rebook.

 

[disneynutz]

If there is availability at 7 months, MS can reallocate which points are used without having to cancel the original reservation.

Bill

 

[supersnoop]

Long story short: There’s no loophole to get around the home resort advantge.

 

[hcortesis]

I do this often. We own more points at BCV than at GFV. So I book GFV at 11 months with GFV points and switch it out at the 7 month mark (or later) with BCV points to conserve our GFV points. Have done this often. So far no-one at Member Services has said no. I am always that they do it but they do. Eventually I do have to use those GFV points so I feel that is why no-one has ever refused me.

 

[Sandisw]

I do this often. We own more points at BCV than at GFV. So I book GFV at 11 months with GFV points and switch it out at the 7 month mark (or later) with BCV points to conserve our GFV points. Have done this often. So far no-one at Member Services has said no. I am always that they do it but they do. Eventually I do have to use those GFV points so I feel that is why no-one has ever refused me.

If MS is changing your points with no availability for what you currently have booked, then I am extremely disappointed because this should not happen. They are allowing you to use non-resort points for a reservation booked at 11 months. Are you positive that when it has been done there was NO availability for what you wanted? As long as there is availability, then moving points is okay.

 

[hcortesis]

Very doubtful that those rooms were in fact available but I have had no reason to ever check. Looking at October 2018, some GFV S.V. studio rooms are already unavailable but I'm sure you already know how hard GFV is to book. And I have always wondered why they have no issue doing this but when I try and look at all of the angles, I guess they feel that if I have enough GFV points to book, and I eventually use all my GFV points than why not? Not sure but I can assure you that I do this often. No one has ever refused me. I guess moving points around and around just doesn't matter in the end? Not sure really.

 

[CarolMN]

Very doubtful that those rooms were in fact available but I have had no reason to ever check. Looking at October 2018, some GFV S.V. studio rooms are already unavailable but I'm sure you already know how hard GFV is to book. And I have always wondered why they have no issue doing this but when I try and look at all of the angles, I guess they feel that if I have enough GFV points to book, and I eventually use all my GFV points than why not? Not sure but I can assure you that I do this often. No one has ever refused me. I guess moving points around and around just doesn't matter in the end? Not sure really.

I can understand your argument if we are just considering the system as a whole without regard for the home resort booking advantage.

However, you are using your BCV points to get the home resort booking advantage for GFV. That is unfair to other GFV owners who may have wanted that room and were willing to use GFV points prior to the 7 month window opening. How would you feel if you were unable to book GFV when you tried at 11 months and so went on the waitlist. Should another GFV owner be able to substitute non-GFV points resort points for that reservation & keep that reservation without regard to the waitlist?

I prefer to believe that what you asked was done because MS saw that there was still availability for the same dates and villa you originally booked OR that there was no waitlist for those dates. That would be OK - it's really just a routine cancel and rebook when there is no one on the waitlist. There really isn't any way for us to know/tell if there are waitlists for a particular time & villa. We can only guess based on popularity of the villas & dates. So again, I prefer to believe MS is doing the right thing and that it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[hcortesis]

So again, I prefer to believe MS is doing the right thing and that it doesn't hurt to ask.

You are probably right.

How would you feel if you were unable to book GFV when you tried at 11 months and so went on the waitlist.

That's the nature of GFV. Trying booking GFV L.V. studio right now for 11 months out for a week. Can't be done without a waitlist. Nothing new (or really unusual) about that.

 

[CMNJ]

You are probably right.



That's the nature of GFV. Trying booking GFV L.V. studio right now for 11 months out for a week. Can't be done without a waitlist. Nothing new (or really unusual) about that.

But that’s the point-it is already so difficult to book there and BCV owners or any other DVC owners shouldn’t be able to secure those room unless they are still avail when the 7 month window opens. If the home resort advantage truly meant nothing how would DVC (or resale agents) ever convince people to buy lots of points at the expensive/popular resorts? If you could own just a small number of BWV points that you use to over and over to secure standard view rooms then swap out for cheap SSR points why would anyone ever add on at BWV? I’m not saying that MS didn’t allow you to do this previously but stating why it isn’t supposed to occur. Yes eventually you’d have to use your VGF points but in the mean timeyou could have taken a room away from another VGF owner multiple times using your BCV points. I find it very disappointing to hear Member services has repeatedly done this. We own at resorts we like to (BWV/BLT) and if I heard of a similar situation occurring regularly at my home resort I’d be livid.

 

[Dean]

We have contracts at both AKL and BWV. Can I make a reservation at 11 months at BWV -- then at 7 months "cancel" it and re-book using AKL points?

Why? I'd rather use up my AKL points if possible , but want to book at 11 months to make sure I get in BWV.

You can't just sub the points but there are ways to effectively do the same thing in many situations. You can swap out any days available using the non home resort points. You can then wait list the other days one day per WL and piece it together over time. I did that last Xmas using AKV points for a BWV standard studio.

 

[harv0033]

Thanks all for the responses.

 

[Bronte]

That is not the way the system is suppose to work. I own at BCV, AKV and SSR. I book new years eve at BCV with BCV points but would love to use my SSR points instead. If people are just able to swap out for the 11th month advantage then why even have 11th month vs. 7 month booking windows ???? Between people walking a reservation for several months to swapping out points this is getting a little too confusing and complicated.
For next year I was thinking about trying to get an AKV value for new years eve but I can not see my self walking it for months, its just too much work.

 

[SL6827]

I do this often. We own more points at BCV than at GFV. So I book GFV at 11 months with GFV points and switch it out at the 7 month mark (or later) with BCV points to conserve our GFV points. Have done this often. So far no-one at Member Services has said no. I am always that they do it but they do. Eventually I do have to use those GFV points so I feel that is why no-one has ever refused me.

Wow, I have never heard of this method or would have ever thought about how it could be done. Very interesting.