Switching Reservations-Close Call

[RevBob]

First let me say, that I've read the boards long enough to be wary of this, and if I had thought about it while working with MS, I would have done this differently, especially since I had enough points that I could have first made the new reservation before making the change on the old reservation.

Long story, short. We had one night reserved at OKW in a studio and then 8 days at ALK in a 2bd SV. The original family that was going to be our guests, couldn't make it, but another couple could join us halfway through our stay, with possibly someone else staying with us up until then. So in order to accomidate this and save a few points, we needed to make a few changes. We wanted to keep the last five days at AKL, and change the first three plus the studio at OKW. Our first choice wasn't available, however, the MS rep. confirmed that there was availability for a 2br at OKW for those dates, which was our second choice. He starts the process, by dropping the first three days at AKL and the studio at OKW, and then he starts to actually reserve the 2br at OKW and suddenly askes me to hold! Right then I knew what had happened and I started to worry. The last night of the OKW 2br wasn't available!!! Fortunately, he was able to get back that night from the dropped nights at AKL, so we are now staying 3 nights at OKW and six nights at AKL.

Lesson learned. Do one of two things. Have MS put a hold on the room when they say there is availability before cancelling current reservation, or if there are enough points available, make reservation before cancelling current reservation.

Has anyone else ran into this same type of situation?

 

[bobbiwoz]

I am not sure that they can put a hold on a reservation so that in effect, you are holding 2 reservations with the same points.

I have lost a stay at the BWV when a CM tried to book a stay at VB in its place. We were 3 months out from the stay. In a moment, the VB stay was gone and so was the BWV. I then booked into SSR with 2 waitlists. We got the VB 2 days before the reservation was to start, and MS did help us out with point allocation, but it was hairy for us.

Now I always ask about availability before attempting to change any of our reservations. I don't want a surprise like that ever again.

In the aftermath of that, which happened 3 years ago, I did tell MS that I thought the CM should be able to put the 2nd reservation on hold in the beginning. Maybe they can now...but then they couldn't.

Bobbi

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

My impression is the same as Bobbi's that the CM cannot hold a ressie. That's where you can ease concerns if you have enough points by having the CM book the change you want and then cancel your previous ressie. I've done a couple of changes recently and the CM's have mentioned whether there was lots of availability or in one case that it was the last room I was talking to them about. In that case they were very careful to tell me it could disappear and then they hurried to get it booked after the cancel.

Did you waitlist for the last night at OKW?

 

[RevBob]

My impression is the same as Bobbi's that the CM cannot hold a ressie. That's where you can ease concerns if you have enough points by having the CM book the change you want and then cancel your previous ressie. I've done a couple of changes recently and the CM's have mentioned whether there was lots of availability or in one case that it was the last room I was talking to them about. In that case they were very careful to tell me it could disappear and then they hurried to get it booked after the cancel.

Did you waitlist for the last night at OKW?

I thought that someone had said that they could hold a reservation, I may be mistaken about that.

I decided to not waitlist anything, since it did work out, not necessarily how I wanted, but in the long run it will be all right. Thanks for the input.

 

[disneynutz]

The regular MS Advisers can't hold inventory, only managers can. So much for Member Satisfaction.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...So much for Member Satisfaction.

What's that??