Points Allocation Question

[HockeyMomNH]

So, I got the dreaded call today that part of my family has decided to back out of my Feb trip. I upgraded our room to a 2br after being assured that they were confirmed to go with us. To do the upgrade I borrowed 47 points.

My question is this. If I downgrade the room now, will the borrowed points be used before or after my current use year points?

I was not planning on doing another trip in 2016, but I might be stuck with points that I can't bank if they use my current points first.

I checked the sticky threads but I couldn't find an answer there.

 

[supersnoop]

So, I got the dreaded call today that part of my family has decided to back out of my Feb trip. I upgraded our room to a 2br after being assured that they were confirmed to go with us. To do the upgrade I borrowed 47 points.

My question is this. If I downgrade the room now, will the borrowed points be used before or after my current use year points?

I was not planning on doing another trip in 2016, but I might be stuck with points that I can't bank if they use my current points first.

I checked the sticky threads but I couldn't find an answer there.

Yes, borrowed points will be used first and you'll be able to bank the current-year points that are released.

 

[HockeyMomNH]

Yes, borrowed points will be used first and you'll be able to bank the current-year points that are released.

That is what I was hoping to hear. Thank you.

 

[DenLo]

Well. . . you will be able to bank the current year points if you are still within your banking window.

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, borrowed points will be used first and you'll be able to bank the current-year points that are released.

That's assuming, of course, that there are one-bedrooms available and you don't have to book first, then cancel.

Book first is the safest way to do it, because if you cancel first that cancelled room might be snatched up by a waitlist -- and then if there is no one-bedroom available, you've just lost the whole reservation. Depending on which resort, and what time of the year, that's a change I would probably make by phone rather than online.

It's also possible you could do book first/cancel and then call MS and ask them to reallocate to use the borrowed points, but I wouldn't take that chance.

 

[supersnoop]

That's assuming, of course, that there are one-bedrooms available and you don't have to book first, then cancel.

Book first is the safest way to do it, because if you cancel first that cancelled room might be snatched up by a waitlist -- and then if there is no one-bedroom available, you've just lost the whole reservation. Depending on which resort, and what time of the year, that's a change I would probably make by phone rather than online.

It's also possible you could do book first/cancel and then call MS and ask them to reallocate to use the borrowed points, but I wouldn't take that chance.

If she already had to borrow points in order to make the reservation, it's unlikely she'll have enough points to book the new room first, anyway. Yes, this is something that should be handled over the phone.

 

[Dean]

Yes, borrowed points will be used first and you'll be able to bank the current-year points that are released.

Points are tied to a given night so it's not automatic that the points returned will be current UY and all banked/borrowed points stay in the reservation. They can do it manually if needed but one has to ask.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Points are tied to a given night so it's not automatic that the points returned will be current UY and all banked/borrowed points stay in the reservation. They can do it manually if needed but one has to ask.

There seems to be something a little more "system" about it these days. More than once I've had a CM tell me "let me see if the system will reallocate the points" and then I get an affirmative that it did and then they tell me what the system released (since I often have used points for different resorts). That is different than years ago when the CM would ask what I'd like returned and then seemingly go thru a manual reallocation and then perhaps have to go back again if not all banked or borrowed points were used or involve a supervisor. It's still something to verify has happened though.

 

[supersnoop]

Points are tied to a given night so it's not automatic that the points returned will be current UY and all banked/borrowed points stay in the reservation. They can do it manually if needed but one has to ask.

But, in this case of moving from a 2 bedroom to a smaller room, we're talking about a cancel and rebook, not simply dropping nights. There shouldn't be any reallocation necessary; the system should "just work."

 

[Dean]

But, in this case of moving from a 2 bedroom to a smaller room, we're talking about a cancel and rebook, not simply dropping nights. There shouldn't be any reallocation necessary; the system should "just work."

It depends, if it's a lock off they may be able to split it off without canceling and rebooking. Certainly if it's a cancelation and rebooking, any compromised points that are already available in the account at that time should be used first.