Can you switch which use year's points are used for different reservations?

[peacefrogdog]

I have a October UY. Currently I have a trip booked for Nov 09 (using banked 08 UY points), and a Dec 09 trip booked (using 09 UY points).

We may need to cancel our Nov 09 trip, which would leave us with banked 08 points that we would have to use by Sept 30, 2010. If we do cancel that trip, is it possible to ask MS to use banked 08 points for our Dec 09 trip (which would free up our 09 UY points), without having to rebook it from scratch (whihc may not be possible due to availability)?

 

[jekjones1558]

Maybe, depending on whether you used the home resort advantage or not for both reservations. If both reservations are at your home resort and you used points from your home resort, then you should be able to do this. It is called point reallocation and I have done it several times, no canceling and re-booking required. In fact I just did it a couple of days ago. It may also be (though I don't think I've done it) that if both reservations were booked less than 7 months out, when all points are equal, that MS can also do a reallocation. Problems would arise if one of the reservations used the 7 - 11 month booking advantage and the other did not. One more possible problem: some CMs at MS are more familiar with reallocating points than others. Good luck!

 

[Dean]

The technical rule is that all changes should be a cancelation and rebooking. There are ways they can sub the points without canceling and they often do. You should be able to get it done but there is a risk you could lose your reservation.

 

[Chuck S]

We have been able to do so in the past, but remember that the ability to do so can change at any time. They keep upgrading and changing the reservation software, and sometimes the software doesn't allow things anymore.

So far, I haven't heard that they are unable to swap banked/current points within a reservation, but I would not count on that to always be the case in the future.

 

[peacefrogdog]

I'm sensing that I'd need to ensure I use the right terminology to the MS rep to make this request. The last thing I want is for him/her to try and cancel both trips to try to do reallocate the points, and risk losing both of them.

So would I ask to make a point reallocation (and specify to do this without canceling either trip)?

 

[Sandisw]

I'm sensing that I'd need to ensure I use the right terminology to the MS rep to make this request. The last thing I want is for him/her to try and cancel both trips to try to do reallocate the points, and risk losing both of them.

So would I ask to make a point reallocation (and specify to do this without canceling either trip)?

What I would do, if it were me, would be to call and cancel the Nov 09 trip first. This way, there is no confusion as to which trip you want cancelled and which to be left alone.

Then, I would call back and tell them that you want to make sure that they are using the banked 08 points for the Dec 09 trip.

It may be a little more work doing it in two transactions, but it will ensure that your Dec 09 trip does not get cancelled. Plus, by the 2nd call, the 08 banked points will be back into your account and not tied to a reservation in the same call.

Good luck!