Can I Do This?

[kristenrice]

I want to book a 3-night stay but I would prefer to buy 3 OTU points instead of borrowing them to complete the reservation. Since it will be for a studio in the fall, I know that I will need to be online at exactly 8am at the 7 month mark. If I can snag that elusive first night, can I book 2 nights and then call back at 9am, buy the 3 OTU points and add the 3rd night? If I have to use the waitlist, I know that I will end up having to borrow, which isn't the end of the world....I just hate starting out a UY in the hole.

 

[Melina Hestnes]

Yes, you can book the first two nights and then call back to book the last night. We are doing that for our next trip.

 

[Dean]

I want to book a 3-night stay but I would prefer to buy 3 OTU points instead of borrowing them to complete the reservation. Since it will be for a studio in the fall, I know that I will need to be online at exactly 8am at the 7 month mark. If I can snag that elusive first night, can I book 2 nights and then call back at 9am, buy the 3 OTU points and add the 3rd night? If I have to use the waitlist, I know that I will end up having to borrow, which isn't the end of the world....I just hate starting out a UY in the hole.

If you have to WL you could book a dummy reservation, buy the 3 points and then cancel. You could also do that now so you have the points in your account at the time you need them. IMO there are only a couple of situations where it makes sense to do OTU points when one could borrow them. Those are when the points in question have a higher $$$ value than OTU points, which is rare, and when the points one would have borrowed are necessarily to book a future reservation one couldn't do otherwise.

 

[kristenrice]

If you have to WL you could book a dummy reservation, buy the 3 points and then cancel. You could also do that now so you have the points in your account at the time you need them. IMO there are only a couple of situations where it makes sense to do OTU points when one could borrow them. Those are when the points in question have a higher $$$ value than OTU points, which is rare, and when the points one would have borrowed are necessarily to book a future reservation one couldn't do otherwise.

That's the case...I'd be using AKV points to book a 7-month reservation. I do not know what I will be doing with my AKV points in 2019, but there is a good probability that we will use them for a value 1BR or studio in October, in which case they are absolutely more valuable than OTU points. But since the plans are not firm, and I'm only talking about 3 points, I don't want to go through the hassle of the dummy reservation should I have to waitlist. I'll just borrow and be happy if the waitlist fills.

 

[Dean]

That's the case...I'd be using AKV points to book a 7-month reservation. I do not know what I will be doing with my AKV points in 2019, but there is a good probability that we will use them for a value 1BR or studio in October, in which case they are absolutely more valuable than OTU points. But since the plans are not firm, and I'm only talking about 3 points, I don't want to go through the hassle of the dummy reservation should I have to waitlist. I'll just borrow and be happy if the waitlist fills.

Unless you have a specific plan that will truly require you to need those points you couldn't do without them, I wouldn't do the OTU points.