Booking using two different contracts

[Missyrose]

I know you cannot combine points from two separate contracts on a single night without making a transfer. But if you're making a reservation of 5 nights, can you pay for 3 nights with contract A and 2 nights with contract B? Would that be treated as two separate reservations? If so, can MS link them?

 

[disneynutz]

In the past that wasn't a problem but reading recent posts, I'm not sure anymore. Booking online you could identify the contracts to be used and the points to be taken. I don't think that that has changed.

Bill

 

[chalee94]

Would that be treated as two separate reservations?

yes.

MS has been able to link them in the past. i haven't seen anything about this changing but i think webmasterdoc is the expert...

 

[Sandisw]

You mean memberships, correct?

When you have two different memberships--different UY's--then you can not do a single night without a transfer.

However, if they are simply different contracts under the same membership, then there is no transfer required.

I have two contracts for BLT--130 and 50--but they both have a June UY so they are under the same membership and therefore, those 180 points function as one big pool without having to make different reservations.

However, I also own my 150 BWV points with a Dec UY and in order to book nights with that contract, I have to make them as whole nights and have them linked with the other ones.

 

[Missyrose]

You mean memberships, correct?

When you have two different memberships--different UY's--then you can not do a single night without a transfer.

However, if they are simply different contracts under the same membership, then there is no transfer required.

I have two contracts for BLT--130 and 50--but they both have a June UY so they are under the same membership and therefore, those 180 points function as one big pool without having to make different reservations.

However, I also own my 150 BWV points with a Dec UY and in order to book nights with that contract, I have to make them as whole nights and have them linked with the other ones.

Thanks Sandi. Yes, I meant two membership numbers. I just hope these recent reports of MS having issues with linking are a fluke. Playing devil's advocate though, if MS couldn't link the two I would just talk to someone at the front desk when I was checking in?

 

[drusba]

Past practice when you have two membership numbers/use years and reserve some nights with one and rest with other in same resort and room category: MS linked the reservations with the result that you would have same room, same room keys, same parking pass, etc. throughout the entire trip.

New practice resulting from the many millions they spent upgrading the computer system so that it would be better than before but apparently they hired computer scientists who have excellent technical minds but not an ounce of common sense: MS cannot link those reservations to avoid any changes mid-stream in the vacation and computer will not let them manually vary from treating it as separate reservations. You will keep the same room and won't have to formally check-in again on the changeover date because that is something they can control at the resort level. The keys you have will expire the morning of the changeover date and they will put new keys under your door. However, they cannot automatically change the credit card information or give you new keys that have charging privileges because the reservations are deemed separate by the computer and they do not automatically give you a new parking pass. If you want that done, you have to go to the front desk and get a new set of keys and re-apply your credit card to your room and pick up a new parking pass.

I learned of the new system when I was at BWV in June and used two different use years to make the reservation. I actually talked to a manger who said the new system was programmed that way and they cannot figure out how to get around it or change it. I told him it seemed foolish that they cannot get the computer to do what it could always do before and it seemed ridiculous that the new system was set up this way forcing you to go through the check-in line at the changeover date to get new keys with credit card privileges; he did not disagree.

 

[Mousewerks]

Seems then, that you could use this fact to segment for purposes of getting the dining plan for part of your stay. Has anyone tried that?

 

[Missyrose]

Seems then, that you could use this fact to segment for purposes of getting the dining plan for part of your stay. Has anyone tried that?

I doubt that would work. They've seemed to have cracked down on segmenting for DDP, you have to change resort, view or villa type to only have the dining plan on one segment.

Though in our case it's a pretty moot point, we like TIW over the dining plan anyway.

 

[jekjones1558]

I know you cannot combine points from two separate contracts on a single night without making a transfer. But if you're making a reservation of 5 nights, can you pay for 3 nights with contract A and 2 nights with contract B? Would that be treated as two separate reservations? If so, can MS link them?

I think that the issues regarding linking have been for reservations made online. If your reservation doesn't need to be made the second that online reservations open for a particular date, I think it would be best to make the reservations by phone and have MS link the reservations immediately.

 

[drusba]

I think that the issues regarding linking have been for reservations made online. If your reservation doesn't need to be made the second that online reservations open for a particular date, I think it would be best to make the reservations by phone and have MS link the reservations immediately.

