Job change may affect upcoming trip - Question about switching points.

[NeutralNovice]

I have a trip in December at SSR for 7 Nights. 274 Points. Home resort is BLT.

I banked points from UY2021 into UY2022 so after using 274pts, I currently have 326 (300 UY22 + 26 Banked) Points for UY2022.

Because of a job change, training may force me to delay my trip so I was going to book a trip for early May 2023; however, I won't know for another month if upcoming trip will be affected so I went ahead and booked a room at BLT for May 2023, using 315 of the points I have left.

Primary Question:
In the event that I need to cancel my December trip, I am going to get back those 274 Banked Points. Is there a way to switch the May 2023 reservation to the banked points instead of the UY22 points? I am assuming that I can cancel and just rebook but I'm afraid of the risk of losing some days in the process. Do I call Guest Services to have them manually switch the points?

THANK YOU!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

You own at BLT, right? That is how you booked in May, correct? The only way you can switch out the points is if the same room is available at 7 months when BLT opens to all dvc owners. At this point those points are “locked.” And cannot be switched out.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

just thinking… are the banked points on the SSR reservation BLT points? If so you could cancel the May BLT reservation. Switch those points into the SSR reservation (i.e. pull out the banked points/replace with non banked). Book the BLT May reservation with the banked points. If the SSR reservation does not need to be canceled, reverse the process so that the baked points are used on that reservation. All this is assuming that the SSR reservation was booked within 7 months and that the banked points are BLT.

 

[NeutralNovice]

You own at BLT, right? That is how you booked in May, correct? The only way you can switch out the points is if the same room is available at 7 months when BLT opens to all dvc owners. At this point those points are “locked.” And cannot be switched out.

just thinking… are the banked points on the SSR reservation BLT points? If so you could cancel the May BLT reservation. Switch those points into the SSR reservation (i.e. pull out the banked points/replace with non banked). Book the BLT May reservation with the banked points. If the SSR reservation does not need to be canceled, reverse the process so that the baked points are used on that reservation. All this is assuming that the SSR reservation was booked within 7 months and that the banked points are BLT.

Yes I own at BLT and I those points for both the Dec 2022 SSR and May 2023 BLT bookings.

I booked the Dec22 SSR room at 7 months out from arrival.

Sorry, this is my first booking with DVC ever so it's a bit confusing.

 

[CarolMN]

What is your use year? If the May 2023 trip falls within the same use year as the December 2022 trip, after you cancel the December trip, you can modify the May trip and the system will use the banked and any borrowed points before using the current use hear points. The current use year points can be banked if your banking deadline hasn't passed.

 

[drusba]

I am assuming you have a June or later use year start month. Otherwise, points banked from 2021 into 2022 cannot possibly be used for a May 2023 trip. I am also assuming you have only one use year start month applicable to both the points in the Dec reservation and May reservation, because if you have those banked points in a use year with a start month different from the one used for the May reservation, you will not be able to modify the May reservation to use any points from the Dec reservation because two different use years cannot be combined to make a single reservation absent first transferring points from one use year to another and banked points cannot be transferred.

As long as my assumptions are correct, you can do the following online (or contact MS to do the change):

1. Cancel the Dec trip at least 31 days before arrival date because otherwise points would go into holding and become usable for the May trip only beginning 60 days or fewer before arrival date.

2. Then modify your current May reservation to the exact same reservation you already have. You do so by signing into the DVC site, then under My DVC click on My Dashboard, then under My Vacation Plans click on the applicable May reservation and then click View or Modify Details; on next page click on Modify for the particular May reservation. Then on next page modify the reservation you have to the exact same reservation you already have for May, and then the next page will show your same reservation is available and when reserving it make sure, if you have more than one contract, that you designate among those for the new reservation any contracts having the banked 2021 points. Then just complete the modification to the end. Do not leave the last page until you review it. It should show that the banked points have been used. If it still shows those banked points as unused, you can cancel on that page the entire modification and your original May reservation will still be in intact; after which you can call MS to make the change.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Do you have one contract? Or more? BTW I have found Drusba to be one of the most knowledgeable people on these boards!
I have to mess around with reservations a lot because my kids are always cancelling on me/ asking me to reschedule. Here are some tips that may be obvious:

1. Be aware that you can switch out points on a reservation made within 7 months by modifying as if you are changing dates (just leave the dates the same and pick different points). The problem comes if you have one contract, because the system will always take the “best” points to use from that contract. ie the one that will expire first (banked etc). It will allow you to pick contracts but not individual points within that contract. If you get a knowledgeable person at MS, they might be able to help you pick out points.

2. Points used to book between 7-11 months are locked into the reservation and even if you modify that reservation later to something like SSR last minute— those points will still be locked. In that case definitely cancel and rebook to release the points. Do not modify.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

One thing to add:
3. I have booked fake reservations beyond 30 days to “hold” the points I do not want the system to use on a contract and then modified another booking. I immediately cancel my “fake” reservation to get my points back.