Jim from Jersey said:
Sorry, I'm just not picking this up as quickly as I should be. Here's the scenario. Just say I was looking to pick up 228 SSR points on a transfer for a reservation in Nov. 2007. I can use the transferred points to book 11 months in advance right? How does the use year come in to play? I still haven't grasped the use year restrictions. Thanks for the help..........Jim
The 228 points may be used to make a reservation 11 months prior to check out at SSR. To make a reservation at any other resort with those points, you would have to wait until at least 7 months prior to the desired check out date.
The points that are transferred into your account are supposed to retain their original use year - so just make sure that the points you plan to receive are valid for your planned vacation dates. Ask MS to be sure - if necessary, transferred points may be banked (but not borrowed).
Use year doesn't really matter when you are talking about making the reservation. If you have home resort points, that is always 11 months prior to check out and if you are using non-home resort points, it's 7 months.
I'll try to explain further using an example - .
Let's say you have an August use year and want to take a vacation at SSR (your home resort) in November, 2007. For that vacation , you need to use your 2007 use year points because your 2007 points are valid for stays between 8/1/2007 and 7/31/2008. (I'm not going to complicate the example with banked or borrowed points). You may still call to make the reservation in December, 2006 - even though your 2007 use year hasn't started yet. MS knows that your 11/07 vacatio falls within your 2007 use year and that you have 2007 points in your account to pay for it.
If you transfer points into your account and want to make the reservation using those points, just make sure that the points will be valid for that time. For example, let's say another SSR owner with a February use year agrees to transfer you some points. The November 2007 vacation falls within that owner's 2007 use year, so you'll want to make sure he/she transfers 2007 use year points. You can still call 11 months prior to check out to make the resrevation.
If the owner had a December use year, you'd want 2006 use year points. That's because a November 2007 vacation falls within the 2006 use year for those who have a December use year. (It runs from 12/1/2006 - 11/30/2007). Technically, when MS moves the points, they will put them into your 2007 use year so that you can make the reservation - they have to bank them to do so. But no need for you to understand all the nuances of how it happens. You just need to make sure that the points you are getting will be valid for the dates of your desired vacation. You can still call 11 months prior to check out to make the reservation.
Best wishes -