What I described above that happened in June resulted from doing a reservation using two use years via calling MS about 9 months out and MS at the time actually linked them using the old computer system. The new system simply rejects that and does not allow the melding of the two reservations even if MS does it. Whether you make the two reservations on-line and then call MS to put them together or call MS and make the reservations and link them in the call, the result will be the same: the new system will require treating the reservations as separate once you get to the resort. Amazingly, the new system will provide a confirmation email that shows the reservations are linked but as I was told at the resort, the system just won't recognize that linkage when you show up at the resort to actually get the room and room keys.

 

[Purrrrfecta]

What I described above that happened in June resulted from doing a reservation using two use years via calling MS about 9 months out and MS at the time actually linked them using the old computer system. The new system simply rejects that and does not allow the melding of the two reservations even if MS does it. Whether you make the two reservations on-line and then call MS to put them together or call MS and make the reservations and link them in the call, the result will be the same: the new system will require treating the reservations as separate once you get to the resort. Amazingly, the new system will provide a confirmation email that shows the reservations are linked but as I was told at the resort, the system just won't recognize that linkage when you show up at the resort to actually get the room and room keys.

So I guess my question to you is what are the resorts doing to assure the reservations stay linked so guests will not have to be called and told they have to change rooms?

 

[Sandisw]

So I guess my question to you is what are the resorts doing to assure the reservations stay linked so guests will not have to be called and told they have to change rooms?

I think it is certainly important that members mention it at check in to be sure that they have things listed that way and to go down the night before as well.

 

[k3chantal]

You mean memberships, correct?

When you have two different memberships--different UY's--then you can not do a single night without a transfer.

However, if they are simply different contracts under the same membership, then there is no transfer required.

I have two contracts for BLT--130 and 50--but they both have a June UY so they are under the same membership and therefore, those 180 points function as one big pool without having to make different reservations.

However, I also own my 150 BWV points with a Dec UY and in order to book nights with that contract, I have to make them as whole nights and have them linked with the other ones.

Sandi:
I am just wondering...... if your BWV points had the same UY as your BLT contracts would they function as one big pool? (Eventually we would like to buy more points and will have to take into account these facts).

 

[disneynutz]

Sandi:
I am just wondering...... if your BWV points had the same UY as your BLT contracts would they function as one big pool? (Eventually we would like to buy more points and will have to take into account these facts).

Not Sandi but the points from different resorts pool at 7 months.

Bill

 

[chalee94]

Sandi:
I am just wondering...... if your BWV points had the same UY as your BLT contracts would they function as one big pool? (Eventually we would like to buy more points and will have to take into account these facts).

if you buy contracts under the same member number (have to be identically titled and identical UY month - can buy them either direct or resale), then points from both contracts can be pooled...but at 11 months out if the same home resort - or 7 months out if different home resorts.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Missy, we had that exact situation in June 2011 and coming up in October. Part of the stay with one contract and part of the stay with points from a second contract. We were able to like them. But the June stay last year was right when they were changing out the computer system. So we wound up getting new keys on the second to last night. Or at least some of us did. My son and I never got new keys and the old ones continued to work. The other nine got new keys for the last two days.

And we were supposed to get the keys at 8AM, but we didn't get them until almost 3PM. And they wound up delivering them to us.

We didn't have to move and it all worked out in the end.

 

[Missyrose]

Missy, we had that exact situation in June 2011 and coming up in October. Part of the stay with one contract and part of the stay with points from a second contract. We were able to like them. But the June stay last year was right when they were changing out the computer system. So we wound up getting new keys on the second to last night. Or at least some of us did. My son and I never got new keys and the old ones continued to work. The other nine got new keys for the last two days.

And we were supposed to get the keys at 8AM, but we didn't get them until almost 3PM. And they wound up delivering them to us.

We didn't have to move and it all worked out in the end.

Thanks for sharing your experience Deb, it's very helpful (as always!).

 

[Purrrrfecta]

I think it is certainly important that members mention it at check in to be sure that they have things listed that way and to go down the night before as well.

I think the resorts need to come up with a system so this does not happen. When room assignments take place it seems to me as though the assigners are not recognizing the previous room assignments other operation managers have made with "linked" reservations, and it is causing great confusion.

Even when guest are being told everything is OK, there are some who are still being asked to change rooms.