Looking at UY in another way??

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi, I have been toying with the idea of changing my UY before I sign my contracts and I know that a lot of people recommend choosing a UY just before the time you would normally intend to travel, so that if you need to cancel you still have time to bank points/make alternative plans later in the year.

But I am looking at possibly vacationing every other year, so most likely will be banking points regularly. I am wondering whether if, for me, it would be better to have a UY just after I intend to go, so that I can bank points to last for the next trip??

For example - we are currently getting a Dec UY, and we will typically visit in May, Aug or Oct. I have been recommended a Apr UY, but if I do that my 2009 points would in effect be banked until end of March 2011, whereas with my Dec UY, the 2009 points could be banked until end of Nov 2011 - so I could in effect vacation anytime in 2011 (based on my normal travelling options) with a Dec UY, but couldn't travel at all in 2011 with a Apr UY.

Am I right, or have I once again misunderstood the whole thing!!

 

[drusba]

1. Assume you get April use year and get April 09 points. Bank them into 2010, and then take your first trip in 2010 using those and April 2010 points. You can go in May, Aug, or Oct 2010, but let's assume Oct 2010, the latest month you give, and you have to cancel come August 2010. You could bank those Apr 2010 points into the next April and you still have until March 31, 2011 to use the prefviously banked points.

2. Now Assume you get Dec use year and first points come in Dec 2009. You bank them into 2010 and then take first trip in 2011 using Dec 09 and Dec 10 points. Now assume that Oct trip in 2011 and you have to cancel in Aug. Not only can you not bank the points you got in Dec 2010 but you will have to use all the points by Nov 30, 2011.

In other words, you have haven't really changed things much by going every other year. You can still face the more dire cancellation banking issue if you travel in Oct with a Dec use year. All you have really done is delayed your first trip by a year if you wait to have first points issued in Dec 2009 rather than get them from April 2009.

 

[5forDiz]

ita with what previous poster has pointed out about situation you will be in if travelling in October & finding you need to cancel with December as your UY.

Give yourself as much opportunity as you can to bank the current UY's points and to use banked &/or borrowed points used in your reservation before end of your Use Year. April would be better choice for your travel habits. And also, with April UY even with a check-in date as late as December 31 if you cancelled no later than November 30 (31 days before checkin) you would still be able to bank current UY points used in that reservation since April UY banking deadline is Nov 30.

Best wishes

 

[Madformickey]

So the deal with uy and banking is, as long as you ....1)cancel at least 31 days before a reservation and.............2) are still in your banking window, you wont lose any current uy points. I hope im understanding this. We are currently looking for a resale and have been trying to figure out our best uy.
As OP said, we like to travel,late spring(April,may,June) or fall(september,october) So i believe an april use year may work for us as well. Thanks everyonr for your help

 

[Sandisw]

So the deal with uy and banking is, as long as you ....1)cancel at least 31 days before a reservation and.............2) are still in your banking window, you wont lose any current uy points. I hope im understanding this. We are currently looking for a resale and have been trying to figure out our best uy.
As OP said, we like to travel,late spring(April,may,June) or fall(september,october) So i believe an april use year may work for us as well. Thanks everyonr for your help

Yes, that is exactly right--you will be able to bank your points if you are in that banking window and you cancelled (or changed) your reservation at least 31 days out.

We are going in August, our UY is June, and I have changed my reservation 3 times in the last week. Because my trip falls only 2 months into my UY, I didn't have to worry about the extra points (what I booked used less points). I knew, they would just go back where they came from!

April UY will work for your travel times. It will also help if you ever have to borrow points and cancel. When your travel is near the beginning of the UY, it gives you time to still use those borrowed points (since they will expire at the end of the UY you borrow them into).

Good luck!

 

[rmonty02]

So the deal with uy and banking is, as long as you ....1)cancel at least 31 days before a reservation and.............2) are still in your banking window, you wont lose any current uy points. I hope im understanding this. We are currently looking for a resale and have been trying to figure out our best uy.
As OP said, we like to travel,late spring(April,may,June) or fall(september,october) So i believe an april use year may work for us as well. Thanks everyonr for your help

Yes,yes, and yes. April is ideal because if you cancel any of your trips (31 day before) and it's still prior to Nov 30th (you banking deadline), you will get you points back into you current UY and bank them if not using them by Nov.

Also, this way you avoid the whole "holding account" rules. Holding account rules will apply if you cancel AFTER the 31days, or canceled a trip you booked for Dec-Mar(4 months after the banking deadline).

