Any problems if my dates change?

[aroundtheriverbend]

Hi all, I am going to be booking a 5 night trip soon at the 7 month mark, that may end up eventually being shortened to 3 nights. We would be dropping the first two nights if any changes were to occur. Would this cause us any issues down the road? We have enough 2012 points to do this without borrowing, but I was concerned since we will be making them at the 7 month mark, but may later change the start date back. Wanted to make sure this wouldn't lead to the reservation needing to be cancelled and rebooked or any trouble with the freed up points later being banked (we'd make the change, if any, before our UY flipped). Hope that makes sense. Thanks!

PS - it that what's called "walking" if you do it and you know you won't be there the full time?

 

[jstarcze]

Perhaps someone can correct me if I don't get the details quite right. If you cancel the 2 days within 30 or 31 days of the actual reservation, then the points go into holding. Points in holding can only be used to make reservations within 60 days of the stay and they can't be banked. Also you'd would need to cancel the reservation for the 2 days while still within your banking period. The banking period is the 1st 8 months of your UY. For example I am a Feb UY so my points must be banked before Sept. 31.

What you are doing is not walking a reservation. Walking refers to the practice of making a 7 day reservation 7 days before you actually want to arrive i.e. Booking on April 1 a reservation for April 1-7 and your real arrival date is Apr 7th. Then each day you call MS and cancel a day at the beginning and add a day on the end of your reservation until you have all the days that you want to schedule.

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

Thank you! I was most concerned that if I do call in the future to cut the first two days, MS will say "oh, can't do it, you made the first part of the reservation at 7 months so we need to cancel and rebook the whole thing." I didn't know if they would consider it gaming the system. But it sounds like that's what walking is, and it appears people do that all the time.... so it sounds like we would be fine if we have to adjust it later. Thanks again!

 

[CKCruising]

Thank you! I was most concerned that if I do call in the future to cut the first two days, MS will say "oh, can't do it, you made the first part of the reservation at 7 months so we need to cancel and rebook the whole thing." I didn't know if they would consider it gaming the system. But it sounds like that's what walking is, and it appears people do that all the time.... so it sounds like we would be fine if we have to adjust it later. Thanks again!

The only thing they wouldn't let you do is cancel the first 2 days before the new first night hits the 7 month window. You couldn't book 5 nights today, and cancel the first 2 nights tomorrow (but you could the next day).