How to determine what time or use year/month to get?

[kyle051777]

I am looking at purchasing Saratoga Springs with getting points every June or Sept. What I need to know is what month is the best to purchase if you are wanting to optimize booking the summer months June-Aug? I am thinking of trying other resorts so thinking of the 7 month window?
Thanks
Kyle

 

[BeesKnees]

Booking a particular month has never been an issue for us since you can always borrow from the next year. The issue is using up the previous year's banked points before they expire and they expire if not used for a stay before the next UY. So if you have 80 points from the previous year with a Sept UY you have book and stay at a property and have them used before August 31st or you lose them.

It sounds to me like going in the summer is the easiest for you so I would give yourself the entire summer to get your points used and go with September. June would be the worst choice.

 

[chalee94]

What I need to know is what month is the best to purchase if you are wanting to optimize booking the summer months June-Aug?

you want a use year month that starts before you typically travel. for booking june to august primarily, you would definitely want a june use year (sept would be a terrible choice.)

UY month has nothing to do with when you can call to book. nothing.

the 11 month booking window opens 11 months before travel at your home resort. the 7 month window works the same way - doesn't matter what UY month you have.

the issue with UY month is what happens if you need to cancel.

if you have a sept UY and book an august stay...and then find out in may that you need to cancel, you will find that you are up the creek since your banking window already closed at the end of april. your pts are all stuck in that use year and will expire at the end of august, whether you can find another way to use them or not.

if you have a june UY and book an august stay...and then find out in may that you need to cancel, you have until the end of the next january to bank any current year pts if you don't need to use them in that use year.

but whether you have a sept UY or a june UY, you can call in sept 2011 to book an aug 2012 stay (for a june contract - using current june 2012 pts, borrowed 2013 pts if needed and banked 2011 pts, if any). but if you never have to cancel, UY month is not a big issue...

more info on UY is here if you need it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668

 

[hakepb]

I'd go the exact opposite, June.

In terms of cancellation and banking, it is easiest to do so in the first 8 months of your use year (you cannot bank in the last 4). A June UY begins June 1. If you cancelled a summer July trip (due to a family reason) in May, the Sept UY would leave you with no banking options. But the June UY would give you until the following Feb1 to bank. Points always exist (I can see my 2013 points on the website). They are not used at booking, just allocated. Points are used when you stay

In the end, travel is possible any time, and preferences change over the years(what if you get tired of the heat and start booking Spring?)
UY is often over analyzed so go with what feels right.

 

[kyle051777]

Thank you so much. This is very helpful. Looks like I will try and get a June UY.

 

[BeesKnees]

you want a use year month that starts before you typically travel. for booking june to august primarily, you would definitely want a june use year (sept would be a terrible choice.)

UY month has nothing to do with when you can call to book. nothing.

the 11 month booking window opens 11 months before travel at your home resort. the 7 month window works the same way - doesn't matter what UY month you have.

the issue with UY month is what happens if you need to cancel.

if you have a sept UY and book an august stay...and then find out in may that you need to cancel, you will find that you are up the creek since your banking window already closed at the end of april. your pts are all stuck in that use year and will expire at the end of august, whether you can find another way to use them or not.

if you have a june UY and book an august stay...and then find out in may that you need to cancel, you have until the end of the next january to bank any current year pts if you don't need to use them in that use year.

but whether you have a sept UY or a june UY, you can call in sept 2011 to book an aug 2012 stay (for a june contract - using current june 2012 pts, borrowed 2013 pts if needed and banked 2011 pts, if any). but if you never have to cancel, UY month is not a big issue...

more info on UY is here if you need it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668

I guess it is a matter of point management because we have and always bank our points early in the UY regardless of our plans. I have a yearly outlook reminder to bank our DEC UY points in February and another 2 weeks later to confirm they were banked. For us the only issue has ever been getting a last minute trip booked in November to get the previous UY's points used.