Switching Holding Points to Existing Reservation

[bwbuddy5]

Weird situation - I tested positive for Covid this week, so had to cancel our trip to Hilton Head that was to have begun Sunday. Net effect was 165 points now in holding, April use year.

We also have a reservation for Aulani Oct 8-15, using both current and borrowed points.

Is there any way to convert my Aulani reservation to make use of the holding points? That would allow me to then bank the current points I had used for Aulani. Or, It would allow me to rebook Hilton Head over the next few months without having to wait for the holding 60-day window.

 

[cvjw]

Go into the reservation and modify. Pick the same reservation and see if it lets you use the holding points instead of the borrowed points.

 

[Sandisw]

Yes.. the system will pick them up since you are within 60 days under a few conditions.

If that October trip was made during home resort priority, the holding points need to be from that resort.

If it was made 7 months or less, then any points will do!

Also, it assumes the points are all in the same membership.


Just go in, modify, don’t change a thing and book it again and it will take the holding points.

 

[drusba]

Note, if you have any problem, try contacting MS and inform it of the reason for the cancellation and ask if it will waive putting the points in holding in the HH reservation. DVC has previously done that when covid is the cause of the cancellation. What I do not know is whether DVC is still doing that.

 

[bwbuddy5]

Note, if you have any problem, try contacting MS and inform it of the reason for the cancellation and ask if it will waive putting the points in holding in the HH reservation. DVC has previously done that when covid is the cause of the cancellation. What I do not know is whether DVC is still doing that.

So, you don’t think I can make the change online, as suggested above?

 

[bwbuddy5]

so far, I get through the whole process, choosing contracts (two contracts, same membership), all the way to Accepting Terms and clicking the Booking button. But I keep getting the dwarves screen. Should I keep trying or am I going to have to call? I hate calling.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

You can try the chat feature too. They were able to move points around on my reservations via chat.

 

[drusba]

So, you don’t think I can make the change online, as suggested above?

I was assuming, as now appears correct, that the website, as is far too common, would not work correctly, and if there is any issue involving using those points when trying to use the site or talking to MS that you should consider raising the waiver issue with MS.

 

[Sandisw]

so far, I get through the whole process, choosing contracts (two contracts, same membership), all the way to Accepting Terms and clicking the Booking button. But I keep getting the dwarves screen. Should I keep trying or am I going to have to call? I hate calling.

Use chat or call. I was getting the dwarves last night when modifying a trip to a new room with no point reallocations

So, it could have been the site. Try today and if it doesn’t work, reach out to them.

 

[bwbuddy5]

wow, it finally worked! No more holding points. And even though I've borrowed from next year, I now have some current points I can bank. Beautiful, thanks!

 

[dismedvc]

wow, it finally worked! No more holding points. And even though I've borrowed from next year, I now have some current points I can bank. Beautiful, thanks!

Glad it worked out for you. Do you know if the room at Aulani was available for a new reservation at the time you modified your reservation to use the holding points?
If not, then it seems to me it defeats the entire reason for having points put into holding. Maybe @Sandisw would know if holding points can always be used for an existing reservation that was made more than 60 days out by modifying that reservation once it is inside the 60 day window.

 

[Sandisw]

Glad it worked out for you. Do you know if the room at Aulani was available for a new reservation at the time you modified your reservation to use the holding points?
If not, then it seems to me it defeats the entire reason for having points put into holding. Maybe @Sandisw would know if holding points can always be used for an existing reservation that was made more than 60 days out by modifying that reservation once it is inside the 60 day window.

I have done it a few times now so it does work. But holding points do expire at the end of the UY so you have to have second trip planned within that same UY. Not everyone does.

They don’t change home resort priority so you can’t swap holding points from a different resort into using the other resorts home resort booking..…I could not use my SSR holding points to swap into a RIV booking made at 11 months.

And, if the trip you booked has a lot of banked or borrowed points, then swapping them out may not do you any good.

 

[dismedvc]

I have done it a few times now so it does work.

Thanks. If I understand correctly, in order for this to work, you have to have current year points equal to the amount of points that are in holding used in an existing reservation or available to make a new reservation later in your UY, but if those conditions are met, being able to do this seems like a loophole that should not exist.

ETA: Also if you want to bank the freed up points, you need to still be in your banking window.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks. If I understand correctly, in order for this to work, you have to have current year points equal to the amount of points that are in holding used in an existing reservation or available to make a new reservation later in your UY, but if those conditions are met, being able to do this seems like a loophole that should not exist.

ETA: Also if you want to bank the freed up points, you need to still be in your banking window.

Correct. The online system sets it up so that it treats a modification of a reservation as new and why it will reallocate whatever points you have from most to least restrictive.

 

[pks_domer]

Correct. The online system sets it up so that it treats a modification of a reservation as new and why it will reallocate whatever points you have from most to least restrictive.

Can somebody please clarify if you have to be in the 60-day booking window for holding points to do this swap? We're March UY and have an Easter trip booked, but may need to cancel due to a family issue. We also have an August trip already on the books... would I have to wait til June swap the (potentially held) April points for the August trip? Thanks...

 

[Sandisw]

Can somebody please clarify if you have to be in the 60-day booking window for holding points to do this swap? We're March UY and have an Easter trip booked, but may need to cancel due to a family issue. We also have an August trip already on the books... would I have to wait til June swap the (potentially held) April points for the August trip? Thanks...

Yes, you won’t be able to swap until you are within the 60 day window of the trip

 

[pks_domer]

Yes, you won’t be able to swap until you are within the 60 day window of the trip

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[DaveNan]

This works, but you need to do the modification between 60 and 30 days of the "new" reservation. The "new" reservation can be originally made at 7 months (non home of the holding points) or 11 months (both holding and "new" reservation need to be at the home resort).

You can't modify until 60 days because you can't apply the holding points until 60 days of the stay - same holding rules.

You need to do the transaction before 30 days of the "new" reservation. If you modify after the 30 day window, you will "use" the holding points, however, the "freed" up points from the "new" reservation will go into holding. And since you are in the same UY, those new holding points are in the exact same situation.

 

[pks_domer]

This works, but you need to do the modification between 60 and 30 days of the "new" reservation. The "new" reservation can be originally made at 7 months (non home of the holding points) or 11 months (both holding and "new" reservation need to be at the home resort).

You can't modify until 60 days because you can't apply the holding points until 60 days of the stay - same holding rules.

You need to do the transaction before 30 days of the "new" reservation. If you modify after the 30 day window, you will "use" the holding points, however, the "freed" up points from the "new" reservation will go into holding. And since you are in the same UY, those new holding points are in the exact same situation.

Thanks for walking me through that!

 

[MyDogTink]

This is my day for a million questions on this forum.

I have 8 points in holding and an existing reservation. If there is no availability at day 59 for the same accommodation, can I modify my existing reservation and apply the holding points. That room is still held for me because I’m modifying and not cancelling?

It’s a one night stay that uses 40 points. Will the modification uses the 8 points in holding + 32 of the points and put 8 unrestricted points back in my account? Or do I need to have 32 points to use in my account?

Thank you!