Question Re: Using borrowed points versus current UY

[skier_pete]

Quick Question:

I want to book a split stay. 6 nights at BCV, 4 nights at BLT. Booking window opens in two days for the first stay, eight days for the 2nd.

I have 64 points in my (December) 2014 UY, and the rest in I will borrow from the 2015 UY.

My Question: Will the system make me use all my 2014 UY points before I borrow from my 2015 UY? My preference would be to save some of the 2014 UY points that are bankable on the 2nd reservation.

The reason being we are going to try and get into the Poly when it opens up instead of BLT, and if we can get a standard room that would actually take LESS points. But if all the points from that reservation are borrowed from 2015, then the points that free up would be lost because I couldn't then "bank" them. Which is why I want to hold some "bankable" points back for the 2nd reservation.

If I can't hold the points back from the first reservation, I am thinking it might make sense to book an extra night on the first reservation, then cancel it, which would then free up the "bankable" points. I could then use them for the 2nd reservation.

Seems complicated to try and save a couple of points, but as Animatronic Ben Franklin once said "A POINT saved is a POINT earned."

 

[supersnoop]

You should be able to have Member Services reallocate points in the future if your Poly plan comes through. You don't have to worry about it now.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Yes, as far as I know you can use the online booking system to borrow points over using current UY points. I have done this myself and doing it online was less painful than convincing a CM that this is really what I want to do. I found that the CMs will discourage this, I once had my reasons for doing the same thing and the CM just would not let me do exactly what you are describing. They had to get a supervisor to help me. Do it online if you feel confident with your plans.

 

[skier_pete]

Yes, as far as I know you can use the online booking system to borrow points over using current UY points. I have done this myself and doing it online was less painful than convincing a CM that this is really what I want to do. I found that the CMs will discourage this, I once had my reasons for doing the same thing and the CM just would not let me do exactly what you are describing. They had to get a supervisor to help me. Do it online if you feel confident with your plans.

So I decided to test this by going through the booking process. Instead of booking 8/28 - 9/3 tomorrow (102 points) I booked 8/27 - 9/3 today (118 points). I wasn't for certain going to book it, but I wanted to see how it would respond.

Well, when it told me I had to borrow points, it FORCED me to borrow the EXACT number of points I needed. I was not allowed to borrow more points and save some of my bankable points. When I saw this, I decided to just book the extra day.

Now, later in the week, I cancel the extra day, according to the info on the website, it SHOULD free up the bankable points first, so it'll leave me with some bankable points for my second booking.

 

[cmrdgrs]

So I decided to test this by going through the booking process. Instead of booking 8/28 - 9/3 tomorrow (102 points) I booked 8/27 - 9/3 today (118 points). I wasn't for certain going to book it, but I wanted to see how it would respond.

Well, when it told me I had to borrow points, it FORCED me to borrow the EXACT number of points I needed. I was not allowed to borrow more points and save some of my bankable points. When I saw this, I decided to just book the extra day.

Now, later in the week, I cancel the extra day, according to the info on the website, it SHOULD free up the bankable points first, so it'll leave me with some bankable points for my second booking.

Interesting. I wonder if they changed this when they did recent system updates. I was thinking about doing something similar thing when my 7 month window opened for some dates I'm looking at over Halloween. Last year instead of using my home resort points, I was able to borrow from my next UY to book the dates in the 7 month window.

Thanks for posting on this again.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So I decided to test this by going through the booking process. Instead of booking 8/28 - 9/3 tomorrow (102 points) I booked 8/27 - 9/3 today (118 points). I wasn't for certain going to book it, but I wanted to see how it would respond. Well, when it told me I had to borrow points, it FORCED me to borrow the EXACT number of points I needed. I was not allowed to borrow more points and save some of my bankable points. When I saw this, I decided to just book the extra day. Now, later in the week, I cancel the extra day, according to the info on the website, it SHOULD free up the bankable points first, so it'll leave me with some bankable points for my second booking.

Do you have one contract or multiples? If more than one I could see now how it would let you borrow from one while still leaving current points in another but if you have one I don't see how it would do that. In that case the best way is to make a dummy reservation with the current points to hold them and then cancel after making your reservation with borrowing.

 

[cmrdgrs]

Do you have one contract or multiples? If more than one I could see now how it would let you borrow from one while still leaving current points in another but if you have one I don't see how it would do that. In that case the best way is to make a dummy reservation with the current points to hold them and then cancel after making your reservation with borrowing.

I hadn't thought about multiple contracts vs. one KAT4DISNEY. I have well over a dozen contracts. That must be why it worked in my case. No points in the current UY, so since I have the "right" to borrow, it let me borrow. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[skier_pete]

Do you have one contract or multiples? If more than one I could see now how it would let you borrow from one while still leaving current points in another but if you have one I don't see how it would do that. In that case the best way is to make a dummy reservation with the current points to hold them and then cancel after making your reservation with borrowing.

Yeah, only one contract. I was thinking if you had more than one that it could be done the way you describe.

 

[mcorbo]

One way to do it is to make a "temporary" reservation right now for anything using the current use year points you want to "save" and bank later. Make your real reservation when the window opens and borrow the points necessary, then cancel the "temporary" reservation leaving you with current use year points that are bankable.

 

[skier_pete]

One way to do it is to make a "temporary" reservation right now for anything using the current use year points you want to "save" and bank later. Make your real reservation when the window opens and borrow the points necessary, then cancel the "temporary" reservation leaving you with current use year points that are bankable.

Yes, that actually makes a lot of sense. Since I booked an extra day, now I need to call Member Services to cancel that one day. By doing what you suggested, I could've done it all on-line.

It seems foolish to me that they make you do this type of thing. However as I think about it, they probably do it to stop people from banking/borrowing excessively. I'm sure the preference is on balance to have you use your points within the proper UY.

 

[skier_pete]

So, I called Member Services yesterday and cancelled the first day of the booking. This popped the 16 points back in my account, and it DID give me points back that I could them bank to my 2015 UY if necessary.

So actually, my idea worked out perfectly. We will hopefully book 4 days at BLT next week, and then if I can get into the Poly on February 26th for those 4 days, it'll free up a whopping 2 points, but they will be bankable.

Had I just booked 6 days, then 4 days, I might have been able to get MS to shuffle the points, but now I don't have to take that chance.