 

[5forDiz]

Yes,yes, and yes. April is ideal because if you cancel any of your trips (31 day before) and it's still prior to Nov 30th (you banking deadline), you will get you points back into you current UY and bank them if not using them by Nov.


Only current UY points may be banked or the points may be utilized for another reservation with last night of stay as late as March 31. Banked &/or borrowed points from the cancelled reservation would need to be used in another reservation with last night of stay as late as Mar 31.



Also, this way you avoid the whole "holding account" rules. Holding account rules will apply if you cancel AFTER the 31days, or canceled a trip you booked for Dec-Mar(4 months after the banking deadline).


Points being placed in Holding Account does not happen just because you've got a reservation booked during last 4 months of the Use Year.

Points being placed into Holding Account only comes into play on reservations cancelled from
30 days up to 1 day before check-in. Reservations cancelled on checkin date will result in all points being forfeited.

If the trip is scheduled during the last 4 months of your Use Year and cancelled up to 31 day before you checkin date you can re-utilize those points in another reservation that occurs before the end of the UY without restrictions - those points will not go into Holding.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thanks everyone for their replies!! I think I am just gonna have to accept that I won't ever 'get' the importance of UY and move on!!!

I can see how it does become an issue for those who need to cancel/change vacations - but unless we had a real disastrous emergency then I can't ever see us doing that - and I suppose if that happened the last thing I would be worrying about was losing my points!!

I think, (even though I know to everyone else this won't make any sense at all!!), I am going to stick with my Dec UY. I just really like that it falls at the end of the year so I can more or less work in calendar years for the math in my head. I'm sure I sound mad to you guys, but I guess thats just me!!

Thanks again for all of your comments though!!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

thanks everyone for their replies!! I think I am just gonna have to accept that I won't ever 'get' the importance of UY and move on!!!

I can see how it does become an issue for those who need to cancel/change vacations - but unless we had a real disastrous emergency then I can't ever see us doing that - and I suppose if that happened the last thing I would be worrying about was losing my points!!

I think, (even though I know to everyone else this won't make any sense at all!!), I am going to stick with my Dec UY. I just really like that it falls at the end of the year so I can more or less work in calendar years for the math in my head. I'm sure I sound mad to you guys, but I guess thats just me!!

Thanks again for all of your comments though!!

My Dad had to have emergency open heart surgery when we had planned a trip to Hilton Head. Yes, I was very concerned about Dad, but I still called to see if I could re-schedule. We decided to go over MLK Jr. weekend in January. BRRRR! It was 18 degrees in Hilton Head that weekend. Dad is much better now.

 

[Sandisw]

thanks everyone for their replies!! I think I am just gonna have to accept that I won't ever 'get' the importance of UY and move on!!!

I can see how it does become an issue for those who need to cancel/change vacations - but unless we had a real disastrous emergency then I can't ever see us doing that - and I suppose if that happened the last thing I would be worrying about was losing my points!!

I think, (even though I know to everyone else this won't make any sense at all!!), I am going to stick with my Dec UY. I just really like that it falls at the end of the year so I can more or less work in calendar years for the math in my head. I'm sure I sound mad to you guys, but I guess thats just me!!

Thanks again for all of your comments though!!

Amy,

One of the best things you can do is ask questions and then decide what makes sense to you and works for you! You have done a great job of doing that and I really think that you will be fine with keeping things as is.

And, things change. Once you get traveling and see how it works with the points in regards to your every other year plan, and the months you want to travel, you will figure out how to adjust to make the most of your membership. The key is to be happy with your decision!!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

My Dad had to have emergency open heart surgery when we had planned a trip to Hilton Head. Yes, I was very concerned about Dad, but I still called to see if I could re-schedule. We decided to go over MLK Jr. weekend in January. BRRRR! It was 18 degrees in Hilton Head that weekend. Dad is much better now.

So glad that your dad is much better now!!

Amy,

One of the best things you can do is ask questions and then decide what makes sense to you and works for you! You have done a great job of doing that and I really think that you will be fine with keeping things as is.

And, things change. Once you get traveling and see how it works with the points in regards to your every other year plan, and the months you want to travel, you will figure out how to adjust to make the most of your membership. The key is to be happy with your decision!!

Hi Sandi!! Yes, I think being happy with the decision is important. Like you say, if things change then I will just have to make the best of it. We plan so far ahead (I've been planning my next trip for over 2 and a half years!!), that i'm sure it will all work out. Besides if DH ever changes jobs, then I would be able to go every Christmas, which I would LOVE and which would suit the Dec UY perfectly!!

thanks again!!