Will MS Swap Out Points On A Reservation?

[IrishTink]

I have 14pts in holding and tomorrow will be the 60-day mark for a vacation already booked. Will MS swap points on one of the nights and let me use my points in holding instead? I really want them used, but don't want to risk messing the reservation up either...

 

[BillPA]

If the unit is available you could book it and have MS swap out the unit. If it's not available you're out of luck.

 

[IrishTink]

If the unit is available you could book it and have MS swap out the unit. If it's not available you're out of luck.

I'm afraid the only way it would be available is if I cancel the one night and I'm not willing to risk losing the room while on the phone w/MS - so I guess I'm out of luck!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Call tomorrow and ask.

 

[IrishTink]

Call tomorrow and ask.

Thanks, Bobbi - That's the plan!!! All they can do is say "no", right?

 

[n2mm]

I went through this last year and was told I had to use holding points on a new reservation only. Maybe you’ll have better luck. I canceled a night at the beginning of my trip to use up my holding points and stayed elsewhere.

 

[BillPA]

If they allow the change with no availability, why have points go into a holding account?

 

[IrishTink]

If they allow the change with no availability, why have points go into a holding account?

I don't think they will allow it with no availability. I think the only thing I could do is modify to drop a night and hope I could quick and grab it to rebook with the points in holding. I don't think it's worth the risk though because my luck the website would go down or something and I wouldn't be able to rebook.

 

[hcortesis]

I have 14pts in holding and tomorrow will be the 60-day mark for a vacation already booked. Will MS swap points on one of the nights and let me use my points in holding instead? I really want them used, but don't want to risk messing the reservation up either...

They have done this for me. More than once. But not in the past year. There is a thread from a couple of years ago on this.

 

[hcortesis]

If they allow the change with no availability, why have points go into a holding account?

Because there has to be rules.

 

[BillPA]

Exactly!

 

[IrishTink]

My countdown clock rolled over to 60 Days, I used the online option to modify my reservation and basically selected the two nights I already had reserved and once the process was complete it automatically used the points I had in holding. So happy this worked as I don't have another trip planned during this current use year and was concerned I might lose the points.

 

[CMNJ]

My countdown clock rolled over to 60 Days, I used the online option to modify my reservation and basically selected the two nights I already had reserved and once the process was complete it automatically used the points I had in holding. So happy this worked as I don't have another trip planned during this current use year and was concerned I might lose the points.

Wow that seems like a total glitch but glad it worked for you. I’ve heard of MS making exceptions to use holding points like you wanted on occasion but I thought the actual policy was as others had stated. Otherwise it basically negates the “punishment” of canceling your room at the last minute (ie holding). Assuming a member has ANY other reservation booked before the holding points expire they’d be able to swap them out in the manner you just did thereby circurmventing the whole 60 day booking “punishment”.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have not been able to do anything with reservations today. You are lucky yours went through!

 

[n2mm]

I have not been able to do anything with reservations today. You are lucky yours went through!

Glad to hear I’m not alone. The past few weeks the site has been so temperamental. I hold my breath everytime I use it now.

 

[IrishTink]

Wow that seems like a total glitch but glad it worked for you. I’ve heard of MS making exceptions to use holding points like you wanted on occasion but I thought the actual policy was as others had stated. Otherwise it basically negates the “punishment” of canceling your room at the last minute (ie holding). Assuming a member has ANY other reservation booked before the holding points expire they’d be able to swap them out in the manner you just did thereby circurmventing the whole 60 day booking “punishment”.

I don't think it was a glitch as I could have had the same outcome by canceling the reservation and immediately grabbing it back up again as soon as it showed up online, or even booking a completely different resort as long as my travel dates were within 60 days.

 

[CMNJ]

I think it is a programming flaw but it doesn’t matter what I think just what happens when you modify. What you suggested (in my opinion) is different. If you are forced to cancel an rebook the room to use the points (which I thought was the actual policy) you could lose the room. Someone else could beat you to rebooking it or the wait list could grab it. As there is inherent risk many people would not chance it and those that do would not be violating any booking rules. An online modification (or one done by member services) holds that room so that nobody else can get it. Therefore you didn’t book it at 60 days you booked it at 7 months/11 months.
The same thought applies to home resort advantage bookings. If the online modification tool allows you to do what it did by swapping non home resort points like it did with holding points it is circumventing the booking rules. Again glad you were able to use your points-I just wouldn’t count on this being the actual policy