Recent experiences under revised booking policy?

[delmar411]

We never go for only 7 nights. We were trying for AKV for Memorial Day weekend and we couldn't get all 7 nights. So we took BCV for 7 nights. Then we had to call back three more times to add the 8th, 9th and 10th nights.

In the past, we only called once for our trip. This time we had to call four times. Didn't save me any phone calls.

we have now booked 2 trips that are more than 7nights long and booked them both in 1 phone call. One 7mths to the day out and the other 11mths out (10mths and change actually).

 

[DebbieB]

I got 6/14-20 AKV Kidani Savannah view studio at 7 months from check-in. The real test will be on Jan 5 when I call for Dec 5 to 11 BWV boardwalk view studio. I always called day by day for that week. People who booked Dec 1 to 7 could already have the first nights booked up. I'm thinking of booking Dec 4 to 11 to get an extra day's jump on it.

 

[tjkraz]

I disagree. The new system allows members who have more points than others the opportunity to book days ahead of other members. The day by day system made all members equal.

You are commenting on the perceived fairness of the two systems whereas my comments were directed more and the end result in member satisfaction.

In my mind, this change was a no-lose situation for DVC. As a whole member satisfaction can only increase. Think about it.

1. For those hundreds of nights were demand was less than supply, people no longer are frightened into making 5 or more daily calls. Now they just make one and book the entire trip. And everyone gets what they want.

2. For periods where demand exceeds supply, someone is going to lose regardless of the system. As I said in my example, if you have 1000 rooms and 1200 people wanting to book, 200 are going to be disappointed regardless of the booking system. Under the old method it was the 200 who didn't get to the phone soon enough. Under this system it's the 200 who don't arrive early enough in the week.

In the end you have thousands of phone calls per year saved, a simplified booking system (no more queries of "now when can I call to book Oct 25-31?") and about the same number of people who won't get their ideal reservation as under the old system. Member satisfaction can only increase, IMO.

If you think the old system was "fairer", so be it. I have no objections to that.

Personally, I tend to favor the new system. Not because I have a lot of points but because I place a higher priority on being able to guarantee the entire trip (up to 7 nights) in one phone call and because I think it's dramatically reducing telephone traffic. Fair(er) or not, I think it's asinine to have a system where people have to dash to the phone at 9am (or 6am on the West, or heaven-knows-when if you live overseas) for 7 days in a row just to book your family vacation.

Will some people be unsuccessful in booking Thanksgiving or New Year's reservations? Yeah, they probably will. Particularly certain small room classes. But again when supply < demand, someone loses.

It will take a couple of years but people will adapt and learn how to "game" the new system just as they did with the old day-by-day bookings (a system never publicly advocated by DVC.)

The new system is a change, but it's a system that other timeshares have used successfully. There is nothing illegal, immoral or unethical about it. Most people will continue to get exactly what they want and others will adapt their habits to maximize success.

 

[Tiger926]

We got our BCV ressie @ 7 months out today for July 2009 and also changed our original AKV ressie to a 1 bedroom Kidani savannah view and had no issues at all. All in one phone call!

Tiger

 

[Debi]

So far, I'm 1-for-1, but that was for a relatively easy reservation (August 16-21 BWV). My concern is for my New Year's Eve reservation (December 27-January 1) at BWV. This will be the true test of the new booking system. I don't have enough points to walk the reservation, so I'll have to wait until January 27 to make the reservation. We'll see how it goes - fingers crossed!