Another use year question...help me understand

[jodybird511]

Hi All,

I generally "get" the whole use year idea and that it is advantageous to have the same use year, if owning multiple contracts. Can someone who is savvy, though, help me to understand the specific disadvantages of owning two contracts, one with UY Feb and one with UY April, if we most typically travel (for our "big trip") sometime btwn the last week of May and the end of July? I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around it. Thanks in advance!

 

[CarolMN]

It is difficult to combine contracts if you need both to make a reservation at 7 months. With the same use year, the points from both can easily be used to make that reservation. You can do it online.

With two different reservations, You can't book one continuous reservation. You would have to book some nights from Contract A and the rest from Contract B. If you do it online, you have separate reservations and separate booking windows. You would have to call MS and ask the CM to link the two reservations so that you didn't have to move. Kind of a pain.

But the real pain is that you can't use points from both contracts to book the same night without transferring points from one contract to another. (The rule says you an only transfer once per use year per membership so that would use up a transfer entitlement for both contracts). For example, let's say you have 7 points in Contract A and 4 points in Contract B and the night you want costs 10 points. To use those contracts to book that 1 night, you would have to call MS to transfer points from one contract to the other and then have MS make the actual booking and link everything together. At 7 months, that could mean you have to waitlist for that night because someone else got it while you were waiting to call MS to transfer & book.

Many do manage just fine with multiple use years. It can be done and in some situations it doesn't matter. It's just easier and less stressful to use your contracts together if they are from the same use year.

 

[jodybird511]

With two different reservations, You can't book one continuous reservation. You would have to book some nights from Contract A and the rest from Contract B.

So just to be sure I understand, if you have two contracts with the SAME use year, they automatically combine, and you have access to all points for any given reservation?

 

[Chuck S]

So just to be sure I understand, if you have two contracts with the SAME use year, they automatically combine, and you have access to all points for any given reservation?

Yes...if they are for the same resort and use year they will function as a single contract for all practical purposes. If they are different resorts, with the same use year, (say SSR and OKW) you will have the 11 month window to book at SSR for the number of points you own at SSR , and you will have the 11 month window to book at OKW for the number of points you own at OKW. But at 7 months, they will effectively act as a single contract.

 

[Brett Wyman]

misspost

 

[Chuck S]

Unless it has changed, the minimum number for an add on no matter the resort is 25 points. But again, you'll only be able to use those 25 points to book that resort at 11 to 7 months. No points from different resorts can be combined during the 11 to 7 month home resort priority booking window, no matter how big or small the contracts are.